The truth about getting awkward gifts.
The holidays are coming up, and the gifting season is upon us. It’s time to prepare yourself for the ups and downs of presents during the holidays.
Imagine this: You get the rushing excitement of tearing open a beautifully wrapped gift, but you open it to find nothing but a pair of the finest socks Costco can offer.
Many people procrastinate on holiday shopping, leaving the receiver with super fun presents like candles, socks, or, at best, gift cards.
This means the thrill of getting something special disappears, and people end up with something they don’t want, need, or even like.
It’s not an uncommon phenomenon. According to the Capital Counselor article, “154 million Americans receive over $15 billion worth of presents they dislike” — meaning people essentially throw $15 billion down the drain yearly.
Abbey Koory, Roosevelt High School junior, reflects on her experiences receiving gifts and recounts her family’s ‘Year of the Giant Jeans.’ Koory said, “I remember when [my family] opened all of our gifts together, and everyone got a pair of jeans, and it turn[ed] out they were from our Grandma.”
Koory said, “We all run upstairs to try on our new pairs of jeans, and it turn[ed] out they’re all way oversized! That year went down in history as ‘The Year of the Giant Jeans.’”
She said, “As I reflect upon this and think about getting a gift that I might not appreciate, I do have a lot of respect for my grandma. … I think that was all that she could muster up to get everyone, … and it ended up being like a funny joke.”
Sara Sindell, Roosevelt junior, has experienced the opposite: too much of a good thing.
She said, “Family members would ask me: ‘What do you want for Christmas?’ and I’d say: ‘A gumball machine.’ So I told everybody I wanted a gumball machine. And then I got, like, five gumball machines for Christmas — and I couldn’t use them all.”
Although there are times when you should let the gifter know it’s not what you wanted, sometimes the better thing is to stay grateful and remember that it’s from someone who cares. After all, it’s the thought that counts.
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