Weird, Unusual, or just plain stupid Christmas gifts...

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Every year for the past 30+ years, I have wanted to tell everyone I know to just not get me anything for Christmas...

I mean REALLY tell them... not just say, "Aww, you don't have to get me anything for Christmas.".

I mean... "DO... NOT... GET... ME... ANYTHING... FOR... CHRISTMAS! "... yeah... that's more like it!

Right now, I have two of those GAWD-AWFUL STINKIN' candles sitting in ziplock baggies out on my front porch.
They came from my dad and his third wife.
I have NEVER let on that I EVER wanted stinking candles.

I have this little figurine of a pseudo-native-american-woman-in-a-new-age-southwestern-colored-outfit-holding-a-baby, sitting on my window sill with the Christmas cards.
It was given to me by my older sister... WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT!?

I really hate gifts like these... gifts that I have never asked for, never owned anything like them before in my life, never given any indication that I was interested in them or anything like them.

Why do people waste money on this crap?
I just give it away... to friends who want it, strangers who want it, charity organizations who turn it around and sell it....

I tried to do my little part for my workplace christmas party this year and I picked a name for the gift exchange.
I luckily got the name of a woman I knew some things about, so I felt confident I could pick out some things she would like and/or use.
I wound up being successful, although I just had to buy this giant, annoying christmas card that plays a tune whenever you open it. I didn't write in the card so she could use it for someone else someday.

I didn't buy any presents for my family other than for my daughter.
I don't know much of anything about my family and what they are interested in right now.
Years past, whenever I would call them or write them to ask what everyone was needing or interested in, I would get the same old stupid line... "Oh, just get me something nice.", or "Oh, I don't really care... you decide.".

At least I can come up with .... "Food"... when they ask me. I eat almost anything!

For several years, my former wife was buying presents for me that looked suspiciously like things SHE wanted to have.

I finally confronted her about it one Christmas when I got some sort of metal-can-artistically-sculpted-and-created-to-burn-pot-purrie (or however you spell it). this was just too 'WAY OUT' there for me and I basically gave it back to her.
If she didn't know what to get me, or didn't care to get me anything, at least she could have left me out of the gift giving by saying so. It really hurt my feelings to think she used me as an excuse to buy herself things.
I never bought her a new crescent wrench or 4x12 mini-lathe with DRO and quick-change tool holder (she does not work metal).

Anyway... enough of me on the pitty potty

Did anyone else get gifts that they have absolutely no use for.

Did anyone else get a gift that the puchaser liked but has nothing in common with the receiver?

How about this... did you get a gift from someone you figure really bought it for themself or so they could use it?

- Just another reason to hate gift-giving holidays!-

Aw, grumblebum. I can see your point about the candles (a bit) but lots of people like candles and as for the Indian lady, I'd have loved a gift like that. People like to give things - it makes them feel better.

A few people will donate money to your favourite charity in lieu of a gift if you ask but some will insist on buying a present. It's polite to thank them because they mean well.

One of my brothers gave me three giant mangoes for Christmas (he wasn't sure if I eat mangoes but I said "oh yes"! !). I ate one today and have the other two in the fridge to eat over the next two days.

Thanks ... I needed that!

I like that word... grumblebum...







Yeah, I just can't stand the candles and the smell of them.

I'd send you the Indian Lady. When I give gifts, I'm fine with them being passed on if I got the wrong thing for the person.
I'd rather they be used by someone than stuffed away to be forgotten.
Or worse yet, have the receiver pretend they love the gift and use it all the time.

The donation idea is a really nice one. I have found that there are some folks who do not like the idea of giving money, no matter where it goes... I have a sister like that.

I will thank them all. I was pretty grumpy above, but I still love my family.
I would rather they just make it easier on their pocketbooks and not spend money on me if they truly do not know what to get me. I really do not need gifts.

Good for you about the magoes Pandora!
My daughter and her mom like them as well... I don't like them all that much but they are neat looking.
My mother-in-law gets an allergic reaction when she eats one... a rash about the mouth I think.

Fresh fruit is one of the nicer gifts I can think of.

Mango sap often causes burns and mango pickers usually have to wear long-sleeved shirts and even gloves. Fresh fruit makes a nice gift, especially when it's something a person wouldn't buy for themselves very often but it is best to check that they aren't allergic. My uncle and aunt who had a mango farm used to give my dad half a dozen or so giant mangoes for Christmas.

Wow! I didn't know that.

I used to not eat pineapple... my mom used to only buy the canned stuff.
As I grew up I would kid about how it was so obvious that pineapple was not meant to be eaten by humans.... you could tell by the extreme measures it took to protect itself.

Then one day my former wife introduced me to a fresh pineapple and I realized I liked them.


I remember us getting a box of pears and other fruits from Harry & David. They ship all over the U.S. during the holidays.

I'm going to send local food stuff from here in Humboldt County, as New Year's gifts to my family.
We have a cheese factory, chocolate factory, and other food vendors here.
Makes for a nice gift.

one word socks

I can think of a few things but really can't post them here.

Yes... I get crap presents too...

