Unwanted Christmas gifts have always been part and — excuse the pun — parcel of the festive season, whether it’s an unfeasible number of French hens, or an over-pungent celebrity-endorsed Myrrh bath oil.
We all have our favourite stories of mis-judged pressies: from the husband who bought his wife a gravy separator for Christmas (we are still married), to Auntie Mabel’s attempts to buy fashion items for a 14-year-old.
Nationwide, the value of these duff gifts is now estimated to be some £2.6 billion, according to a recent survey by Triodos Bank.
Among the most unpopular gifts are Christmas jumpers, onesies, celebrity autobiographies, novelty socks and kitchenware. That’s what charity shops say, who often find they have a surplus of such items come January.
Economists in the US have even come up with a ‘deadweight cost of Christmas’ theory which shows how billions are wasted each year because the monetary cost of a gift often exceeds the value placed on it by the recipient.
Of course, at the time all you can do is smile enthusiastically and insist how much you love it, or write the obligatory thank you letter.
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