Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Start reading

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

Start reading

Bored Panda

Entertainment

Eglė Bliabaitė

40 Hilariously Bad Secret Santa Gifts People Have Actually Received

Amazon

Secret Santa is humanity's solution to the age-old problem of divvying up gift giving. After all, in any moderately sized family or group of friends, it’s not entirely possible to give everyone something, so it’s a great way to make sure everyone still gets a nice surprise. But things don’t always go to plan.

So we’ve gathered some of the most hilarious Secret Santa fails from across the internet for you to cringe at. Get comfortable as you scroll through, prepare to raise an eyebrow or two, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own thoughts and experiences in the comments down below.

#1 Buddy At Work During The Secret Santa Party Legit Just Got Gifted The Same Shirt He Is Wearing

#2 Thanks Secret Santa... I Would Have Rather Gotten A Trash Can

#3 My Secret Santa Is A Jerk

The air is crisp, the lights are twinkling, and suddenly, you find yourself staring at a tiny slip of paper with the name of a person you only know as "Dave from Logistics" or "the cousin who collects vintage spoons." Welcome to the high-stakes, low-budget world of Secret Santa. It is a tradition designed to foster holiday spirit, yet it frequently results in some of the most awkward social exchanges known to mankind.

When done correctly, it is a heartwarming way to bond with peers, but when it goes wrong, it becomes the stuff of legendary office group-chat screenshots. To ensure you survive this festive gauntlet with your reputation intact, there are a few fundamental rules of the road that every participant must follow.

#4 Everyone At Work Got Amazing Heart Felt Gifts For Secret Santa And I Got A Bottle Of Car Detailer As A Joke

I work at Starbucks. The thing is, she doesn’t even hate me or anything. In fact, we get along really, really well.

#5 Coworker Bought Me A Box Of Chocolates For Christmas - One Missing And The Rest Were Mouldy

Do you think this was intentional !?

#6 I Got Picked To Go First For The White Elephant Christmas Party At Work. You Can Probably Assume No One Wanted To Steal It From Me

I work at a pool, the kid was 15. He wrapped it like it was a piece of candy.

The first and perhaps most sacred rule involves the financial boundary. If the group has collectively agreed upon a twenty-dollar limit, you must treat that number as a divine command. Staying within the lines is vital because breaking them creates a social imbalance that even the most delicious eggnog cannot fix. If you decide to be a "holiday hero" and spend eighty dollars on a luxury gadget, you aren't being generous, you are making everyone else feel like a cheapskate. Conversely, showing up with a five-dollar trinket makes you look like the Grinch’s less-successful younger brother.

#7 My Gift From Secret Santa

I'm allergic. Yes they knew.

#8 Tried To Buy A Secret Santa Exactly What They Wanted, But Alas My Dreams Are Shattered

Doing a family secret santa this year with my partner's family, and I got her mum. She wanted these specific cocktail coupes (on her wishlist), so I tried to track them down as they're sold out in a lot of places online. Finally found some, and they arrived yesterday like this. The business is now out of stock and had to refund instead. There's no chance she'll have her cocktail coupes on Christmas morning now.

#9 Book I Got For A Secret Santa

Beyond the money, there is the matter of the "Secret" in Secret Santa. This requires a level of detective work that would make Sherlock Holmes proud. If you have drawn the name of someone you barely know, do not simply guess their interests based on their choice of desktop wallpaper. Ask around or look for subtle clues in their daily habits. Do they always have a specific brand of coffee? Are they a fan of a particular sports team? A little bit of research goes a long way in avoiding the "generic gift" trap.

#10 Secret Santa Gift?

I was sent this as a secret Santa, there was no note, instructions or explanation. Simply two plastic white shapes, they hardly weigh anything at all, and when I google ‘Spyn’, nothing relevant comes up. Any ideas??

#11 Everyone's Posting Amazing Secret Santas. My Was Worst Secret Santa Ever

#12 My Mom Is Struggling To Comprehend Secret Santa

Then, of course, we must address the "Don’ts," which are often where the most spectacular fails occur. Re-gifting is a delicate art form that most people should probably avoid. While it is technically acceptable to pass on a brand-new, high-quality item that simply wasn't for you, the danger lies in the details.

#13 Got Waxing Strips As Part Of My Secret Santa

Oh they got me when I wasn’t paying attention, it wasn’t my choice.

#14 We Did A Secret Santa And Someone Got A Package Of Oreos With The Creme Separated From The Cookies

#15 Had Given Up All Hope On My Secret Santa. After Three Months My Gift Arrived. Still Pretty Much Sums Up My Experience

There are legendary stories of people receiving gifts that still contained the original "To/From" tag intended for the previous owner. Even worse is the "used" gift. There is a special kind of holiday horror that occurs when a recipient unwraps a beautiful jar candle only to find a charred, black wick and half the wax missing. It tells the recipient that you didn't just forget to buy them a gift, you actually searched your own trash for a solution.

