A Brief History
On December 26, 2023, hordes of recipients of unwanted Christmas gifts will start the annual pilgrimage to the stores to return those disliked gifts. Traditionally, people make fun of fruitcake as a disliked gift, but we go further and list some of the most disliked gifts, although lists you find vary considerably. What gifts do you dislike the most?
Digging Deeper
Candles, as apparently folks like to pick their own fragrances.
Clothes and Shoes, especially baby and toddler clothes.
Exercise equipment and weight loss related items are often seen as an insult.
Glassware and coffee cups since most people have plenty already.
Kitchen appliances and tools because they are often redundant.
Makeup, presumably because people like to pick their own colors and types.
Sweets, which probably includes fruitcakes. Who the heck would return sweets?
What is not on the list? Guns, ammo, and alcohol!
Question for students (and subscribers): What gift would you return? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Briar Holiday Books. Christmas Planner: The Ultimate Organizer – with Holiday Shopping List, Gift Planner, Online Order and Greeting Card Address Book Tracker. Briar Holiday Books, 2019.
Cradock, Fanny, and Johnny Cradock. Coping with Christmas: A Fabulously Festive Christmas Companion. HarperCollins, 2022.
The featured image in this article, a postcard, is in the public domain because it was published in the United States between 1928 and 1963, and although there may or may not have been a copyright notice, the copyright was not renewed. For further explanation, see Commons:Hirtle chart and the copyright renewal logs.
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