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Everyone’s been there.
Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, a birthday, or any other day, we’ve all gotten a box, envelope, or bag with building excitement.
We’ve torn the wrappings, ripped envelopes wide open and thrown tissue paper aside with smiles on our faces—until we saw what was inside.
If you’re a true pro, the smile stays but the excitement does not when you are presented with one of the weirdest gifts you’ve ever gotten, be it anything in the world except what you even remotely wanted.
Sometimes, the gift is exactly what it is—something you didn’t want and won’t use, but sometimes, whatever it is turns into a winner.
As you’ll find out, though, a lot of these gifts are from people who are now no longer involved in our lives. Either way, we’re not trying to be ungrateful or rude, and I’m sure most of us handled these situations with grace and dignity. But now that those moments are behind us, we decided to share our stories of the 12 weirdest gifts we at Reviewed have ever received.
1. A remote-controlled fart machine from that (now ex) uncle
“I had a family member who—like me—is a little immature for his age and had one of these fart machines himself. He'd put it in family members' bags and catch them unsuspecting at family gatherings. One Christmas when I was 6 or 7 years old, he got me one and my younger brother and I put it to use a little too much. My parents used to take it and hide it so we couldn't use it and to be honest, I don't know where it ended up, so it's probably still hidden in a cabinet somewhere.” — Connor Whooley
Get the Remote Controlled Fart Machine on Amazon for $21.95
2. These peppermint candy shot glasses from parents
“The weirdest gift I ever received was a set of these peppermint candy shot glasses—from my PARENTS! I can't complain. They are somewhat of a genius concept, not to mention a hit with my friends, but I was quite surprised to dig them out of my stocking.” — Patricia Camerota
Get the Peppermint Candy Cane Edible Shot Glasses on Amazon for $10.99
3. This cold brew coffee maker that’s part cotton
“The CoffeeSock sure doesn’t look like much: It’s literally just a mason jar with a cotton sock inside. So you can imagine my surprise when I unwrapped it last year. Turns out I was the fool (not the first time). This thing makes killer cold brew coffee. Just pour the coffee grounds into the sock and let it soak overnight into the fridge. Best coffee I had all summer.” — Dave Kender
Get the CoffeeSock ColdBrew Kit on Amazon for $19.99
4. The Squatty Potty from a pal
“Last year, I drew No. 2 in a Yankee Swap. Then, I opened a Squatty Potty. Crappy number and gift—the irony is not lost on me. Someone stole it from me later in the game, though, so I can't comment on this stool stool... Sorry for all the toilet humor.” — Jessica Teich
Get the Squatty Potty on Amazon for $17.80
5. A Red Lobster gift card from a (now ex) girlfriend’s family
“A soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend’s family, who (suspiciously, in hindsight) also ensured I wasn’t in any of the family holiday pictures, once re-gifted me a gift card to Red Lobster, a restaurant chain that doesn’t exist in Massachusetts. That’s right: There’s no Red Lobster in Massachusetts.” — Anonymous employee
Get a Red Lobster Gift Card on Amazon for a number of different values
6. These fuzzy green socks as a surprise
“I once got a pair of fuzzy green socks. At first, I thought it was such a bad gift that it might be a joke, and then, when it was clear it wasn't, my feelings got kind of hurt. They were so comfy, though, that I still wear them all the time. Not in public though.” — Cindy Bailen
Get Lingswallow Women’s Socks on Amazon for $5.88
7. A bed pillow from a (now-ex) boyfriend
“Once, a(n ex) boyfriend gave me a bed pillow for my entire holiday gift. Unceremonious...yet kind of thoughtful...I guess?” — Jessica Teich
Try our favorite bed pillow of 2017:
Get the Sleep Restoration Gel Pillow on Amazon for $38.99
8. This cider press from the in-laws
“My wife's parents bought us a cider press a few years ago, which was a totally unexpected holiday gift. It's actually pretty fun to use, but it takes a lot of work—and a ton of apples—to press a decent amount of cider.” — Jeremy Stamas
Get the Weston Fruit and Wine Press on Amazon for $249.99
9. Your face on anything
“This is not a gift I've received, sadly, but one I'm obsessed with. A very lovely, very ridiculous friend of mine makes very amusing faces that we've all grown to love. This year, she'll be able to show the world that face every time she travels, thanks to this company called Firebox, which makes all sorts of absurd custom gifts including pillows, air fresheners, and "Head Cases." These things are apparently so popular that if you want to give one as a gift, it'll have to be a belated one, but what a fantastic late gift to surprise someone with in 2018! I, for one, cannot wait to see the look on her face on her luggage.” — Samantha Gordon
Get a Head Case from Firebox for $40.19 and under
10. Rocking whiskey glasses for those who can’t sit still
“One of the more peculiar gifts I've ever received are these rocking glasses, which are great if you're the type who fidgets. Alternatively, I imagine they're great if you live on a boat.” — Michael Desjardin
Get the Sagaform Rocking Whiskey Tumbler on Amazon for $18.59
11. Boring books from an ex’s father
“An ex's father once gave me the complete Joseph and His Brothers by Thomas Mann. I can't remember a single conversation I had with him that would lead him to conclude what I really wanted for Christmas was a 1,500-page four-part German historical novel based on parts of the book of Genesis. I still haven't read it.” - Andrew Winson
Get Joseph and His Brothers by Thomas Mann on Amazon for $25.58
12. Baked beans
“To be honest, my family isn't big on gift giving. In fact, we've been re-gifting a ceramic peach to one another for years. Anyways, many Christmases ago, my sister gave me a giant can of baked beans. It's par for the course for me, but I thought it might seem weird to the rest of you.” - Jonathan Chan
Baked beans can be procured at your local supermarket/convenience store.
Prices are accurate at the time of publication, but may change over time.