But the worst thing is that my mother and my sister give my wife the worst presents ever, while giving me nice ones. I feel really bad about it because it's embarrassing and demeaning to my wife. I think they might mean well - I'm not sure - so how can I tell them to start being sensible.

This year, they gave my wife (who is.... no offense intended... somewhat butch/masculine in her tastes) a porcelain doll. I made a mess of things because when she was opening it and I could only see the back of the blank candy-striped cardboard box, I said (Jokingly)... "Oh no, it's not a fricking doll is it...." - I was pretty embarrassed that it was.

Yeah, I hear ya. I got:

- some ugly socks
- really ugly pajama bottoms in a color I NEVER wear
- some ugly bookends
- a book I know I'll never read
- another, rather depressing book I know I'll never read unless I wanted to kill myself and needed to the extra incentive to do the job
- a sweater two sizes too small (I've already exchanged it, but I had to drive 45 minutes to the place of origin)
- a 2008 dayplanner, which I know I won't use because I never have used any of the gazillion clanders and datplanners I've gotten in Xmases past

I often get clothes as gifts that I either can't wear or won't wear. These usually go to Goodwill eventually, as I'm sure these socks and pajamas will go. I cannot tell you how many gifts I've eventually given to Goodwill in my lifetime. I rarely get gifts either I can use or has appeal to me, and it annoys the hell out of me that I'm expected to hang on to these things just because they're gifts.

I also hate "regifting" especially when they tell you it's a recycled gift. I often get cat-related crap this way, since most people who don't really know me very well know at least I'm a cat person. "Oh, so-and-so gave this to me, but I thought you would like it more." My favorite was a massive, indoor cat grass planter. Lovely, yes? Something that will take up space, is high maintenance and will make my cats puke all over the house. I'm not sure what message that person was trying to send to me, but the thing went straight into the trash.

A ren and stimpy game for the sega game gear [was that Nomad,in the US?],which was the main present mum had bought.
would think it was a great present,until realising didn't actually have a game gear,and it was the mega drive [genesis] version she should have got.
Can't trust them to get anything modern.

I've never quite got the giving toiletries as gifts thing, I mean, surely that's implying "You smell, you should use some of this".

Oh man! What a moment huh?

I wish it were easier to just talk to each other and find out what would make a good present instead of everyone just guessing.
Wasted money... confusion as to what the meaning behind the present is... just a waste.

Do you think they were trying to bring out her feminine side?

I never had that happen between my family and wife, thank goodness.

I realize there are people who get all excited when giving a gift... I get that way... but I never buy gifts unless I know it's something the person has a definite connection to, or an interest in, etc.

I'm sure I've made my share of mistakes. I try to let folks know that if they can't use what I gave them, or they don't like it, they can give it to someone they know who will be able to use it, or just give it back to me.
Depending on the occasion, I could try and change the gift for them to something they would use/like.

I doubt it... they said they liked it.

Now, my wife is a Kiwi but lives in Australia... She's very very down to earth and has no interest in anything that isn't day to day. eg: No interest in other cultures etc..

and the doll was .... a geisha doll.

I think those are given under the presumption peopel want to smell nice.

That reminds me: one year, I gave my mom some scented lotion (which she loves) and some "calming balm." Basically it was an aromatherapy thingy that helped you relaxed, which I thought my mom could use. My mom, who is usually histronic and tightly-wound to begin with, was like "What? You think I need to relax?? You think I can't relax???" She was actually offended and upset about it. Gotta love that irony. And honestly I did give it to her because I think she needs to chill more.

I really shouldn't laugh though seeing as a few years ago I got my dad a little figurine of a bear in a denim jacket and sunglasses. I'm pretty sure he threw it away, and I don't blame him. Figurines are awful gifts unless the person getting it is a collector.

I usually get annoyed when I get underwear, but at least I get some use out of that.

The problem with toiletries is the specialized nature of the scents.

My former wife loves TeaRose perfume.. but only from the original Body Shop formula
I used to have a hard time finding that.

Getting someone a smelly thing when you're not sure they can tolerate that particular smell, makes for a useless gift in my opinion.

My daughter and I dropped off Christmas cards (another uselss but traditional item) to friends around town.
One couple seems to be getting into 'other' things than what I knew they were into... things like burning incense around the house, idols from other religions, etc.
That's cool, but after we droppe off the card and visited a few minutes, the wife came out with a box of incense sticks for us.
I took them a put them in the bathroom. They smell an awful lot, but not as bad as those scented candles.

I will try to burn the sticks to see how they are.
At least I have a fan and window in my bathroom so I can evacuate the smell if it's too much.


About figurines...
Like I said before, the Indian woman one is just too weird a thing to give me. I really can't imagine why my sister would give me something like that unless she's trying to reach my feminine side (my family knows about my gender issues)

Someone at work gave me a plastic figure of Yukon Cornelius from the Rudolph The Rednose Reindeer cartoon/movie.
That's okay since she said it looks like me and reminds her of me living in Alaska.
I have it hanging in my truck along with my little pirate guy.

That figure seemed much more appropriate to me and reminds me now of Alaska.

Cats eat grass and it is proven to give them some nutrients they can't get elsewhere.

You should have reconsidered.