Best, Worst and Otherwise Notable: Christmas Gifts You’ll Never Forget

What was the best Christmas or holiday gift you’ve ever received? What was the worst? We asked our Facebook friends about their experiences, and they let us have it.

Best Gifts Ever: It Really Is the Thought That Counts

Elizabeth O’Fallon told Patch that her father, who does woodworking, holds the honor of giving her the best Christmas gift ever.

“My dad made me a beautiful hope chest the Christmas I was 17,” O’Fallon said. “It is gorgeous, and it is still one of my most treasured possessions.”

Kris Plog said that his most treasured gift is a precious family photo.

“Last year, my mom gave me a framed photo of me as a baby,” Plog said. “Others in the photo are mom and dad, grandma and grandpa and grandpa’s parents.”

Best Gifts Ever: Stuff We Love(d)

As a child, Rachel Brooks Garmers said, her Strawberry Shortcake sleeping bag was just what she wanted.

But as an adult, Garmers' tastes have grown up a bit.

“My iPad!” she said.

LaWanda Whitman added that her favorite Christmas present ever received was a car given to her in 1987—a 1982 Mercury Capri.

Well-Intentioned, But Just Plain Wrong

Along with the most common answers, such as socks and underwear, our Facebook friends came up with some pretty interesting “worst gifts ever” in our informal poll.

“I got a holiday Barbie,” said Angie Simmons. “When I was 22. And I am not a collector.”

Brittney Mansfield Acevedo said that, as a child, she would ask Santa for a kitten every year, but she’d only get a stuffed one. But this story ends well.

“I finally got one when I was 16,” Acevedo said.

Nikki Peterson said that her worst gift ever was an itchy sweater from Peru.

“Yeah, thanks,” she said. “The knitted images of the llamas go great with my figure, said no one ever.”

LaWanda Whitman said her worst gift ever was drawer liners.

“Not even kidding,” she added.

“I got a pencil once from my step-mom,” added another woman. “It was tiny and used. And last year was a little fuzzy poster for a little child—I’m 26. I gave it to my son of course.”

One-Two Punch Gifts

Some people said that their best and worst gifts were one and the same.

Etiquette teacher and business owner Monica Black, for example, was thrilled when she opened a gift inside a gift one year.

“It was a purse and within that was a smaller wallet with a gold bracelet inside,” Black said. “The worst was when I lost the bracelet.”

So how about you? What have been your best or most favorite holiday gifts? How about your least favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments section, below!