#16 Got This At The Office "White Elephant" Gift Exchange - Wrapped Together. Everyone Else Got Gift Cards And Electronics Accessories

#17 This Is What I Got From My Office Secret Santa Today

I left her on display at my desk for an indefinite period of time.

#18 I (30m) Participated In Secret Santa At Work, Asked For Sport Equipment, Got This Instead

Coworker came up to me after and said, “I thought it was funny.”

Speaking of fails, we have to look at the "accidental insult." Secret Santa is not the time to suggest self-improvement to your colleagues or friends. Gifting someone a book on how to manage their time or a "Guide to Better Breath" kit might feel practical to you, but to the recipient, it feels like a public performance review.

#19 This Gift My Little Sister Received In A £10 School Secret Santa

Yeh it’s safe to say he won’t be on the Christmas card list next year.

#20 Secret Santa At School, $10 Minimum + I Specifically Asked For No Candy

The guy was on vacation, so he made his friend give me the “gift”, so the guy who got the person I got for the gift trade gave me his gift bc he‘s on vacation.

#21 Ordered Something From Amazon To Give My Coworker For Secret Santa Tomorrow. It Was Delivered, But That's Not My House

Amazon says I have to wait 24 hours to ask for a refund and if I need the item sooner, I should just buy another. I remember now why I don't often order from them! If only there weren't so many gluten free items on there.

Unless it is a high-end spa kit that everyone would enjoy, giving someone soap often sends a message you didn't intend to send. One of the most famous Secret Santa fails involved a man who received a singular, loose potato wrapped in expensive silk ribbon. While the gift-giver thought it was a hilarious "anti-gift" joke, the recipient spent the rest of the party wondering what they had done to offend the "potato-wielder" so deeply.

#22 Secret Santa Gift I Got For Coworker Unintentionally The Day He Got Fired

Showed up to work to give coworker of 2 months his secret Santa gifts. Left this in his cubicle and when I walked out into the hall the boss told me he had been fired and wouldn’t be coming back to collect any gifts. Explained why the cubicle looked so sparse.

#23 My Family Secret Santa Gift Was A 1000 Piece Impossible Puzzle. Opened To Find 790 Pieces Missing

Must have come from a charity shop and no one had checked the contents. There were no edges.

#24 My Secret Santa Sent Me A Trash Can Lid. I'm Done

I put my likes as soccer, trucks, my dogs, and being outdoors. I like to make others happy. Definitely not anything to do with trash can lids.

There is also the "Office Supply Heist" to consider. Every year, at least one person decides that the best gift for their coworker is a stapler or a box of high-quality pens they "borrowed" from the company supply closet. This is not a gift, it is a chore. If someone wanted a stapler, they would have filled out a request form with HR. Your goal is to provide a moment of joy, not a reminder that they have three more reports due before the end of the year.

#25 My 12-Year-Old Son Asked For "A Gift Card Of Your Choice" And Received This For Secret Santa. They Didn't Even Write His Name

LCBO is a wine store.

#26 My Secret Santa Gift That I Got Last Year. I Wanted An Animation Book

#27 This Is What I Have Received From My Secret Santa

Finally, remember that the "no-show" is the ultimate holiday villain. If you sign up for the exchange, you are entering into a social contract. When one person fails to bring a gift, it leaves another person sitting in a circle of festive joy with empty hands. It is a lonely feeling that can put a damper on the entire event.

#28 White Elephant Gift. What Does It Mean

Yes indeed this was someone’s gift they seeded for our $100 minimum white elephant.

#29 I Got The Worst Secret Santa Gift

It looks and smells so bad.

#30 Pollyanna Positivity Is Definitely Mildly Infuriating

Ok, pigs can't fly so saying anything is possible if you just think positive is beyond annoying to me. Living within possible limitations is not negative, it's realistic. This is what is called false hope since it's impossible. I have to look at this every day at work. I soooo would like to sabatage this little pig.

Even if you aren't thrilled with the person you drew, the holiday spirit is about the gesture itself. By sticking to the budget, doing a tiny bit of research, and avoiding the temptation to gift used candles or loose vegetables, you can ensure that your Secret Santa experience is memorable for all the right reasons.

#31 White Elephant Gift Came Today, Part Was Yesterday

Now to figure out if I keep it until next year and give it then or hope Amazon will let me return it. The tin is dented but also bloated. Is it going to explode in my basement if I keep it for a year.