Best and Worst Christmas Gifts

Foolonthehill

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But I'll add a worst one anyway. WE were brought up in Italy and a Scottish aunt thought that we might appreciate jumpers with Italian writing on them, that it might be trendy as it was at one point or maybe still is the UK (Italian fashion brands etc). She once sent one over to my teenaged sister and the writing on it translated as complete nonsense, literally.... ALL HENS.....
 

jaksen

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Sometimes the best present is to find something that the receiver always wanted, but never got, as a child. It might seem silly to give a grown man a fully-functioning Lionel train set, but that's what I gave my husband on our first (married) Christmas. (His family was very poor; he sometimes received nothing but some candy and oranges in his Christmas stocking.)

He got Lincoln logs the next Christmas. We actually sat and played with both under the tree. (We were in our mid-twenties at the time.)

Now my grandsons play with the train and the Lincoln logs and there is a story behind both.
 

Red-Green

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My worst present is the same as my best present. A guy I was dating gave me a boxer puppy for Christmas. Worst present ever! A puppy? 12 weeks old, not house trained, not anything trained. She peed everywhere, ate the arm off my couch, plus a pair of shoes.

Now, she's 4 years old and she is absolutely my beloved. She is sweet and attentive and friendly and bravely gets up in the night to bark when drunk college boys stagger through my yard (and sometimes knock on my door.) Everyone who meets her comments on how sweet and beautiful she is. Best Christmas present ever!
 

Wicked

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I hate Christmas. A lot.
Every year it depresses me more and more.

A few years ago a family in our community lost their grandmother when her car went off the road and she tried to walk home in a blizzard.

So I asked my husband to give me the money he would have blown buying a bunch of stuff I didn't need, and help me shop for the family. We got together with a few other people, and played secret Santa.

Since then it's become a bit of tradition. I pick someone who seems a bit more alone, or more in need of a pick me up than I am, and I send them an unexpected present.

Sometimes all I can afford is a tin of candy, but being able to do it is the best present I get all year.
 

Deb Kinnard

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I hear you, Wicked. As my kids began to outgrow toys, I asked them to help me shop for Toys for Tots instead of buying them a lot of stuff, and they were chuffed to pick toys they'd like to have had when they were younger. I think it was also an indirect way to teach them about the satisfaction in giving back.
 

lastlittlebird

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The best present I ever got was also a puppy. We had just moved to the other side of the country when I was about 11 or 12 and my parents had promised I could get a puppy as compensation. We went and picked one from a litter on Christmas Eve and I was told that I could come back and get him after New Years.
Apparently I was so excited about the idea of getting a puppy that I didn't notice there was one in a box in the van with us on the ride home.
I was woken that morning by barking and my sweet boy spent about fourteen years with us. Best dog ever, best present ever.

As for the worst. I can't really think of a interestingly bad one that I've received personally, but mum told me a story about one a while ago.

My mother was given a dressing gown by her FIL with her first name embroidered on it one Christmas.
Dad's brother's wife was given the exact same dressing gown with "X's wife" embroidered on it.
Dad's family wasn't really very good at subtlety.
 

rhymegirl

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Thank you for all your responses. The editor okayed the story idea.

I want to reiterate here that if you post here I am looking for quotes so I will need your real name and location.

I will ask you privately for that info.
 
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Qui Amat Scribere

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Well, the year before last, one of my aunts, who could charitably be called 'thrifty', gave me one of those plastic deviled-egg trays and a package of dollar-store brand muffin mix. The muffin mix was expired and had a small hole in one bottom corner, which had been sealed up again with Scotch tape. As for the egg holder, I LOATHE deviled eggs, and have since childhood.

Needless to say it was worth it for the laugh.