This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Ottawa chapter.
For those that celebrate Christmas (or just the tradition of holiday gifting), it is very likely that you’ve been the recipient of some tacky gifts. Sometimes they’re outright hilarious and other times… Well, at least there’s the gift receipt right? Right?
No matter, there’s always the re-gift pile.
I have a theory about tacky gifting though and wanted to test it out. I asked readers and fellow Her Campus writers to share the tackiest gifts that they’ve ever received to prove that the 5Ws from English class apply to tacky gifts more than you’d think.
Read on to see how who, what, when, where, and why explains everything:
1. Who…the identity of the gift-giver
Jocelyn: “Fake denim leggings from my aunt — not even “jeggings”, they were thin legging material with a “denim print” — as you would guess they were re-gifted to Value Village.”
2. What… you asked for.
Elizabeth: “Couple year ago, I asked my parents for a new suitcase. Well I ended up getting two (one big and one small)… pink hard case with giant flowers all over… Needless to say, I returned them and got a non-Power Puff flower one the next day!”
3. When… they’re in a pinch and forget something important.
Zoë: “My friends from HS and I always did a Secret Santa every Christmas and one year I got a gift set of hand lotions/creams etc. that I had bought my friend for HER birthday a month before! She obviously forgot who had given it to her…. I never let her live it down (and we still joke about it 6 years later).”
4. Where…the classmate/random person you never speak to gets you for Secret Santa.
Natalie: “My high school friends and I decided to throw together a Secret Santa sort of thing, it being Christmas and all. I hang out with these friends a couple times per year at the very max, and I’m really only close to one of the girls in the group. Anyway, it turns out that my Secret Santa was a guy I was familiar with in the “I’d-only-say-hi-and-bye-to-you-on-the-street-if-we-make-mutual-eye-contact” kind of way. He ended up getting me a grey scarf that was too short and made of scratchy material. Needless to say, it’s still sitting in its original packaging back at home, where it is happily befriending nearby dust bunnies.”
5. Why… you’d understand the gift as soon as you open it.
Gloria: “In high school, I’d always forget to bring tampons when I needed them so I would always ask the girl if she had some. One day (I guess she was tired of me asking), for Christmas, she gave me a huge present box all wrapped up with a pretty bow. It was super cute. I was so excited [to] see what was inside. When I opened the box, (you see where I’m going) it was full of tampons. All shapes and size. I was so mad and embarrassed. But at least it was useful…I had a supply for a whole year.”
What’s the tackiest Christmas gift that you’ve ever received? Comment below and share your story!
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