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A new study confirms what many of us already knew: in-laws are the worst when it comes to giving presents at Christmas. That’s right. Mother and father in-laws have the worst reputation for giving gifts which either upset, offend or bewilder the rest of the family.
Guess who else sucks at giving Christmas presents? According to this study of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Vistaprint UK via OnePoll.com, work colleagues, aunts and sisters also often give gifts which never get used.
Here’s what else they discovered…
— One in twenty people even say their PARTNER often fails to get it right, with one in ten falling out with a loved one after they picked a terrible present.
— One in six would rather hide the gift somewhere in the house rather than admit they don’t like it, and 25% of respondents would re-wrap and re-gift to someone else.
— Almost half will take the present to a charity shop so someone else can benefit from their misfortune.
— Almost six in ten people receive up to five presents each Christmas which they then never use – while just over half receive up to the same number each birthday.
Not everyone sucks at gift-giving though…
— Nearly four in ten people said partners purchase the most impressive presents, while 20 percent said children choose great gifts.
— Clothing, music and personalized gifts were respondents’ favorite presents, while jewellery from a favorite store or gift vouchers are always received well.
— Fourteen per cent of adults would love tickets to see a favorite band, one in ten are happy with slippers – and one in 20 would be delighted with an engagement ring.
— One in six people like a gift with sentimental value, and seven in ten enjoy anything which is handmade.
On the plus-side for all you bad gift-givers out there, people still appreciate the effort.
— Eight in ten adults admit it’s the thought that counts when present giving – the spirit of the season and all that.
That being said, to help make sure that you aren’t one of those people where someone “appreciates the thought” and not the actual present, here are the Top 50 Worst Christmas Presents, according to the 2,000 people who participated in this study.
1. Ugly clothes
2. Toiletry kits
3. Bath salts /bubble bath
4. Socks
5. Slogan t-shirts
6. Movies you’ve already seen
7. Candles
8. Hankies
9. A scarf
10. Soap on a string
11. Pretentious food/drink
12. Sexy lingerie
13. Knitwear
14. Bad romance novels
15. Potpourri
16. Calendars
17. Books
18. Jewellery
19. Perfume
20. Address books
21. Cleaning products
22. A tie
23. Mug set
24. Joke books
25. Slippers
26. Photo frames
27. Aftershave
28. Department store vouchers
29. Cuff-links
30. Boxers or pants
31. Anti-aging products
32. Apron
33. Gloves
34. Bottle of booze
35. Football memorabilia
36. Pajamas
37. Saucepan sets
38. Foot spa
39. Set of jams
40. Diet plan
41. Party games
42. Experience days
43. Stationary
44. A tea pot
45. Umbrella
46. Cookery books
47. Shortbread
48. De-icer
49. Crossword book
50. Dressing gown
Obviously, to each his own, but you still might want to at least steer clear of that top ten unless they specifically ask for it. That, or just buy them something from here or here. Just sayin’.