Everyone is an individual, and tastes vary broadly. Ultimately, how to plan the best romantic Christmas gift for your partner or loved one this Christmas 2024 takes some research, listening, and paying attention.
While you’re looking to nail it with the perfect romantic Christmas gift this holiday season, you’re going to want to know what Christmas presents are the worst, and what Christmas gifts to avoid giving when selecting a Christmas present for your special someone this year. Below is our Christmas 2024 list of the 17 worst Christmas presents to give a partner or loved one:
1: A Coffee Cup
If you really needed another coffee cup you would probably go out and buy one. It’s not the type of present anyone pines over and wishes they’re going to get on Christmas morning. “Oh I hope it’s a coffee cup,” said nobody as they unwrapped a present on Christmas day.
If you’re shopping for a coffee lover, a better present would be a custom brewing vessel, like a custom dripper set or glass cold brew infuser. A coffee cup as a Christmas present, however, doesn’t make the cut.
2: Walmart Gift Card
Giving someone a Walmart Gift Card for their Christmas present is the same as giving them money. If you’re going to do this, why not save yourself a step and just send them an email money transfer? This is fine if your relationship is contractual, but if you’re shopping for the Best Newfoundland Christmas Gift, you need to give them an experience, not money. Gift Certificates for something specific are awesome, but just a plastic card loaded with money is impersonal.
3: Socks, creating moments of disappointment on Christmas morning since you were a child
Do you remember unwrapping a Christmas present on Christmas morning as a child, excited about what it might be, only to discover it’s just socks? Unless you want to rekindle those emotions all over again on Christmas Morning this Sunday, December 25, 2024, choose anything but socks.
It’s true, everyone needs them, but it isn’t the type of Christmas present that meets and exceeds expectations. It just meets your basic needs.
4: Personal Hygiene Products
Toothbrushes, bottles of mouthwash, and razors are some of the worst Christmas gifts to give. Anyone receiving these products can’t help but wonder if there is a hidden message or ulterior motive to this Christmas gift choice. It’s a fine Christmas present if all you’re looking to do is help someone meet their basic needs, but if you want your Christmas present to mean more than this, you have to give a better Christmas gift than personal hygiene products.
5: An Empty Picture Frame
Some cultures even consider this a bad omen. If you’re giving a frame, you better ensure something cool is inside it. Unless you’re in pre-school and just made a cool one out of macaroni for your mom, a picture frame is a bad Christmas present idea.
Besides, how do you know it will be of use to the recipient or that they like the colour and design? Unless that frame comes with a cool painting or print inside it, this gift ranks as one of the worst Christmas presents to give.
6: The Ugly Christmas Sweater
Unattractive, bulky, and basically useless. The Ugly Christmas sweater is a one-time-use Christmas gift that is easily forgotten and becomes a liability after Christmas Day on Sunday, December 25th, 2024. Save your money and skip the ugly Christmas sweater if you’re looking for a Christmas present that isn’t outright bad.
7: Candles from the Dollar Store
Nothing says “I didn’t put any thought into this Christmas present at all” than the gift of a scented candle from a discount store. With so many scents out there, picking a scented candle is a pretty personal choice, so it’s easy to get a smell the other person hates (peach tops our list, what’s yours?), but they’re also the type of debris that litter most people’s junk drawers.
There’s nothing wrong, per se, with candles and ones that smell nice, but they’re up there on the list of the worst Christmas presents in 2024.
8: A Corny Keychain
Most of us have too much bulk in our pockets, and keys are being phased out anyway. If you give someone a keychain as a Christmas present, it will probably be accepted with a smile, because nobody likes to be rude, but the chance it actually ever gets used is extremely low. If the keychain is lucky it gets to see the inside of a junk drawer. Keychains are a bad Christmas gift to avoid when shopping for a loved one this Christmas.
9: Surprise, I got you a pet for Christmas
“Merry Christmas, I got you something you have to take care of until it dies” is basically what you’re saying when you give someone a pet for Christmas. Owning a pet is a huge commitment and a personal decision that you just can’t make for another person.
