Ho ho, ho! Merry Christmas, dear Pandas!
If you celebrate this all-consuming (but cheerful) holiday, you are familiar with how much planning and preparation it entails. Coming up with a fresh new menu, decorating every corner of your house, and buying gifts a month in advance are just a few things we do to make this day extra special for our loved ones.
But as the proverb says, “Man plans and God laughs.” Despite our careful preparations, there’s plenty of room for error. Our Bored Panda team has gathered some of the most unfortunate failures and accidents that happened to people during this holiday season.
From misprinted greeting cards to cracked teeth, it reminds us that our celebrations could get much worse. So gather around and scroll through the list to find some humor and beauty in the disasters people have experienced on this sparkling day.
#1 White’s Family Christmas Card
Image credits: atdanwhite
#2 Guess Who Had To Get Special Deodorizing Baths After Getting Skunked On Our Morning Walk Just Before I’m Having 25 People Over For Christmas Eve. The Answer Is Both Of Them
Image credits: Yosemite_Scott
As we can see from the pictures, during this busy time, the long to-do list lingering in our heads can lead to various mistakes and accidents. One of the most common injuries during the holiday season comes from decorations.
It’s estimated that 18,400 people in the US are hurt by them each year. Surprisingly, 10% of this group are children under four years old. Additionally, middle-aged adults are the most prone to decor-related ER visits, whereas young adults and teenagers are the least likely.
#3 Someone Has Been Cutting Our Christmas Lights. Today, We Caught The Culprit
The first day, we suspected it was Jehovah's Witnesses (the only people approaching the house that day). The second day, we thought it might be kids just outside the camera's view. On the third day, we found out who it was. I had no idea rabbits could produce such clean cuts.
Image credits: henryhendrixx
#4 Just Locked Down At The Mall Of America During A Shooting. Merry Christmas Everyone
Image credits: clumzyproofreader
#5 After Working 3 Positions And Managing 20 Employees, Here’s My Work Christmas Gift
Image credits: JungleLiquor
#6 Mom's Neighbors Put Up A Million-Watt Crucifix For Christmas
This is not across the street. This is the block over. Best of our picture-taking contest, the power of Christ was too great for our phones to depict this behemoth in all its 20 ft glory.
Image credits: CatScratchEther
Amidst the sparkling decor, Christmas trees are the main cause of holiday fires that injure more than 1,600 people and rack up $990 million in damages in the US every year. Almost a third of them are the result of various electrical issues.
Not to mention the fact that about 1,000 people are hurt by their Christmas tree when fixing decorations on the higher branches.
#7 I Got Up Christmas Morning To Get Some H2O, Fainted In The Kitchen, And Crashed Down To The Floor. Came To With A Split Lip And Spat Chunks Of Teeth In A Pile
Thank you, dear Santa, for my new Christmas smile!
Image credits: Zagmut
#8 Some Jerk Steals Disabled Elderly Woman’s Christmas Decorations
Image credits: Hupacmoneybags2
#9 Negative Temperatures In Texas But At Least Our House Stayed Toasty. Merry Christmas
The firefighters told us it was faulty wiring. My husband overheard them talking to each other and they were discussing the duplex. They think it used to be one home they split in two, that they updated the other side but didn’t bring our side up to code. The fire started up in the attic apparently and went down through the furnace. It collapsed the ceiling and put a handful of holes in the roof. Both of the closets got eaten into by flames. Still trying to process it all for sure.
Image credits: Helpful_Mountain_263
#10 I Bought My Kid A Drone For Christmas, The Wife Doesn't Love It
Image credits: Cichlidsaremyjam
It appears that not everyone is completely safe when visiting Santa at the mall, either. A study revealed that 277 children were injured while whispering their wishes into his ear. This usually happens when kids fall off his lap or run away from him, and cut themselves on other objects around them.
Kids aren’t the exception, as adults also get hurt when they trip over something while taking their little ones to see the big man in red.
#11 Merry Christmas, Here’s Your Gift
I sent my sister a stockpot and claimed other home goods for Christmas (she just got an apartment and has nothing for her kitchen).
