What is the worst present you received this Christmas..and why?

MallyGirl

I got a bed jacket one year from my Mum - I was 40! She was only 58! She always moans that our house is so cold so she genuinely did think I would use it - I tried taking it back to M&S but it was so heavily marked down I couldn't follow through and brought it home again.

Izadora

VintageLady wrote: »

This Christmas I received a book about crafting with cat hair

My OH got a copy of that for my mum (it was meant as a joke and he did get her a proper present too) and she loved it. She's now threatening to make all of his future birthday and Christmas presents out of her cats

Bumblebear

The worst offender in my family has to be my gran - she always insists that everyone must have "something to unwrap". Because she is in her 80s, and doesn't get out much beyond the couple of aisles she needs in a supermarket, the choices of gifts have been limited for some years now (the other year my Dad received a tube of toothpaste and some 80p Asda shower gel. I received a folding step stool and some sticking plasters). This year, DH and I received cheap and tacky photo frames and a towel with purple flowers on it (just the one). DH foolishly said "how lovely" the frames are, to be polite; she's now going to purchase us some more.


However, I have always forgiven such eccentricities since I was disgustingly ill one Christmas, living by myself, and my Dad dropped round her usual bag of "goodies" on Christmas Eve (before running away to avoid the plague!). I braced myself and opened the bag - I was ill after all, and thought laughter would be good medicine. It contained tissues, paracetamol, squash, nuts and dried fruit. I was too poorly to contemplate going to the convenience shop to purchase such things but I was in need of all of them - it was the best present I had that year. Grandmothers are wise sometimes

cte1111

My in laws give me the same gifts every year - a box of Jacobs crackers and two big boxes of chocolates, despite the fact that they know I have been doing Slimming World. I just say thank you and take them straight to the food bank.

They give my husband Lynx gift sets, which we give to the charity shop, although this year I think it was Old Spice. I suggest gifts for them to give the children and ask them not to buy us gifts but they want to give a token gift and will not vary it to something we might actually use.

greatgimpo

My wife received a tin of chocolate biscuits from a customer, 2 years out of date - I tasted them anyway, and they tasted 2 years out of date.

EllieG63

My mother-in-law got me a pair of pyjamas. I am 6 months pregnant (which of course she knows) and they aren't maternity ones so I can't wear them for some time, plus I now feel like even more of a whale than I did before - Thanks!

evie451

My worst year was a while ago but still.......My MIL got me a pair of American tan tights (didn't even know you could still get them past about 1985) a white nylon slip worn under a skirt, which I never wear and a Scarf I had given her the year before........I actually think she had been keeping the tights that long, she was probably hoping if I wore the slip that the amount of nylon would perhaps spontaneously combust and she wanted me to know she hated the Scarf.....
same year very much EX DH got me a DVD I already had, a book he had bought me the year before and a perfume I don't wear.......

Izadora

EllieG63 wrote: »

My mother-in-law got me a pair of pyjamas. I am 6 months pregnant (which of course she knows) and they aren't maternity ones so I can't wear them for some time, plus I now feel like even more of a whale than I did before - Thanks!

A couple of my friends have commented in the past that they hated getting maternity-wear presents because it made them feel as though all they were was an incubator and they would far rather have had something to look forward to which reminded them that they wouldn't be pregnant forever. If your mother-in-law felt similarly when she was pregnant then she might've thought it would be welcome rather than inconsiderate.

stmartinsdiver

A thought for all those who speak unkindly of Yardley being an 'old' persons brand - smile, say thank you and put it in your cupboard as you will be old sooner than you think! :-) Alternatively put it in your cupbaord and re-gift it to an 'old' person next year - maybe the one who gave it to you.

Denando

My ex once bought me a toilet seat for Christmas. Not a nice wooden one, not a novelty one, just a bog-standard (pun intended) plastic seat instead of the very similar one we already had. I was so disappointed as I'd been eyeing up the large parcel under the tree with excitement.