25 Times People Shared The Worst Gifts They’ve Ever Received

Birthdays are supposed to be joyous occasions, filled with celebration, love, and thoughtful gifts. However, not every present hits the mark. When a Reddit user asked, “What was the worst birthday gift you’ve ever received?”, the responses poured in, revealing a treasure trove of hilariously terrible and sometimes bewildering presents.

#1

Image source: FuddleGump, Pixabay

I’m pretty sure there is still a picture of me looking absolutely defeated sitting on a couch surrounded by the school supplies everyone got me.

To make matters worse, my birthday was usually on the first day of school and I hated it.

I remember after the party my mom felt so bad that she took me to the store and let me pick out a video game I wanted, so that was nice.

#2

Image source: leafyfire, Etienne Assenheimer

My mom was a real f*****g a*s hole. I was heavily bullied at school and abused at home.

One day during christmas, mom handed me a present and when I opened it, it was a doll that had similar features to my school bully. I didn’t realize until she started laughing and said “She looks like her doesn’t she”. Little me was scared to her core.

#3

Image source: Ok-Contest5431, MadeByMichelle4U2

Golden girls wine glasses, when I was a few months out of rehab for alcoholism.

#4

I was a chubby kid, I want to say I was something like 8-10 years old and wearing medium shirts. My s****y aunt got me and my two brothers matching plain yellow sweatshirts. They both got their sizes, a M and a L. She got me, the youngest, a XXXL, and told me at the rate I’m going I’ll be wearing it in no time. F**k you Anna.
Edit: this was a Christmas present not a birthday present.

Image source: AZBeer90

#5

Image source: Bennington_Booyah, Brendan Stephens

Cigarettes and deodorant, from my gross grandfather’s drunken girlfriend. When I opened it, she winked and said she knew I smoked. I was EIGHT.

#6

*cracks knuckles*

I was turning 17 and had friends over for my birthday for the very first time. As a fat, AuDHD girl I struggled to make friends throughout my childhood, so this was a major milestone. It was a great day, too- after school my friends came over, we hung out a bit, ate dinner, had some cake, and were about to go see “17 Again” starring Zach Efron in theaters. It couldn’t have gone better… until my mom handed me my presents.

Most of them were typical birthday gifts- I think I got a scarf and a DVD or something- until I unwrapped the very last one. This was obviously a book and it was wrapped in different paper than the others. I love to read so I got my hopes up until I saw the title. It was “Eat This, Not That,” the diet book that was all the rage in 2009. My face must have fallen because my mom immediately started singing its praises. She waxed poetic about how it’s so educational, it’ll really change up my diet and I’ll lose weight in no time, etc. I didn’t want to cry in front of my friends so I muttered my thanks and returned to my cake, pushing it around my plate until it was time to leave for the movie. I couldn’t look at my friends until my sister, who wrapped most of my gifts, pulled me aside and said that she told Mom NOT to give me that book and she refused to wrap it. She apologized for not hiding it from Mom and saving me the embarrassment in front of my friends.

At least my friends immediately understood who my mom was that day.

Image source: SassiestPants

#7

Image source: MilkMan1880, Andrej Lišakov

A coat hanger. When I saw it, (10yo) I was so confused. Then I was told it came from my family members trip to France, which furthered my confusion, lol.

#8

Underwear, socks. id be extremley gratful for it now, but when your nine and your expecting f*****g legos, not fruit of the loom.

Image source: ToeJans_55

#9

When I was around 14 for my birthday my mom brought me my grandmother and my aunt to this nice buffet. The food was good but at the end my mom was having trouble presenting her voucher to the cashier because the place didnt have wifi and she didnt have data at the time.

She turned to me and asked me if I had data to which I said I didnt. She kept asking me to just check if I still had some left but I really didnt and so she ended up telling me that I was useless and that she shouldnt have bothered asking. I ended up crying in the car ride home with my aunt telling me that I shouldve had data and that I shouldve been prepared in case something like this happened.

