What is the worst Christmas present you ever received?

[Newdad19]

In the spirit of helping others prevent the same mistakes... what is the worst Christmas present you ever received?

Mines has to be the sculpted hand photo frame I received one year... that looked like someone's decapitated hand that held a photo for you in its palm

@piisnot3 - that sounds just like my mil. When Dh had friends round, mil afterwards asked him to pay for the coffee they’d consumed…

One year the Pil came for Christmas and our present was -Ta da! - a box of crackers. With two extracted for their own use at New Year It wasn’t even funny how stingy they were.

@BadwordMcGee

I'll be very, very sad when I no longer get a tin of tuna as a Christmas present.

Are you a cat? Because I know some young ladies who would think that was the best gift ever 😂

@ancientgran

Secret Santa - shower cap that looked like a Christmas pudding. It wasn't supposed to be a joke Secret Santa and the budget was £15 I think, I got someone their favourite chocolates and some handcream (she always had a bottle on her desk so I thought she'd like it.)

I felt humiliated.

Thankfully never had Secret Santa at work. I know of one that went spectacularly wrong where someone was given a book, I can't remember the title now, damn it. Something about improving your brain/ intellect. The person who received it was really upset. The issue went to HR, I don't know what happened next. It might have been someone's idea of a joke, but not everyone has the same sense of humour, and it was hurtful to the recipient.

I mentioned to a great aunt when I was 7 or 8 that I liked the Secret Seven books. She sent me one every Christmas until I was 16. So far not so bad.

But the same aunt was a smoker, this was in the 80's when her preferred brand of cigarettes contained tokens in the packs that could be collected and exchanged for free gifts. My sister, who must've been 5 or 6 at the time, was gifted a black and gold cigarette branded watch. And worse than that, it didn't even work.

[quote DottyHarmer]@piisnot3 - that sounds just like my mil. When Dh had friends round, mil afterwards asked him to pay for the coffee they’d consumed…

One year the Pil came for Christmas and our present was -Ta da! - a box of crackers. With two extracted for their own use at New Year It wasn’t even funny how stingy they were.[/quote]
Oh I know it's not funny but I did grin at the idea! That's spectacular stinge, taking crackers out of a 'present'!

@TarpaulinEyes

In my early teens my aunt gave me a copy of Pamela Anderson's book 'How To Be A Complete Bitch'. Over 40 years ago now and I have not forgotten opening it and trying to pretend I didn't mind.

I don't think that was by Pamela Anderson lol

She is by all accounts a very nice person (with the classic super friendly Canadian personality) apparently despite her strange taste in friends and husbands lol.

I was bought a massive vanity case thing full of really cheap, bright makeup. I've always worn expensive make up and not alot of it. I would have much referred one lipgloss or lip salve or some chocolate. This was from a friend who knew my taste. I gave it to my friends children who loved it!

@StrychnineInTheSandwiches

A friend of mine received a grave for Christmas from her uncle. There wasn't much room left in the graveyard in her home village so her uncle booked her a plot so when the time came she wouldn't have to be buried in the newer graveyard out of town. She was about 25 when he bought the grave for her.

I got a grave for my 30th

It is without a doubt the best present I have ever been given
Closed churchyard with generations of my family
I have the certificate on my desk and it make me happy daily

An Animal Hospital (or something similar) annual from my brother and sister in law. I was in my thirties at the time.

Ugg boots from my long term boy friend (now husband).

Sounds a great expensive gift, only I always explicitly said how much I hate Ugg boots, how ugly they are, etc etc. He said he thought I might like them if I see them in person :D Nowadays he gets a gift receipt every time.

‘given that as a student MIL would charge £5 if DP came home from Uni for the weekend.’

How cruel is that?!

Secret Santa in work- MANKINI - don't know if it was a very lazy and cheap regift or something a bit creepy.

