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Original poster

Worst secret santa gift you've received?

231 replies

buddhasbelly · 02/12/2021 11:02

Mine was gin infused chocolates, when the whole office knows I'm a recovering alcoholic.

Please tell me your worst secret santa gifts you've received?

My office pal got the chocolates 😂

OP posts:
REP22 · 03/12/2021 17:46

A cucumber and a packet of sugar puffs. Utterly bizarre.

A few years later, and the year before Covid, this was my best one: www.amazon.co.uk/Dog-Butt-Off-Color-Coloring-Lovers/dp/1640011803/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&keywords=dogs+butt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1638553464&sr=1-1 Still colouring it in these days!

Original poster
buddhasbelly · 03/12/2021 18:04

@DriveInSaturday which you could then regift for years to come. All these shoddy Xmas soap and candle companies and brands slapped on 3for2 at Boots are just doing their bit for the environment Grin

OP posts:
HerbertChops · 03/12/2021 18:46

I was lucky and always got nice things like a little manicure set in a pretty case and nice smellies that I’d actually use. I once bought snowdrop bulbs in a nice pot for someone who I knew loved gardening. When she saw it wrapped she thought someone had bought her a Christmas pudding, she was happy when she opened it!! That same year another colleague was really upset as she was given two rolls of cling film. The men in the office were useless and would buy stuff like that thinking they were funny, it’s not funny when you’ve spent time finding something nice for someone else though.

AuntMargo · 03/12/2021 19:12

I was the cubbiest at work and one of the male thought it was hilarious to buy me a pair of those huge joke knickers ! I was mortified and really embarrassed. It was about 18yrs ago and we worked in public sector too. I got my own back several yeas later with a Cliff Richard calendar and passed a rumour he had a huge crush, he was ridiculed much more than I ever was.

maddiemookins16mum · 03/12/2021 19:43

Love beads.

Pippapet · 03/12/2021 19:49

A giant wine glass that holds an entire bottle of wine.

Impractical, hard to store, hard to drink from and I don't even like wine Confused

Granjeanne · 03/12/2021 19:58

I got a gobstopper! I was mortified at tge time, but, looking back, I probably deserved it!

Thomasina79 · 03/12/2021 20:28

Not me, my other half. He had gone to a lot of trouble in choosing his SS gift and wrapt it up beautifully and in addition had spent slightly more than the suggested amount.

All he got was a key ring in the shape of a condom. He did not see the funny side!

Limegreentangerine · 03/12/2021 20:40

My work mate who is actually my pal got me a mug that says
" if you think my attitude stinks you should smell my minge"
I was told inexplicably to not drink from it in view of customers 😂😂😂😂
Good mug tho

Wheresmywoolyjumpers · 03/12/2021 20:48

Friend of mine got a potato. It was a thing where you could do gifts over a number of days. She also then got a stock cube and some other ingredients. At the end she got a really nice recipe book with the recipe in that the ingredients were for. But the day she opened the potato stays with me.

ArblemarchTFruitbat · 03/12/2021 20:53

A giant wine glass that holds an entire bottle of wine.

I got one of those once - the most pointless present ever. I'm a wine drinker, but who would want to tip the whole bottle into one glass? It went to the charity shop.

TheMoreThisReachesTheMainstrea · 03/12/2021 21:21

One year the first present out of the bag was a dead pheasant, complete with feathers and head. This brought the preceding to a screeching halt as everyone tried to decide if this was a message (like a horse’s head in the bed) or just a macabre gift

Turned out it was just a gift with no meaning at all

Shallwegoforawalk · 03/12/2021 22:12

I thought the urine had won but the dead pheasant must be a very close second!

evtheria · 03/12/2021 22:43

@Wheresmywoolyjumpers

Friend of mine got a potato. It was a thing where you could do gifts over a number of days. She also then got a stock cube and some other ingredients. At the end she got a really nice recipe book with the recipe in that the ingredients were for. But the day she opened the potato stays with me.
This is brilliant.
TheBabyBoo · 03/12/2021 23:42

Some chocolate truffles that had melted

ThinWomansBrain · 04/12/2021 00:15

@wendywoopywoo222

After a couple of awful gifts I offered to run the secret Santa and just kept my own name every year. Always had lovely gifts after that.
Brilliant thinking!

Novelty Christmas Slippers - size 3/4. I take size 8.
the woman that got them for me got extremely drunk, asked repeatedly if I liked them, and kept suggesting that I put them on.

This year, new employer - secret santa has to be sendable by email and no-cost.
Seems a good idea - interested to see how it turns out.
It's part of a zoom Christmas party - at least this one is only scheduled for a couple of hours. Last years' one I claimed dodgy internet connection after FIVE AND A HALF HOURS.

whoopy1 · 04/12/2021 00:21

I didn’t receive it, but my friend received a bubble bath gift set, which had been opened and partially used. She knew who it was from, as she had given them it the previous year (unopened)!

my8thMNusername · 04/12/2021 00:28

@Wheresmywoolyjumpers

Friend of mine got a potato. It was a thing where you could do gifts over a number of days. She also then got a stock cube and some other ingredients. At the end she got a really nice recipe book with the recipe in that the ingredients were for. But the day she opened the potato stays with me.
Reminds me of when my aunt gave my sister one show for Christmas and the other for her birthday (end of July).

She's our favourite and most wonderful aunt and not weird at all! Except for that.

my8thMNusername · 04/12/2021 00:28

*SHOE!!!

Goddammit

my8thMNusername · 04/12/2021 00:32

@TheMoreThisReachesTheMainstrea

One year the first present out of the bag was a dead pheasant, complete with feathers and head. This brought the preceding to a screeching halt as everyone tried to decide if this was a message (like a horse’s head in the bed) or just a macabre gift

Turned out it was just a gift with no meaning at all

Via a taxidermist or just pure roadkill?
StillTraumatised · 04/12/2021 00:48

A blow up man doll.

Fortunately I was out of the office the day the gifts were shared as it was embarrassing enough when I opened it alone. I was new to the team and worked in a side office away from the main team so didn't really know anyone and never worked out why someone thought it appropriate and it did play on my mind for a while. I put it straight in the bin in a carrier bag, but then worried that it might fall out and the cleaner would see it so I double bagged it and tied it tightly!

Name changed as I've told this story many times since when I decline to take part in Secret Santas!

pollyglot · 04/12/2021 00:48

Box of past-use-by-date chocolates, wrapped, but with another wrap underneath and a card adressed to the giver. Last year's SS.
Another time I was the only one who didn't receive a gift, despite buying something really lovely for my recipient. Gutted.

StillTraumatised · 04/12/2021 00:52

I also saw a lovely colleague very upset one year after receiving a little budgie ladder and mirror - she was a very petite lady and presumably the giver thought it funny but it was just cruel and pointless.

pinkksugarmouse · 04/12/2021 02:10

A lot of these are just really spiteful.

Could I pick a really good gift for £10 for someone I don’t know very well? Maybe not but I could definitely avoid the nasty, tacky and hurtful. I can understand why some workplaces put a stop to it.

cookiemonster2468 · 04/12/2021 02:29

A box of lemsip, a single teabag and a tunnocks chocolate teacake.

(I wasn't ill... guess they just thought lempsip might come in handy over Winter??)

The chocolate was nice to be fair.