Image source: crispycrunchychurros

#10

Image source: Skyrick, cottonbro studio

A note saying that she was combining my birthday gift and Father’s Day gift together. The combined gift was telling me that she wanted a divorce.

#11

Image source: justyules, RF._.studio

I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma *on my 21st birthday* – thanks universe, you suck ?.

#12

Image source: SkittleMonk3y, Robinson Greig

My little brother bought me a framed painting from the op shop, cost him $2. Absolutely no thought put into it. I wrapped it up and gave it back to him for his birthday?.

#13

I got a straw once. It was extra special because it was a combined party for family members with birthdays near each other and my cousin got a cd player from the same person.

Image source: psychkp

#14

It wasn’t so much a gift, but…

When I was going through my divorce, my future ex wife offered to take me out to dinner on my birthday. The last one we’d celebrate as husband and wife.

It seemed like a nice gesture. A final act of civility on the eve of an ugly process.

So we were sitting there over the appetizers at this restaurant, and I asked “so, how did you find this place?”

“Oh, this is me and (guy she was leaving me for)’s favorite restaurant!”

Worst birthday ever.

Image source: gogojack

#15

Image source: craftybugger1989, Anastasia Nelen

My mum bought me a hot pink suitcase when I was 17. That was all I got. Really felt like she wanted me to move out lol.

#16

Image source: PechugaDude, Justin

A KitKat bar. Would have been okay, but the explanation was they were 3 for $2. I got one.

#17

Image source: Putrid-Garden3693, Valeria Ushakova

He got me a juicer that ‘had to stay at his house’.

Oh, so you got yourself a juicer.

BYE.

#18

Image source: austeninbosten

I got a check from my elderly aunt for $5. It bounced and cost me $10 fee from the bank.

#19

Image source: Antique_Resolution43, Engin Akyurt

My boss gave me a pack of expired coupons for fast food joints. It was like getting a slap in the face… with a stale burger.

#20

Image source: Solid_Internal_9079, Amn Faishal

A goldfish. I was 18, 31 now, he is still going strong. I HATE him. Omfg do I hate that fish. Unfortunately as he is my responsibility I feel obligated to give him the best life possible. I’m going to be so happy when he finally dies. Until then that f****r will keep living the life of luxury.

#21

Image source: Teriin, Annie Spratt

When I was six, my paternal grandparents gave me a… Potato. They said “It looks like a cat or a doggie! You can play with it, and you should be proud – we grew it ourselves!” They also gave me the cheapest set of crayons. Their other grandchild received a very cool and rather expensive toy piano a week prior. Yeah, my paternal grandmother never liked my mom, and the mother of the other grandchild was her daughter.

#22

Not me but my brother.

For his 30th birthday our parents got him a knock-off brand roomba. Not a bad gift in itself, you’re right.

Except they got his twin brother a brand new car.

Image source: FloppyFishcake

#23

Image source: Wrong_Variation_8084, Alexander Dummer

My mom gave me a book that I made when I was 8 so she could laugh at me for how terrible it was. I drew the illustrations and wrote the story. It looked like s**t because again, I was eight. She loved to humiliate me and then get mad at me for “having no sense of humor”.

#24

I have struggled with my weight since I was a child. When I was 12, I was gifted a book about dieting written by Dr Phil by my great aunt. The discount price sticker sloppily scratched off the top corner.

I have always been a big reader, and I knew it was a book, so I was excited to see what book she got me. Everyone was watching me when my heart sank, realizing what kind of book it was.

The plus side is my mom is ride or die for her kids and she was f*cking piiiiiiisssssed, so it was handled.

Still messes with a kid’s head, though.

Image source: plaid_peonies

#25

Image source: omegaoutlier, Happy-Fun8352

Box of cereal from the main “family” I had left.

Receipt showing they used a coupon the get it to $3 still attached.

Life is difficult enough, being forgotten is better than shoving how absolutely little you matter right in your face…. on your birthday, when you are missing those who brought you into the world but were cruelly taken, the most.