What are your ‘pet hate’ Christmas presents?

[YellowsunriseClara]

Lighthearted thread, as I’m sure everyone is grateful for any gift they receive.

Just with Christmas coming up I’m wondering which gifts you are dreading getting (but know you’ll probably get)

Mine are the Lynx women gifts sets (hate it but seem to get it every year!)
Any Poundland creams as they seem to make my skin itchy and red
Anything Bayliss & Harding (I know there is another thread about that)
Cheap perfume that smells like paint stripper
Obvious second had gifts that the giver didn’t want for themselves (it’s usually something totally unrelated to the things you’re interested in)

One year my friend got me some unwrapped Poundland glitter body spray, not sure why as I’ve never worn the stuff and it was clear that it was in the back of her wardrobe from a while ago

Scarves. I get at least two every year. I hate scarves, they do nothing for me.

What is the etiquette for passing things to charity? I always feel I should display or use gifts to show my gratefulness. Perhaps I’m too much of a people pleaser?!

A friend of mine likes to craft and gives me and DD a handmade gift every year... I appreciate the thought but the items aren't very good/nice/relevant. Friend isn't a good crafter and no amount of 'shall we leave presents this year and just meet up?' Gets the hint across.

Any kind of smelly product unless specifically requested by me, I react to pretty much everything and the people who give these gifts know that. Also twee gin/Prosecco, live laugh love, mermaid/unicorn bollocks.

I also cringe when DD opens a gift and it's cheap plastic fat... unsafe, breaks immediately and a waste of time and money.

I think I’m a really fussy person with presents because I only like cosmetics ( um, and clothes, kitchen ware , soft furnishings, and most other things) that I choose myself.
I’m middle aged, I know the brands I like, I’m not going to enjoy Soap and Glory facewash when I use Liz Earle. Luckily I have a teenage daughter who is delighted to use anything im ungrateful enough not to want.

I would count as spoiled, but I am genuinely happy not To have presents, which Is my saving grace. Ive managed to instigate just buying for the kids in my wider family, DH is similarly not bothered.

I buy for my mum because she’s lonely, likes new stuff, likes the attention and to feel spoiled ( childhood in abject poverty).

Sorry for the essay...

Just give me nice socks and dairy milk

Once got given the free diary off a Cosmo magazine.... from someone who got the magazine free via their work, cheeky whatnot didnt even give me the Cosmo... the same year DH was given a computer game extension pack. He didnt have the game it was supposed to add onto, and in fact never plays computer games. Turns out that was also a freebie from a magazine.... tight wads.

One of my relatives always gets me a very generous voucher for a shop that is way too young for me despite having been reminded numerous times that I am an old fart now. I use it to buy stuff for my teenagers.

Mostly I get lovely thoughtful gifts from the very few people who give me gifts. I don't mind at all if it's from a chazza - one friend and I often give each other clothing we've found in a charity shop and know will be perfect for the other. It's also a way of getting a really nice dress or whatever that would be expensive to buy new and is just as good as new.

The same friend often gives me books because everyone who knows me knows that I always have at least one book on the go. The problem is that she often buys me books by a favourite author which will nearly always be a book I already have. So, basically I wish that people wouldn't buy me books because if they're something I want to read about 90% of the time I'll already own it. Book tokens, or Amazon tokens, however, that I'd love.

I’m quite easy going but I’m not keep on out of date chocolate , Ferraro Rocher , and supermarket smellies . I get these year in year out from one wing of the family .
Seeing the most hated gifts I think I’m going a Baylis and Harding gift set and some smelly candles !

My mother gave my ex husband some wire plant rings. Her other son in law was given a cheque.

I love body shop butter!
I hate chocolate sets and make up sets.

Honestly, anything that is just junk, unusual shaped tins, novelty anything, gift sets - it’s that it takes up space in my house, gathering dust and it’s just such a waste of money that I’d rather have a fiver in a card than a £10 gift set.

People seem to hate candles, would a Jo Malone one be shit as well? Just wondering because I've just bought that for someone.

A craft kit which I have to learn to make the item, like knitting. I'd love to but I just don't have the time.

Fruit smelling toiletries

Overly sweet fancy chocolate - just give me a huge bar of Lindt hazelnut chocolate.

I have received several bottles of red wine in the past, nice right? Except I am actually allergic to it and I am violently sick if I drink so much as a thimbles worth. Port I have the same reaction and have been bought this previously too.

I also hate bath sets, they are naff!
Food is usually a winner though, can’t go wrong with some nice sweeties or chocolate!

Cash! I hate people giving cash for Christmas as it’s like zero thought has been put into it

It’s like blokes who pull another bloke’s name out in Secret Santa and just buy a box of Stella

Sunflower I would love that...have asked DH for the Jo Loves Log Fires candle. I just adore them. I have two people in my family who also specifically ask for candles.

Toiletries especially for bath as I am very sensitive (skin and thrushy), scented candles, socks, gloves, scarves, cat ornaments (I am a cat person, but don't particularly like them) and household tat. Most of it ends up in the charity shop. I never give any of these as gifts, except for scented candles which I give to SIL now as she has given me them every year for years, so I guess she must like them. I know I am being very ungrateful, but I think it is such a waste and just not "me" (I wonder if they know me at all).

Every year my lovely BIL kindly gets me a chunky biography which I am just not interested in reading (I am a book lover preferring fiction) but, after all this time, I can't really let him know!

Toiletries. I have such stupid skin that most stuff makes me blotchy. Everyone knows this but I still get it for Christmas.

@Sunflower20 no a Jo Malone candle is a really really nice gift! I absolutely love them and I am sure the person you are giving it too will love it! They last for ages also, which is just aswell because they cost a fortune!

Alcohol. I don’t drink everyone knows I don’t drink but I still get wine. Someone even gave me whisky last year.

Those sets of jams and tea urgh.

Candles. Never lit a smelly candle in my life, and never plan to...

All the things you've mentioned and cheap candals.

It's taken me 40 years to "get" the concept of candals and now I have only Yankee Candal will do.

You know when you like something, say cats? Then every year, every birthday, every Christmas you get cat related stuff. That. (Me and my dsis mentioned to my lovely mum that we loved ginger. So we got jars of the stuff in syrup. She's been dead 4 years and I've still got some.)

Jo Malone definitely not a rubbish gift @Sunflower20 I'd be over the moon, it's the cheap poundland knock offs of Jo Malone people don't want

Quite honestly l'm at the stage now (l'm 61) where l don't want or need anything. l'm not well off, but l've got more than enough 'things'. And the things l do want/need over the year (skincare, books, wool etc) l buy myself.
A few years ago my close friends and l agreed that we'd donate a certain amount in lieu of presents to a local charity/good cause of our choice and l'm hoping we'll do the same this year.
That suits me fine. l'm much happier to 'do' birthdays as they're much more personal and don't all happen at once.
Although we do do Christmas presents for pets, though. Nothing extravagant, just something little.