She came home to find her package looked like it had been run over. The guy at the front desk who took the package in said the delivery driver seemed supremely uninterested in the problematic package. Getting it refunded and a new one sent over, hopefully in better condition and in time for Christmas.
Bonus cat in the pic too. Say hello to Star.
Image credits: Paradiddle14
#12 What I Was Greeted By This Morning At Work, The First Day After Christmas Break
Image credits: DekuTheOtaku
#13 I Battled Alcoholism For Years. I Quit Drinking 19 Months Ago. Today I Received This At My In-Laws' Christmas Party
Image credits: GetYourDichotomy
Opening presents can also pose risks, especially if we’re dealing with kids and toys with small parts. In 2021, more than 200,000 toy-related injuries were treated in emergency rooms. Unfortunately, a scooter is one of the most unsafe presents you can give to a child, as 400,000 accidents related to it have been reported since 2011. The second and third most dangerous are balls and toy vehicles.
#14 After Seeing The Picture Of My Nephew In His New Christmas Gift My SO Thinks He “Might Have Ordered The Wrong Size”
Image credits: the_drunken_taco
#15 My One-Hour-Late, Stone-Cold Meal. I'm Working Overtime As A Nurse On Christmas Day
Image credits: Aphita
#16 Went To My Neighborhood Mailbox To See All Of Them Busted Wide Open. Was Expecting Some Christmas Stuff
Image credits: Kiki_Raptor
Cooking is a big part of the holiday season, but hot food and sharp knives can make the kitchen a hazardous zone. According to one survey, 49% of people had an accident while preparing a Christmas feast. 1 in 10 spilled hot fat on themselves, and 1 in 5 cut themselves while preparing vegetables. Cooking fires are also three times more likely to happen on Christmas due to food or equipment left unattended.
#17 I Guess I’m On The Naughty List
Image credits: R0llingWaves
#18 We Came Home To A Flooded Basement And 3 Deceased Pets. Merry Christmas To Us
Ball python, leopard gecko, and some baby mice.
Image credits: IntoxicatedBard
#19 Merry Christmas
Image credits: FastParamedic7342
#20 Shop Safely This Christmas, Folks
Public service announcement to be extra careful when purchasing gifts this Christmas time, especially expensive ones. Thought I could trust buying a phone through Amazon directly (not some third party), but I was wrong.
Meticulously swapped and stolen somewhere along the way, then spent a week fighting with customer service in which I was blamed, told I was lying, and threatened to have my account closed before they gave in.
Do not be like me, buy from trusted sources.
Image credits: Forsaken_Hope_2348
To have a safer Christmas, it’s advised that people take extra precautions. Before decorating, make sure to check the fairy lights and other electronics for any signs of damage. If the cables are frayed or look unsafe in any way, it’s best to get rid of them. Also, don’t overload the electrical sockets, and keep flammable things away from lights, candles, or fireplaces.
#21 Merry Christmas Everyone
Image credits: PhatPlonker
#22 Our Work Christmas Bonus. Can't Wait To Pay My Bills With This
Image credits: Virtual-Nobody-6630
#23 A Pipe Burst And Flooded My Entire Downstairs, Including All The Christmas Presents We Had
This was after I used my shop-vac to suck up some of the water, it was 3 inches deep. The water literally shot a hole through my wall, the outdoor hose spigot is what burst. It went from -36° to 34° in a single night.
Image credits: tmfult
More importantly, don’t rely on unstable chairs or stools when decorating something high; instead, use a sturdy ladder. Furthermore, the longer natural trees are in a house after a holiday, the more likely they are to dry out and cause a fire. So, water it regularly to ensure it doesn’t become parched, or dispose of it within one month of purchase.
Finally, dull knives can be more dangerous than sharp ones because the blunt edge is more likely to slip off food. To be extra safe, keep them sharpened and use a cutting board with a grippy surface.
