Great Hunt: What's the worst Christmas present you've ever received?

Teacher2

PottyPaula wrote: »

Christmas 2013 I received nothing. Not one present. I was asked what I wanted for Christmas. I couldn't think of anything at the time. So I didn't get anything.

Next time say, 'A diamond ring.'

ra2000

A concrete cat painted black !

Celtikah

I was given a small selection of free cologne samples, that were clearly 'picked up' as the person spent the £50 store card i bought for their birthday only 2 weeks previously.

P.S to rub the salt in the wound, they were scents aimed at an 'older' generation, not a young man in his 20's!

Mr_Toad

Not the quite the same thing but me and a friend have a competition running as to who can find the nastiest gift each year.

It started 30 years ago when I ran out of Xmas cards so I picked a nice one that had been sent to me and tipexed the names out and sent it to him. He did the same and sent it back.

We've been sending it back and forth ever since and at some point in the past we started exchanging cheap tat gifts.

The rise of the charity shops has been a great help. :T
We have both kept some of the best/worst ones.

room512

A visitors book when we lived in a tiny flat (like the ones people have in their holiday homes).

lulu_92

A bottle of Blossom Hill Table Wine. You know, the one that's weaker and costs about £3. OH got a telling off for that.

A £1 bar of Dairy Milk from one of my uncles.

helpkitty

last year my oh received a hessian wine bag, no wine, just the bag...

tarka33

Free sanitary towel samples in my Christmas stocking from my stepmom. My dad spotted them, went white, and made excuses to go make coffee. I was 13 & my stocking was full of free samples of personal care items, which was bad enough, but the towels were mortifying.

wishus

My mum once bought me a Mensa test kit which was a laugh - came in a nice tin though!

The whole ritual of gift buying sends me into paroxysms of guilt and stress, and I imagine some of the things people are saying on here crossing through the minds of my gift recipients. I've bought people things from charity shops before, but only if they were things I felt I'd be pleased to receive myself, and then it's a way of getting really lovely things within my budget. But oh... the stress still gets to me!

Over a decade ago now, but I remember getting into a row with my sister, who had gone and bought expensive presents for everyone. She'd had to borrow a load of money off my mum just before, so we knew she couldn't afford it. When my mum opened her present, there was a look of pain as she realised she'd never see her money back - everything she'd saved from a horrible job she hated.

My sister couldn't understand why mum seemed off, so I took her to one side and explained it was about the money... and my sister bit back and had a go at my presents, how they were cheap and embarrassing. I remember I'd bought my mum a jumper from M&S, but also a silly novelty gift to do with one of her favourite bands from a pound shop - just a token - but of course, we argued about that, a horrible Christmas family bleeeugh argument. Takes a bit of walking around in each other's shoes to understand what's going on, even for close family, and though we both now have a bit more sense, I still think about that argument, and I worry so much that I'm going to look cheap or unthoughtful in other people's eyes. But I'm still not prepared to worsen my finances for the sake of one day of the year. They're bad enough!

My OH has anxiety and depression, and being less prepared than me hasn't finished (started) his shopping yet. I've just told him not to worry about me. I don't need to open presents on Christmas day... wait a couple of days for the Cath Kidston sale. More bang for my buck, please!

Your folks might send you mad gifts, but at least they've thought of you, even if it's only, "Well, I don't like it, but I need something for X, so I'll palm it off on them." Last year was the first year I ever had a present off my dad since Mum died a few years ago. Utterly gobsmacked, but the fact he'd finally thought of getting on and doing Christmas, well, that was better than the present itself.

notken

My brother gave a balled paper sweet shop bag, covered in Sellotape so it took forever to get in to. When I eventually opened it there was the remains of three Kinder Eggs. He then said, "Here you go. I've made the toys for you." and handed them over separately.