The woman was not a fan of the gift (Stock Image) (Image: Getty)
Many of us can agree that Christmas isn’t about the we receive – it’s the invaluable time we spend with loved ones and the memories we create together.
But if someone gets you a seriously naff present, there’s no point in denying your disappointment – especially when the person is supposed to know you well and should have a good idea of what to get for you.
One woman described her husband as “c**p at gifting”, but he’d really taken the biscuit last , because rather than playing it safe and just sticking to chocolates and socks, he’d bought her a £11.99 fail.
Taking to , the woman vented her frustration and was wondering whether she was being mean for doing so because she was worried about being “ungrateful”.
Referring to it as the “worst Christmas present” that she ever received, on Christmas Day 2023, the woman wrote: “I feel ungrateful but also very disappointed. My husband is c**p at gifting, but this really takes the biscuit. I am a 53-year-old woman, and we have been together for 26 years. He bought me a periscope. Am I being unreasonable to be disappointed and ungrateful?”
…
Periscopes, which can be snapped up on Amazon for £11.99, have been described by Britannia as including “two mirrors or reflecting prisms to change the direction of the light coming from the scene observed: the first deflects it down through a vertical tube, the second diverts it horizontally so that the scene can be viewed conveniently” – making it an unconventional choice for a Christmas gift.
The recipient clearly lacked enthusiasm for the periscope; she wouldn’t have voiced her disappointment otherwise, leading an astonishing 87% of individuals to agree that she was justified in feeling let down by her Christmas surprise.
…
In the comments, many shared their own tales of disastrous festive gifts, including one woman’s tale: “I have a December birthday, and a couple of years ago, my mother-in-law got me an iron for my birthday and an ironing board for Christmas.”
Another perplexed commenter questioned: “Wow. That is bad and really odd. Why on earth did he think that was a good choice? Is this a case of him wanting a periscope?” To which the original post’s author replied: “He thought I might like it to look out of the skylight! I would have preferred one of the books I asked for.”
Several labelled the present “outstandingly weird”, probing if the recipient had ever expressed “any interest in looking out of the skylight”.
Highlighting peculiar gifting choices, a mum recounted how her son’s grandmother gifted him a “Barbie car air freshener”, despite his evident “masculine as they come” persona some gifts just baffle, it seems.