#24 Bought Some Nice Big Christmas Balls
Image credits: kajola1969
#25 Pipe Burst On Christmas And Destroyed Our Entire House… Won’t Be Able To Move In For 6-12 Months
Image credits: kassabelle
#26 There Was An Attempt To Install A Christmas Tree In My Hometown (Throwback To 2013)
Image credits: Dyliewillie
#27 My Bed For Christmas (And The Last 3.5 Days Stranded At The Airport)
Image credits: JoshuaDudeman
#28 My Boy Thor Passed On Christmas Day. My Girl Has Been Struggling To Cope Since. She Loves Stuffed Animals So For This Christmas I Ordered Her A Cuddle Clone. I Paid $300 For This
Image credits: WaddupThugsBunny
The holidays are a time for celebration and quality time with your loved ones. Accidents like those mentioned above and included in this list can spoil the fun when you least expect it. So stay safe, and if you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out our other publications about last year's unfortunate ones here and here.
#29 Trying To Watch My Son’s Christmas Concert
He played on it the whole damn time. Didn’t even get a high score.
Image credits: S1mw1z
#30 I Got An Appendectomy For Christmas
Image credits: TahkoBell
#31 Spent Christmas Day Alone In The ER (I’m Fine)
Image credits: alaaaaanna
#32 Felt A Shooting Pain Down My Leg After Bending Down To Dry Myself After A Shower
A herniated disc, yeah. Saw a pain specialist recently, and they said it was "impressive".
I threw my back out over Christmas carrying in a bunch of presents while visiting my parents. Felt better after a few days of rest, but it came back in the worst way.
Image credits: ZeBootygoon
#33 I'm A 24-Year-Old Waitress And Got This Christmas Gift From A Regular 50/60-Year-Old Customer, Who Requests My Section 2x/A Week
He leaves if I’m not working, has asked me out on a date twice, and said the offer is open if my boyfriend and I split. Creepy yet sad.
The card says:
"Nina, there is no better gift than you being you! Beautiful in more ways than I can describe. Merry Christmas. Chris"
Image credits: neeeenbean
#34 I Wanted To Stop By Parent's House On Christmas Eve To Check On The Dogs While They Were Out Of Town, And This Happened
Image credits: ForemostPanic62
#35 Hospital “Leadership” Gave This To Their Nurses For Their Christmas Bonus
Image credits: ShaiHuludNM
#36 My Cousin's House Burned Down Two Days Before Christmas
Image credits: bwalters0987
#37 Just In Time For Christmas
Image credits: MikeOxHuge
#38 Had A Nice Morning. I Then Broke My Favorite Christmas Bauble. I Made A Brownie Cake To Feel Better. Forgot The Sugar
Image credits: Low_Engineering8921
#39 Someone Unwrapped My Christmas Present
Image credits: BreathingCarpet
#40 Walked Out To My Car This Morning And It Looked Like This
Image credits: sonicdrive-in
#41 Mom Got An Interesting Christmas Decoration This Year
Image credits: Bigcatent
#42 I Avoided Covid For 3 Years And Then Got This Extra Special Present After Lunch On Christmas Day
Image credits: KyIieJenner
#43 I Invited Around 20 People Over For Christmas. Someone Went Into The Garage And Did A Number On My Car With A Pot Or Other Round Object
Image credits: 4859carcar
#44 Christmas Socks As A Present. Crock Socks vs. Hand Puppets
Image credits: Exciting_Health3054
#45 I (A 30-Year-Old Male) Participated In Secret Santa At Work, Asked For Sports Equipment, And Got This Instead
A coworker came up to me after and said, "I thought it was funny".
Image credits: gonehalohunting
#46 TV Is Completely Broken, And We Won't Get A New One Till After Christmas. Plus, The Boiler Is Broken, And We Don't Have Hot Water
Image credits: sleepswithsixpillows
#47 I Opened My Unit To Get My Christmas Decorations, Only To Find It Covered In Mold
Image credits: BorvuxVI
#48 Someone Parked Across Our Driveway And We Can't Get The Car Out On Christmas Eve
Image credits: asomek
#49 I Guess My Drains Froze Up? My House Is Now Full Of Freezing Water. Happy Christmas Eve, Everyone
Image credits: peperoni_dog_farts
#50 Weigh Gain On Christmas Eve Can Be A Real Problem. Especially Right Before The Whole Family Comes
Image credits: stevenil1
