The holiday season is in full swing. You might have gotten your loved ones presents months ago, or you’re adding some genius last-minute touches. In either case, we’re sure you put a lot of care into buying or crafting something truly remarkable. It’s the effort and the thought that count. However, the reality is that not everyone puts the same amount of care into their gifts.
Sometimes, people are so put out by the presents they’ve gotten from their family, friends, or coworkers that they want to vent about them online. Bored Panda has compiled a list of photos of the biggest holiday gift disappointments, which you’ll find as you scroll down. It’s the kind of stuff that would make Santa Claus have a stern word with the gift-givers.
#1 Got My Nieces (3) This Tent For Christmas. One Ran Away And One Started To Cry
My SIL was like “we have one of those, it’s the time-out tent”.
Image credits: ClapBackBetty
#2 This “Gift” For Employee Appreciation
Image credits: crudolph0828
#3 Most Of My Gifts Are Stuck In A Distribution Center, And Have Been For Over 2 Weeks. Guess My Brother In Law Gets This
Image credits: TurtlesCantDrive
The holiday season is very hectic for businesses. There are lots of sales and promotions happening as customers look for good deals for themselves and their loved ones. In some cases, if the brand or company is trustworthy, it makes sense to buy all of your Xmas gifts ahead of time, say around Black Friday---if there are some genuinely good deals. You end up saving money, and you won’t have to do any last-minute shopping either if you already know what you want to get.
The downside is that you feel pressured, rushed, and usually focused on material things.
#4 Merry Christmas, Here’s Your Gift!
I sent my sister a stockpot and claimed other home goods for Christmas (she just got an apartment and has nothing for her kitchen).
She came home to find her package looked like it had been run over. The guy at the front desk who took the package in said the delivery driver seemed supremely uninterested in the problematic package. Getting it refunded and a new one sent over, hopefully in better condition and in time for Christmas.
Bonus cat in pic too. Say hello to Star!
Image credits: Paradiddle14
#5 My Husband Got Me Some Gifts To Help Challenge My Ocd In Small, Manageable Ways
I don't know what I find more upsetting - the lopsided notebook or the lack of alignment on the dots of the die.
Image credits: kazzalow
#6 At The Bottom Of A Plastic Cup
A gift my daughter received… why make/sell/buy this if it can’t be used?
Image credits: hotcoffeethanks
As per CNN, American consumers spent $13.3 billion on Cyber Monday in 2024. This is 7.3% higher than back in 2023. Adobe Analytics notes that American consumers spent $41.1 billion in the 5 days from Thanksgiving.
“While Cyber Monday remained the season’s and year’s biggest online shopping day, year-over-year growth was stronger on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday,” explains Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights.
#7 Today Is Teacher Appreciation Day. Our Principal Told Us She Left “Surprise Treats” In The Lounge As Our Gift. These Are The Treats
My favorite is the leftover snack from her Southwest flight.
Image credits: givemebesos
#8 I Received This Gift From My Crush
Image credits: sunny_boey
#9 After Working 3 Positions And Managing 20 Employees, Here’s My Work Christmas Gift
Image credits: JungleLiquor
Adobe predicts that in 2024 between the start of November and the end of December, holiday spending in the United States will probably spike above $240 billion. It’s predicted to be around 8.4% greater than a year ago, in 2023.
Part of this may have to do with inflation, but another factor to consider is that this year the average American may have a bit more spending money, in time for the holidays.
#10 Christmas Gift From Sister In Law: Handmade Soap With Real Legos Embedded In It. They Slowly Start To Emerge The More You Use It. Can Wait ‘Till The First One Falls Out Mid-Shower
Image credits: tomaszmajewski
#11 Growing Up My Parents Refused To Ever Get Me Dolls Or Accessories, I’m In My 20’s Now (No Kids) And They Have Decided To Buy Obnoxious Doll Stuff Each Year And Laugh In My Face
This was this year’s “gift”.
Image credits: xlostinimaginationx
#12 Husband’s Christmas Gift From My Sister
For the record, he’s not in prison and hates Spam.
Image credits: Silly-Disaster-5974
Investopedia reports that many United States households saw a slight improvement in their financial situation in October 2024. A report by the Bureau of Economic Analysis found that personal income rose 0.6% over that month, which is twice as much as predicted. After-tax income rose 0.4% in October after it was adjusted for inflation.
“The rebound in real income growth in October means consumers still have enough gas in the tank to pull off a decent holiday shopping season this year,” chief US economist at BMO Capital Markets Scott Anderson said.
#13 Cfo Sent Me A Thank You Gift
Backstory: I've been doing the workload of 2 people for almost 2 years now, they just fired someone from my team and my manager has gone on stress leave and long service leave so I've been covering for both of them for the last 5-6 weeks too.