My mum buys a monumental amount of crap. She sieves s lot but I’d rather one on two nice things than 20 bits of crap. She bought me and my husband cheap manicure kits. My husband has never done anything more than trim his nails in his life. Dove gifts sets when I hate dove, the smell makes me feel a bit sick. She has no problem saying ‘don’t buy x or y for me’ but gets offended if you do the same. She also buys you similar to what you want but not quite the same. I asked if she could give me money towards and air fryer…I got some piece of crap from the local hardware store called a ‘tower’ but it wasn’t an air fryer and was just a waste of her money. She bought me marvel movies despite me saying repeatedly they are not my cup of tea and I don’t have a DVD player. I told her this over and over every time she mentioned it…bought me three dvd’s. I handed them back to her saying ‘I.don’t.have.a.DVD.player’

mam0918 Sat 13-Nov-21 11:07:36
TarpaulinEyes

In my early teens my aunt gave me a copy of Pamela Anderson's book 'How To Be A Complete Bitch'. Over 40 years ago now and I have not forgotten opening it and trying to pretend I didn't mind.

I don't think that was by Pamela Anderson lol

She is by all accounts a very nice person (with the classic super friendly Canadian personality) apparently despite her strange taste in friends and husbands lol.

mam0918 you are quite right, it was Pamela Stephenson! Same aunt another year gave me a tea towel so I would be able to help with the washing up. I didn't mind that so much and put it in my 'bottom drawer' for future use.

A bright yellow, flat circle-shaped pyjama holder which had white lace going round in concentric circles and a satin bow in the middle. My sister got a pink version - we hated them and thought them hideous. We didn't want to seem ungrateful as times were hard, but still ...

@Inertia

Some of these are heartbreaking.

My oddest one is a book about the uses of vinegar.

Don’t think anything will beat 3 dead rats

OMG I was given that book too. The book about vinegar, not the rats.

Can I put my worst present ever, which happened to be a birthday present? A battered packet of M&S thick chocolate biscuits for my 50th, sent by post. I won't say who from as I find it too distressing. They are very rich. Nothing would honestly have been better.

@TheLightSideOfTheMoon that is terrible!

any scented bath stuff whilst i appreciate it ,i am allergic =p

A very ugly black scarf made of very synthetic material. Never worn it, looked dull and cheap.

Not last christmas but one before dp bought me a sound bar for the tv
Never bothered me nor did i notice the sound quality with the tv. Dp was the one who moaned about the volume being shit.

Also to me thats a 'house' item.
He did also buy me a dab radio for kitchen but i needed a new radio as one i had was ancient and touch and go wether it would work or not.
I think the house stuff is the plan b when he cant think of anything else.
Last year was a fucking toaster ( he always managed to burn the toast using the grill) and a toastie maker. His saving grace was the naice smart watch he bought. Ot he would have been wearing said toasters.

To me honest, in terms of actual gift sometimes stuff df got me a but so well meaning and brought with love.

Much worst gifts have definitely been from the in laws, they totally ruin Xmas for me on one level because, everything is within a rigid budget.
Fine, who doesn't budget but its so immovable and strict and she makes such a massive deal about it, sucks the joy right out. And it's soley about the gifts rather than being together, chatting... So you can't invite others because that means gifts. Whereas I'd rather the focus be on being together and if you get a gift or give one great.
She's also passive aggressive with gifts and hasn't been adverse to showing her displeasure at gifts.

• in laws millionaire's but Xmas is a time for showing us how they became millionaire's it's like every year "so because it's Xmas that doesn't mean we go wild, we save money here and here and there.

@Pumpkinsonparade

Necklace off mil that cost £2.95. Didn't risk wearing it for fear of green neck...

Not me, but a close friend whose wealthy MIL hated her gave her a series of appalling Xmas gifts year after year.

An example I can remember is a child's purse (one of those with little coloured beads stuck all over it) containing HALF a tube of Trebor extra strong mints.

My prannet of an older brother bought me, when I was 25, a copy of the Guinness book of records because I was a teacher and "Kids are always asking questions".

Not questions about who was the person with the longest moustache in the world in my secondary English lessons, they aren't.