If they already have a pet, and you want to give the pet a present, that’s totally cool, but just surprising someone with a live animal they will have to take care of can be a really bad Christmas gift.
10: New T-shirt
Like coffee cups, if you really wanted a T-shirt you would probably go out and buy one. Choosing a T-shirt as a Christmas Gift shows you really didn’t put a lot of thought into the purchase. Like hygiene products and coffee cups, a shirt is the type of utilitarian gift that should be avoided when searching for the best Christmas gifts in 2024 and especially when you’re shopping for the ideal gift for a partner or loved one.
11: Weight loss programs
Just like giving an exercise bike can send the wrong message, giving a membership to a weight loss program can have the same effect. Anyone concerned about their weight will find the holiday season stressful enough, so don’t add fuel to the fire by giving them a membership to a diet and weight loss program.
12: Exercise Bike
Even if the intended recipient has been talking about getting into shape and hinting at creating a home gym, you better think long and hard before you get them an exercise bike. Any Christmas gift that can be interpreted as a secret covert message is a bad Christmas gift. Unless you want to be accused of being passive/aggressive on Christmas morning, this is a Christmas Gift to Avoid if you want to avoid giving a bad gift for Christmas
13: Calendars and Office Supplies
Nobody wants to be reminded of schedules, spreadsheets, and calendars when trying to enjoy the holidays. Calendars, in particular, are also a thing of the past since most of us now have a free calendar on our phones. Calendars and office supplies are uncool Christmas gifts. They’re too worky, not enough fun, and make the list of bad Christmas gifts to avoid in 2024.
14: Paperweight
In our clutter-filled world, most of us are craving less clutter and more open space. Nobody needs another paperweight.
Before going out and spending your money on a useless knickknack, take a moment and think about something useful the recipient would actually enjoy and use more than once. Paperweights have always been a bad Christmas gift idea.
15: Cash
Nothing feels more like a clinical business transaction than exchanging cash. Unless you’re handing out Christmas cards stuffed with cash to employees at your corporate Christmas party, giving cash is not personal enough to be a great Christmas gift.
Yes, we all like money, but giving cash to someone as a Christmas present shows you couldn’t take the time to think of a gift they would like, so you’re just giving them cash and leaving the work up to them. If you want to avoid giving a bad gift this Christmas, instead of giving cash to your loved one this Christmas, take the time to find a gift they will really enjoy.
16: Self-Improvement Books
“How not to be depressed” and “How to be a better partner” books are never good Christmas gift ideas. Self-improvement is good, and if you can help someone get there, that’s even better, but by giving a self-help book to someone for Christmas you’re basically signalling to the recipient you think something is wrong with them. Nobody wants to feel like that on Christmas.
Self-Improvement and Self-Help books are bad Christmas gift ideas.
17: Cleaning Tools
That new and improved spin mop and magic vacuum may be super cool, but they stink as a Christmas gift. Clean-up time isn’t the most fun time, so skip disappointing your loved one with the gift of a cleaning product and instead give them something that will bring them enjoyment and fun.
Are you looking for a Christmas present that is good? Instead of focusing on physical things, why not give your partner or loved one the gift of an experience you can both share together? For some of the Best Christmas Gift Ideas in 2024 be sure to check out the Whale House Gift Certificate Christmas sale for the best deals of the year on Stargazing Hot Tub Retreats and Winter Hot Tub Escapes Gift Certificates if you want to truly make them happy and give them what they really want.
Do you have a bad Christmas gift idea you think others should avoid this Christmas on Sunday, December 25th, 2024? Please share your worst-ever Christmas gift ideas in the comments below so that others know what Christmas gifts to avoid giving. We just want you to be happy, and we want you to have the best Christmas ever.
2 Responses
Wine stoppers – A warning from the Ghost of Christmas Past
Really cool stuff, I like them all.
I’ll be shopping this afternoon.