The company CFO, who I report to, lives in a different state. Last month I had to do our end of month procedures by myself for the first time (which usually involves 4 people) and had to be done on a strict timeline. I worked my guts out to do it, and afterwards I had 973 emails of my own to action that I had ignored to finish end of month. I was overwhelmed and told the CFO and CEO that I was taking a day off because my workload is too high and I needed to mental break to reset.
The CFO has been making a big deal for the last 3 weeks to the exec team and other managers in my office about how she's organised a nice gift for me to say thank you for the hard work I've put in. The last week she mentioned it to me directly and has been asking me to hunt it down because she couldn't understand how it still hadn't gotten there and didn't want it to get lost etc...
Today it turned up and it was literally 2 packets of Peppa Pig lollies. I have never laughed so hard, yet been so offended at the same time.
How would you take this? Should I say something?
Image credits: tiffanyfern
#14 My Boyfriend’s Mom Regifted Me This Blanket For Christmas That I Had Recently Gifted Her For Her Birthday
Image credits: Cloud_________
#15 A Fine Example Of The Unlucky Luck I Have, I Won A $250 Gift Basket... That No One Realized Was Supposed To Be Refrigerated
It’s filled with fancy oils and rotten artisan cheeses. On the plus side, I have a new pet, Mary Jane Rotten Cheese.
Image credits: CrystalKU
The general trend is that US consumers have been spending more and more money on gifts and holiday-related things every year since 2009. National Retail Federation forecasters predict that American retail sales will reach nearly $1 trillion in November and December 2024, probably falling in the range between $979.5 billion and $989 billion.
#16 My Dad Celebrated His 60th Last Night, A Majority Of His "Friends" Brought Bottles Of Wine As A Gift. He's Been Sober For Over 26 Years
Image credits: yosman88
#17 Did This Annoyingly Difficult Prize Puzzle Just To Find Out After That It Was Used And The Code Had Already Been Redeemed
Received this puzzle as a Christmas gift. The puzzle was pretty bad quality and that made it really hard to do, but it was a fun concept and promised you could win some cash prizes, including a million dollars! It was in a sealed package, but we found out after that it came from a bookstore that sells used books and games, and they shrink wrapped it. When we finished it and scanned the code, it had already been redeemed. Worked on it all day and joked we would end up with the lowest prize of $1, but we didn’t even get that, ha.
Image credits: Mmmelanie
#18 The AirPods My Sister Got Me As A “Gift”
Image credits: Eldritch_Skirmisher
What matters the most is spending quality time with your loved ones---experiences, trips, laughter, wholesome dinners, and anything that connects you deeper tend to have a bigger impact than physical things.
But even so, it’s nice to get something tangible once in a while, whether it’s something deeply practical, pure fun, or something in between.
#19 A Gift I Received For My Birthday. I Have So Many Questions
Image credits: Cider_for_Goats
#20 4 Of My Coworkers Quit Last Week, So Corporate Handed Out Gift Bags. Corporate Clearly Thinks We're Kindergarteners
Image credits: Ghostyvesper
#21 Made My Husband Pick Out His Own Mother's Day Gift For His Mom This Year. It's A Beauty
Image credits: Halo_Goodbye
Even a simple box of chocolates can be meaningful when you know it’s given with intent. Maybe the other person knows you incredibly well, and they’ve picked out your favorite brand or specific type of chocolate that you genuinely love.
They’ll probably know what tastes to stay away from and what kind of box designs draw your attention. In other words, even a small gift can tell you a ton about how others perceive you and what they know of you.
#22 My Gift From Secret Santa. I'm Allergic. Yes, They Knew
Image credits: goomygirl123
#23 For Christmas 2019, My Boss Gifted Us With 1 Work From Home Day In 2020
Image credits: -edna__mode-
#24 Just Got My Valentine’s Day Gift. Thank You Shari’s Berries And UPS!
Image credits: itswac
One of the worst things that anyone can do is to buy gifts haphazardly, without thinking, because they’re panicking at the very last moment. There is a ton of social pressure associated with gift-giving, so if you ‘fail’ to show up as expected, you feel like you’ll be judged.
Even so, the entire point of a good present is to tailor it to the other person. Slow down. Think about what you want to achieve.
#25 Employee Appreciation Gift
This was what our company gave everyone for employee appreciation week. A rock. I’ve been here 4 years and haven’t received a raise since 2021 (not for lack of tryin!). a rock.
Image credits: nhge
#26 The Best Thing In A Gift Bag My Friend Received From His Employer
Image credits: Artist_X
#27 The Gift I Got From Work For "National Thank You Day." I Feel Truly Insulted
I also work in finance so I had to expense the invoices for this lavish gift set last week so I knew it was coming.
