“I Thought It Was A Joke”: 42 People Share The Absolute Worst Xmas Gifts They’ve Ever Received

One year, my mom got mad at me for not cleaning up my toys, so she took them all away. For Christmas, she gave them back to me and nothing else. My sister got a new bike.

My Dad gave me earrings several years in a row.

I don't have pierced ears.

My mom gave me her high school diploma one year for Christmas when I was 24.

Not me, but my mom. Of all 6 grandkids (my mom and her 5 siblings), my great-grandma absolutely hated my mom in particular, even in early childhood. My mom looked, and I guess had a personality most similar to my grandma, and my great-grandma HATED my grandma.

One year for Christmas, my great-grandma got presents for all the kids except my mom. This made my grandma furious, obviously. After they had a screaming match about it. My great-grandma picked up a magazine and cut out some pictures of models. She gave them to my mom and called them "paper dolls".

True story. I was storing some boxes of things I didn't want anymore in a shed at my boyfriend's house. I was going to put it all in a yard sale eventually. I went to his parents' house for their family Christmas later that year. Every person who opened a gift from him were items from my yard sale stuff. To say I was humiliated would be an understatement.

My grandparents gave my parents a framed picture of a random little boy, and nobody knows who it is. (No, it’s not the one that came with the frame).

My aunt (retired teacher) was visiting over Christmas. She spent Christmas Day with us. My wife and I spent $50 on a gift basket for her. It had mugs, cheeses, crackers, spreads, teas, and other assorted stuff.

The next day, we went to visit my grandfather (my aunt's dad). She was there as well. When my grandfather opened his gift, lo and behold, it was the gift basket with about 1/3rd of the stuff removed. So she kept what she liked and regifted the basket to her father in front of my wife and me. This also means she didn't spend one cent on her father for Christmas. My wife and I were both looking at each other with our jaws dropped, but we were too polite to say anything.

This guy I dated in college got me a framed photo of himself for Christmas. I thought it was a joke. It was very much not.

My sister got a book from my grandmother titled “Proper Etiquette.” She proceeded to tell her in front of the whole family that “She’ll be more likely to make the boys stay after reading it!” My sister just smiled and carried on.

A mug with my name spelled wrong from a family member who has known me my entire life.

The relative gave his wife a gym membership for Christmas after she put on weight. Tears and violence.

I keep getting kitchen appliances every year, despite making it very well known that I don't have a square inch of countertop space to spare in my kitchen.

My in-laws usually give us a gift card to my favorite restaurants (a group with a seafood place, an Italian place, a BBQ place, etc) and a note that they'll babysit the kids so we can have a date night. I look forward to it every year.

This year, they gave us a certificate to go to a religious couples retreat. We are not at all religious.

My mother has given me the same cheap boxed crystal chess set 3 times for Christmas over the last 12 years.

I have no idea why, but apparently she keeps buying them every time Target or Macy's puts them out on display at Christmas.

Sister and her husband gave everyone a sweatshirt with a print of their wedding picture on it for CHRISTMAS.

My office was absolutely positive that she was pregnant. She wasn’t. They all got her a car seat. She laughed it off like a pro, and has a niece on the way that she needed a seat for.

I got a gift card to Burger King while working at Burger King from a manager who drew my name for Secret Santa. It was literally useless because none of us actually paid for food in the first place.

My step-mother bought me a shirt that said, "blondes have more fun." I have always been a brunette.

I towel with another family member's name on it.

I asked for a Ring doorbell and received the cheap version that is a "decoy" ring doorbell. It doesn't function in anyway except hang out by the door. Next year I'm buying what I want for myself and wrapping it up and putting it under the tree.