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.

I think the "final straw" present that triggered me to need to put a stop to it was when this odd SIL gave DH a Star Trek passport cover. He was 40, not 14.

He has never had any interest in Star Trek.

But even if he did, who in their right mind would turn up at Passport control with something that so visibly announces "I'm a weirdo and a geek". It's almost a guaranteed ticket into a full body search.

It wasn't the first dorky present he had received from them. And I think he hates them both to this day.

What decided me is that he was genuinely gutted. He looked at me so hurt and said "Is this what people think of me?"

I had to put an end to these insulting presents.

Maybe donate to a women's refuge or food bank instead

I’ve got a sort of best friend who can be weird with presents, normally just that it’s a load of crap like she gave me shampoo for my birthday last year, one year she gave me 2nd hand earrings full of crap out of someone’s ears who’s probably died wearing them, one year she put warren james earrings in a Pandora box and another year she asked my daughter what she’s getting me and she told her all happily that she’s getting me a big dog ornament, then she went and bought it for me instead. Anyway to top it all this year she gave my daughter some bottles of gin, she left them in our house in a gift bag for her to come around and open on Christmas Day, the only problem with that is we’re a Muslim family and we’ve spent most of this year in a very awkward situation with my daughter as she ran off with a lad and we found out that she goes out drinking and we’ve been very upset about it. We’ve had to come to terms with it and accept her for what she is but we don’t talk about that with her, it just felt like she was trying to throw a grenade into our Christmas Day when we’ve just been back in contact for a few weeks 😕

Priceless😂

Scented candles are horrible. I call them Satan's suppositories...

I got bath bombs and mulled wine. I hate bath bombs. I don’t often have a bath, as I shower instead. I cannot stand mulled wine, or any red wine. The gift giver knows that I do not like red wine, so quite why I would like it better when it is hot wine with spices in it? No thanks.

I shall be giving that the PTA tombola when they do their post Christmas unwanted gifts for prizes request!

Too many gifts as we get older is wasteful.
I like Chris Kringle - one gift each. One only buys for one other.

If your reply was to me, please take in to consideration that I buy 'his' present to his mum on his behalf every year. He just expects me to buy something else in top from me despite her only once getting a voucher for me (which I'm pretty sure she re-guifted).

It's not the gift at all, it's more that after 19 years and two grandchildren, I'm still not classed as family therefore not worthy of a gift.

My son is 6 and he is tall for his age. All family are aware of this, they see him regularly 😂 my Nan, dad and my brother girlfriend all got him items of clothing that are size 5-6. Not even size 6. And he’s in 7-8. He’s very long. It just annoys me. He will get maybe one wear out of them, that just to be less wasteful. My brother girlfriend maybe yes I can say honest mistake she has met him once. But she knows he is 6, not 5. If a child is 6 you buy 6-7 right? If they don’t do 6-7 then buy 7? Always better for clothes to be a little big and grown into? Right? All clothes will go to my friend for her son but just means I have to buy something else for my son to make up for losing a gift 😒

As in tissues? Or like for food? Either way weird 😂

Accident my break it and then replace 🙈

My (D)M sent two packs of colouring pens for me to wrap up and give to her grandchildren. I have 3 DC.

It’s worth donating toiletries to your local hospital. We make bags up for parents so they can have a shower if they’ve come in without anything overnight.

My husband and I haven’t done presents for about 20 years, mil we stopped a while back, my mum gets me a small bag of things (all good or useful little things) and I hand make her a food hamper. Other than that I do the chn and nobody else. It’s great. Virtually stress free.
weirdly I find it really embarrassing and awkward receiving presents so it works out great. Tbh I’m trying to get mum to stop buying me anything as there’s always at least two things I regift each time. Hand cream/random kitchen tool or something!!

I hate being given alcohol. I might have a glass of wine with a meal in a restaurant, otherwise, I give it away 🤷‍♀️ But hand cream is for people with dry skin on their hands, which has been me since my teens, so no, not an elderly person thing. Just not a you thing 😂

Not sure it has been said before but Christmas jumpers in children's current size. Won't get worn this Christmas and will have been grown out of by next Christmas. Utterly pointless. Has been pointed out to the gift giver, they still give them though...

Cheap novelty Christmas socks is one my DP has to put up with every year.

Yes! They seem to think you won't have already bought your children one if you wanted one!

This was me when my daughter was little. She used to be so disappointed. We didn't have much money and although I always bought her what she needed, 'special' outfits were a rare treat. Sometimes I would just have to somehow find the money to replace what didn't fit. Eventually I decided to be direct and tell people what her current size was "if you were thinking of getting her something to wear" and as an alternative ask them to include a gift receipt. Pretty much all shops are happy to provide them and although it doesn't avoid the initial disappointment, at least it doesn't leave you out of pocket and your child can enjoy choosing their own clothes.

What would that be, then?

'Thou must spend [insert arbitrary amount of money HERE] on each person to whom thou art related in this degree and [insert a smaller arbitrary amount of money HERE] to whom thou art related or otherwise connected in a lesser degree and thou needest not pay the slightest attention in thy gift-buying to their allergies or other health conditions, personal taste and preferences, known hobbies and interests, age, sex, size, shape, personality or indeed anything about them which thou would know if thou ever listened to a word they said or even glanced their way occasionally.'

No, people with dry hands of all ages use it 😂

Us too, or we just ask each other what we want. It's so easy! Same with kids, DD makes a list of things she'd like and family ask me and tell me what they're getting, so no one gets the same thing. Everyone's happy.

Why does your DH refuse to have a tree?

Some of these gripes over so-called crap presents are ridiculous.
The complainants all seem to have two things in common:

1. They obviously are incredibly self-absorbed as they seem to expect people to hang onto their every word and remember short conversations from months earlier (menopause/chocolate). Either that or they expect people to know/guess/remember the minutae of their lives (preserver/chutney drafty house/doorstop) or constantly observe them (co-ordinate wardrobe/scarf)
2. They all seem to spend inordinate amounts of time 'carefully choosing' the perfect gift for every single person they buy for and clearly regard themselves as a great gift giver.

I don't drink alcohol at all and I've lost count of the many bottles of wine I have received over the years. Most people to drink. They go to tombolas/raffles or are kept for next Christmas.
I can't stand body lotion or hand cream but they always, seem to make their way into a gift box. Most women do like these things apparently. They also go to tombola etc or to my mum or daughter who do like them.
I only wear muted greens, blues, black and ochre (colour capsule warbrobe done as last year's NY resolution) so thus year's pink jumper from my mum will have to be changed. I did tell my mum thus, but as she spends most of her time looking after my increasingly-disabled dad, I don't expect my wardrobe quirks to he top if her agenda.

I suppose what I am saying above is that pps need to accept they are not at the centre of everyone's lives.

Dear god. That’s so insulting.