Image credits: RazorsInMyTaco
Splurging on random things in the hope you’ll hit your mark isn’t thoughtful and is, arguably, a waste of money. Nobody wants to feel like they were an afterthought on someone’s shopping list or yet another chore or box to check. Cheaper gifts that fit the other person’s lifestyle, character, and values can have a much more heartfelt and honest impact.
You make people smile by showing that you care about them, not through jaw-dropping price tags. That’s not to say that there’s anything ‘wrong’ with luxury items if you can afford them, but they have to be a good fit for the intended recipient.
#28 This Is Our "Employee Appreciation" Gift. A First Aid Kit, Complete With A Children's Activity Book, And Crayons. I Work At A Factory
Image credits: TheRealEggness
#29 ‘Gift’ From The School My Girlfriend Got For Teacher’s Appreciation Week
Image credits: BillyJoelArmstrong
#30 This “Gift” My Husband Received At Our Baby Shower
Image credits: mwahaha321
Which of the presents that we’ve featured in this list would you hate to receive, dear Pandas? On the flip side, which ones would you not mind, if any? What is the worst, weirdest, or most confusing gift you’ve ever gotten? How did you react? What did you do with it?
Are you done wrapping your holiday gifts, or are you still on the hunt for those last few thoughtful finishing touches? Let us know in the comments. And enjoy the holidays!
#31 Genuinely Ready To Quit! This Was My Bonus For Making The Company $85,000 In February
Image credits: DarthSupremacy
#32 First Day Of Teacher Appreciation Week. This Was Our Gift Bag Given To Us By Administration
Image credits: agroyle
#33 Won A Gift Card At School, It’s Expired. Kinda Was Expecting More, I Literally Go To A Private School
Image credits: dead-boy1617
#34 My Buddy Was Cleaning Out His Desk While At Home During The Quarantine, And Found A $50 Gift Card
Image credits: Juztaan
#35 Got This As A Gift And Honestly I Don't Want To Throw It Away Just Because It's Terribly Funny
Image credits: AmberedVal
#36 My Wife’s Teacher Appreciation Gift From The Administrators Who Have Let Everyone Know All Year They Do Not Appreciate Them At All
Image credits: aint_no_flapjack
#37 Personalized Gift For “Iva”
We bought a gift for our friend with personalized embroidery. Her name is Iva.
The company (Intimissimi) claims this is correctly spelled, just the font is funky.
(Of course, they’re lying)
Image credits: seasonofillusions
#38 My Wife Received A Corporate Gift From One Of Her Partners For Christmas. It Came With Candy, Champagne Flutes, And A Small Bottle Of Bubbly. It Has Been In The Fridge Since
When we wanted a couple of mimosas yesterday. When I went to open the bottle, I found out it was a candle.
Image credits: 42Navigator
#39 I Got Gifted A Bath Bomb By A Friend (I Don't Own A Bathtub)
Image credits: lemonyoshii
#40 My Husband’s Gift For 5 Years Of Employment Arrived Today…
Image credits: jennileeandherboys3
#41 I'm In Afghanistan And This Is What My Wife Sends Me For An Anniversary Gift
Image credits: volcanonacho
#42 USPS Bent My Neices Christmas Gift, Which Caused It To Break
Image credits: SmithNotASmith
#43 Was Sent An Ice Cream Cake As A Surprise Thank You Gift. This Is What I Saw When I Opened It
Image credits: threeyearsaway
#44 What I Ordered vs. What I Got
To keep it short, I was specifically looking for a Goldendoodle holiday figurine for my MIL. At the time, there were no reviews on this and it was $30 so I took a risk. It didn’t pay off this time… I at least thought it would be 3D...
I would be a bit upset if it wasn’t so funny. I think I’m going to keep him and put him outside.
Image credits: Negative-Rub5351
#45 This Is The One Gift My Sister Decided To Give Me This Year…
Image credits: Xlr8Alpha
#46 My Girlfriends Boss Handed This To Her In Her Office Saying, "These Are Being Handed Out From The Company." I'm Not Sure If This Is A Christmas Gift. What Do You All Think?
Image credits: Forex4x
#47 I Was Gifted This Expensive Candle But It Doesn’t Have A Wick
Image credits: slipperyslope89
#48 Ordered New Headphones From Amazon, Got Used Ones With A Surprise Inside. Sorry Nick, Looks Like Tony Didn't Like His Gift
Image credits: ImNotAnAlien
#49 My Girlfriend And A Group Of Her Friends Decided To Order A $150 Rug As A Birthday Gift For A Friend. The Rug Arrived Today, And It Seems No One Bothered To Check The Size
Image credits: imculp
#50 Yesterday My Grandfather Gifted Me His Fathers Watch... Tonight It Fell Off My Desk
Image credits: Wk052403
