Gift Exchanges

[Thaitea]

We don’t do a gift exchange at work. But for the past 2 years since I started at my workplace, I put together a small gift bag for the coworkers on my shift. Last year it was mostly candies, pen, etc in a coffee cup wrapped very nicely. This year I just gave the ladies on my shift a small gift bag with cute items like scented body lotion, scented candle, scented hand sanitizer, cute fuzzy socks in a very pretty bag (I work in a hospital).

I get so disappointed nobody really reciprocates or gives gifts to each other here. I grew up watching my mom give gifts at the office and I am like her. I genuinely enjoy giving people something and making the gift look beautiful (that’s half of the fun), and watching their face light up when they are surprised with an unexpected gift. I know they appreciated it but I wish some people loved giving gifts too! Everyone seems so bah humbug to each other which is sad. But I’m going to love doing it again next year anyway.

[Sockeye66]

25 + years ago we'd have a big extended family secret Santa exchange. This was early 90's and the limit was $75, enough for a good gift.

I had my Grandmothers husband (recent marriage, very sweet man) and got him a Cardigan sweater from Nordstroms, it was well received.

Under the tree was 3 semi large and kinda heavy boxes for me, intriguing!. I opened the 1st box and was shocked! It was a childs building block set. I opened the second box and remained shocked, another set up blocks. Third box? Same!!!
I was a single guy, no kids, lived in a small Seattle apartment. I had no use nor room for this.

An aunt had drawn my name, somehow thought this was fun and would go over well. Not the case at all. Everyone gave her a WTF glare or at least a side-eye.

That was the last of the families Secret Santa exchange.

[GiGi603]

Originally Posted by Thaitea

Everyone seems so bah humbug to each other which is sad. But I’m going to love doing it again next year anyway.

Is it bah humbug or has the Holiday Season become so commercial?

[purehuman]

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

Why are people so fixated on the gift? I'm just not understanding that - OP stated the basic facts and her/his concern that the person that received such gift may not get anything else. Sadly, like many threads, it became a bashing of the idea of the exchange, demanding to know the gift, etc. - Sad.

Because OP said that the gift was something that "absolutely no one would want"...that it wasn't a "decent" gift...that's why....how can we know that when we don't know what it was????

Sometimes I like things that others don't or might not.

If OP was so terribly concerned that the recipient of this gift might not receive anything else, there's nothing stopping him/her from getting another gift for this person.

It's not sad to want to know just what it is you're supposed to be judging...like a gift....when no-one knows what it is.
OP definitely did not state the most basic fact....which is... what was it?