"My Husband Once Bought Me A Book On How To Clean The House": 19 Stories About Cringey As Hell Christmas Gifts
'Tis the season for presents! And since gift receipts exist for a reason, there are bound to be a few bad ones that end up under the tree. I recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to share the worst Christmas gift to give or receive. Here are the ones you probably won't see at the top of someone's holiday wishlist:
1."For a Secret Santa at work, I got a candle. But it was not just any candle — I got a used candle."
2."Things that are clearly someone else's interests."
3."A gift card to a place I would never shop at."
4."I know that Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Christmas, but one of my aunts was one and obviously felt guilty about not giving her nephew and nieces a present. One Christmas, when I was about eight, she sent me a book about what would happen on judgment day."
5."A scale from my now ex-husband."
6."Dollar tree knick-knacks."
7."The year I turned 12 is also the year I got the worst present anyone could imagine. We went to my grandmother’s house in Ohio like we did nearly every year. Before Christmas Day, my mom and aunt told me that my grandmother had spent weeks looking for my present and was so proud of herself for finally finding it. This was the '80s, so there was no online ordering. Christmas morning came, and my older brother got a car from my grandmother. My younger sister got a cool fiberoptic tree. I couldn't wait for my awesome special present she searched weeks for."
"She handed me a medium-sized box. I tore into the paper to find a box of menstrual pads. Not the one with wings and sticky backs to hold in place. The old-fashioned ones that attach front and back to a special type of belt. The kind that even in the '80s was super hard to find. I thought it was a joke even though she wasn't known for pranks, and maybe my real present was coming. Nope, that was my gift. I had to open pads in front of my 19-year-old brother and pretend to be thankful when all I wanted to do was cry."
8."Tea-stained mugs and hotel toiletries that have been used! Not for me, but for my young children, from their wealthy grandparents who buy themselves designer goods and go on luxury holidays!"
—Anonymous from Essex, England
9."Some underwear that were two sizes too big."
—Anonymous from California
10."Every Christmas receiving pajamas and underwear to last until the next Christmas. Later as a parent, I gave all toys and candy, zero clothing."
11."A paperclip. I was gifted one for Christmas a few years back, it was by a 9-year-old, with no box or wrapping. I said, 'Thanks, what would I need a paperclip for?' And she replied, 'Maybe you can put it on the tree!' I ended up putting it on the tree, and it still seems funny to me!"
12."My future in-laws, whom I have housed and helped a lot, and been with their son for over five years. They gave all the other daughter-in-laws expensive bags, and I got a roll of saran wrap in a wine holder. It was especially hurtful after I helped pay for and pick out thoughtful gifts for them."
13."My grandmother once gave me a kids' book for early beginners. I was 17!"
—Morga from Maryland
14."My stepfather came from Jamaica. The first year in our family he convinced my grandmother to let him pack my Christmas stocking from Santa. I raced downstairs that morning and shockingly found two oranges and an apple in my stocking instead of toys and chocolate treats. I turned to Grandma and quietly said, 'I must have been very bad,' and returned to my bedroom. I could hear Grandma downstairs crying. To him, these were luxuries in his childhood and he presumed I would love them."
15."A friend received a set of coffee mugs with lipstick on several of them."
—AD from Oregon
16."Any kind of gift set for something you're clearly supposed to appreciate but don't — boxed sets of toiletries in a scent you hate or something that 'all girls love' like prosecco. They're cheap, tacky, poorly thought out, and a bad deal!"
—Kate from the United Kingdom
17."Food. When I open a nicely wrapped present just to see some Oreos I'm like, 'Oh, gee, thanks.' I buy that during normal grocery shopping. Sorry, but I don't need it as a gift. I do think an exception to this is those curated food boxes and/or something nice, like high-end chocolates."
—Anonymous
18."This charming gift came from my father one year for Christmas back when I was 16. Imagine sitting around your family Christmas morning, and you open a gift from your dad, and in that gift bag is the following: a box of laxatives and a few cans of tuna. I was beyond puzzled and he just grinned proud as hell. I still don't understand that gift to this day."
—Jess from Canada
19.And finally, "My husband once bought me a book on how to clean the house."
—Anonymous from Portland, Oregon
What's the worst Christmas gift? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
