The shit Christmas presents of 22 thread.

[ChristmasPresentsof22]

Another year, another round of presents from family that I cannot use. I have a serious food allergy and another health condition that means that I can't eat or use some foods/cosmetics. These are not new health issues, had them since childhood, yet there is not a single gift out of the few that I received that I can make use of. I decided to be blunt this year (after years of unsuaitable gifts) and tell the givers that I can't use their gifts due allergy etc but thanks anyway. Now I'm an ungracious brat. Am I? "It's not their fault I'm fussy." I'm really not, I just don't want to get sick. I would prefer not to do the gift thing as I'm not overly bothered about that part of Christmas, but I would be ruining it for everyone else, everyone else who gets decent thoughtful presents based on knowing what they like, it's shit when those thoughts are not reciprocated.

Anyone else want to join the naff presents club.

But you didn't check?

I totally agree.

There are some good examples of passive aggressive, rude, gross or downright silly gifts on this thread, and I don't blame those posters in the least for feeling miffed about them.

There are also an awful lot of posters moaning about getting things that are perfectly alright, because they appear to have some absolutely ridiculous expectations of people.

What's wrong with getting some toiletries or lotion that are somewhat-nicer than Dove or Supermarket own-brand? Just stick them in the downstairs loo. Useful gift. Hotel Chocolat produces excellent quality and not cheap chocolate. If you don't like it, offer chocs to visitors and be a nice host, or take the box into work and put it next to the water cooler, or get your spouse etc. to do so if you don't work in an office.

Really, not everyone has the time or energy to sit there trying to work out what Very Thoughtful gift will please the person who thinks they are a great present-giver and expects everyone else to reciprocate.

🤣 oh dear! That’s worse than the other year when I was given a used pair of fake pony skin boots, in a black & white cow print, not even in my size! 🤣

I posted a photo of them here and ‘gifted’ them to a Mnetter who had taken a shine to them!

The bag though, I’d like to say I was surprised to have received it but after 20 years, it’s now become quite exciting to see what shit gifts we’ll get each year!

With the exception of thoughtless partner choices and PA behaviour from mothers; both of which are allowed a moan…this thread is pathetic.

A box of absolute junk sent to me, accompanied by a long rant about the cost of shipping.
I didn’t ask for it, I don’t need any of it and it certainly doesn’t bring me joy. Stuff like hair accessories aimed at pre- teen girls and crappy kitchen utensils clearly bought in a charity shop.
The sender has plenty of money and knows me well, I can’t help thinking it was in fact designed to be hurtful.

Also my MIL to my husband, her younger and clearly inferior son. Context: she and her elder son refer disparagingly to my husband as ‘Littke Brother’ (both my husband and BIL are in their 50s) and every time we see her she bangs on about ‘annoying little brothers’ - fairly insulting to him, and also to our younger son… anyway, her gift this year to her son ‘Little Brother’ was this:

My husband is, of course, colourblind.

offs 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️That is just dreadful a thoughtless present indeed.

My DH once got me some jumper from oxfam , didn't even wash them , so they still smelled like oxfam and couldn't understand why I was livid . We do a family secret santa now which is much better .

Absolutely. It's better no to even bother then disrespect someone like that - especially when you know they aren't short for money.

That. After that l refused to have anything to do with presents for their little one. I'm sure he went ridiculously over the top, but l told him not to even bother putting my name on them.

Not this year but last year. One of DH's relatives got us a 3D '&' model. Imagine those letters that one might put on a shelf to spell 'HOME' or 'BATHE' or 'EAT', but ours was just '&'. In camouflage print and a bit battered-looking. It was actually quite a good gift in a way because it was so strange it gave us a real laugh.

Poundland ugg boots. Sparkly plastic make up organiser and some vaseline from my DM!!. She asked what i wanted and I said bootie slippers but as usual got a nasty version with crap to make up the price of what i asked for (only £15 )- and I cooked for her xmas eve and xmas day!!! Oh and a glass bottle with Red wooden matches inside off my son! Hes 30! Have to laugh...

We have pretty much abandoned gift giving at Christmas. We buy for 3 little kids and our 2 adult D.C. That's it. It is fabulous. The lack of mess and clutter is wonderful. The extra time on Christmas Day for playing games/karaoke and spending time with our lovely siblings and their families is so much better than anything that comes gift wrapped.

Actually I've been guilty of giving some truly shit gifts before too so I don't have a leg to stand on regarding my '&'. One year I made the mistake of using those daft Buzzfeed gift guides and ended up buying my cousin a set of coasters that slotted together to make what was meant to look like an ornamental cactus. I don't know what I was thinking, she was (perfectly reasonably) baffled and I always say now don't worry, it's not cactus coasters.

I would say that most gifts are in fact recycled gifts that the sender didn't want . I bet most of them go round each year like past the parcel so eventually you will be given something you have gifted someone else

Hotel Chocolat produces excellent quality and not cheap chocolate.

My husband is in seventh heaven eating his way through chocolate covered marzipan from Hotel Chocolat, the gift giver knows his love of all things marzipan and chocolate so it was the perfect gift in his eyes. Far better than stuff he has neither need of or use for.

I disagree, what's the point in buying a gift if you can't be arsed to put any thought in. I love chocolates or toiletry sets but would be really upset if a close family member who knew I had an allergy kept buying me stuff containing what I was allergic to.

My SIL is as close as a sister to me, she always is so thoughtful and we put in equal effort the other way round.

My assumption was that the outrage is that it was regifted to the original giver, that is totally out of order.

I really enjoy giving gifts to my family members - it's fun thinking up the perfect thing for each person and treating them, especially those who don't have much money. And for those who are hard to buy for I ask for a list. I really do get much more pleasure in giving than receiving. Plus I'm usually happy with my presents unless they're very thoughtless (I loved my chocolates but toothbrushes- come on!). So I wouldn't want to stop exchanging gifts in our case.

My DS age 15 got a tapestry cushion with an embroidered Sunflowers by Van Gogh on it (from MiL). Very random. We gently said that the style don't quite fit his room, she wasn't offended, she gave us the details so we could return it and DH and I were startled to find that it cost over £50. It didn't annoy me or DS as she is very generous in general, for example she is paying for his private orthodontic treatment which feels like many birthdays and Christmases come at once.

DS2 gets chocolate he's allergic to every single year.

Bizarrely this year I was with my Mum when she bought DC4 something he'd have loved, she asked my advice on it. However yesterday she him the same thing she'd given him earlier in the year for his birthday 🤔

OP I would tell your family next year that you are not buying presents, so they don’t have to buy presents for you. Give them whatever reason/excuse that will work.

We haven’t had presents from ILs yet but I know they be inappropriate cheap tat.

I definitely think the issue is less about what the person has given and more about the effort they have put into the gift. I honestly don't get why people bother to give a really really shit gift. Surely they feel embarrassed?!

I agree, some of the gifts detailed one here are so awful - the dirty second hand trainers and 'pre-loved' bag for example - that it comes across as more than just shit or can't be bothered it seems downright nasty.

Spent £200 on my sister, who has recently gone back from a 10 day cruise. In return I got a Stranger Things mug - a tv show I’ve never watched, or spoken about. I would have been annoyed getting it in my work secret santa, never mind a relative.

Could be worse, my MIL was given a chocolate Yule log… that went out of date in November from her best friend.