What’s the Worst Christmas Present You’ve Ever Received?
You may have noticed that now is the season of the giving. Well, I am not; my purchases are mostly done. (These supply chains aren’t going to get their way, no.) But as I go through the list of gifts I’ve bought in the last month, I ask myself, is there anything good about that? Does my 11-year-old really need a tie-dye robe? (Yes, it does.) I had my doubts, but ever since I read the epic Reddit thread about the worst Christmas gifts people have ever received , I feel comforted.
I cannot personally determine what a particularly terrible gift I received. Obviously my family and friends are not the type to pass off used magazines, broken DVDs, and the like as “gifts.” The closest I received was a witness to a bad gift being received this time my dad opened a pack of ChapSticks from my grandmother. (It was probably just a small addition; I’m sure he has other things!) At first glance, this sounds like a weak gift – except that my father is a well-known ChapStick addict and he forgot his that in the Morning when we left for my grandparents’ house. So this could be the best gift he has ever received.
Be that as it may, I got lost in stories from Reddit users who received rash gifts from dorky guys, trusted parents, and extended family members who clearly preferred some kids over others. Here is an excerpt from my favorites (least favorites?) From the thread:
A set of miniature butter knives with ceramic handles for fruits and vegetables. From an aunt who said that I was “so hard to buy”. I was 7 years old “. ~ vodkaenthusiast89
“Every year my aunt gives our family gifts from charity shops like a bunch. The point is that nothing belongs to anything. The worst I got was a Kamasutra book when I was 13/14 (awkward) and a New York Yankees jumpsuit. I have no children, I don’t watch baseball. ” ~ Yippee614
“Lamborghini Calendar. My brother has a guitar and an amplifier. My two sisters each received a bicycle. Fuck, now I hate Lamborghini. ” ~ Stickmag
“My mom asked what my 13-year-old daughter wanted for Christmas and I said, ‘She loves to sew.’ How this led to the fact that our entire large family bought her only yarn, I do not know. That was 2 years ago, and there is still so much yarn. ” ~ Downtown_Statement87
“My great-grandmother voluntarily gave my cousin a strap. At the time, her mental health was poor. 1992-ish? He began to cry. He was 9 years old “~ mistahmarbles
“Crockery for dishes. I was 8 years old. ” ~ GhostlyQbe
“A barrel of Quaker oats. It was a hell of a lot of fun though. ” ~ JarlBum
“When I was 8 or 9 years old, my grandmother gave me a Christmas decoration. It was a small stuffed cherub with pink cheeks and yarn hair. I cried because I was saving money to buy it for her the year before. ” ~ DogtownPD
“50 pounds of russet potatoes.” ~ Picard flute.
“Looking back, I know it was a nice gift, but when I was 6 years old, I got a pair of pants for Christmas, I started crying and screaming, ‘You still have to get this for me! “~ Nik_Tesla
“When I was 10 years old, my grandparents gave me an unfolded suitcase for Christmas. In the interest of convenience, they used this suitcase for wrapped gifts for my sisters. ” ~ Ragedandobtused
“I started to love computers at the age of 7 out of 92 (ZX Spectrum, then 186, 286, etc.) in our local kids club, continued to study, learned to program early, was addicted to everything connected with them. My grandmother called me and said that she had sent money to my parents so that they could buy me a computer (at 11, at 96). I was so excited, all my friends couldn’t wait to see this and play with me, I couldn’t sleep for days. Then came Christmas Eve (we make gifts in the evening). Threw myself under a tree ahhh … surprise .. I .. got .. a mobile electronic organ. My mom told me that it has buttons, right? Just like a computer ”… (took the money and bought a washing machine). I’m still so damn upset, Mom! “~ Tgh_hmn
But the winner is … funky_grandma :
“I got a really super cool gift once. My parents worked for months to create this awesome painting kit. It was a large toolbox filled with good scissors, glue, paint, crayons, glitter, and whatever else a sly little kid might need. The problem was that every time they went upstairs to add something, they had a joke in which they said, “We’re going upstairs to feed your gift,” or “We need to take your present for a walk . “So, of course, on Christmas morning, instead of being a little kid enjoying a huge box of art supplies, I was a little kid who was devastated not having a puppy.”
Okay, it’s your turn – Tell us about the worst Christmas (or non-Christmas) present you ‘ve ever received in the comments. We’ll collect them in the next post, because the adversity of the holidays, in particular, always appreciates the company.