6 Christmas gifts we secretly hope not to receive

Last Updated on 2016-05-30 , 9:36 am

It’s Christmas soon and department stores are going to be crowded with people saying the same thing over and over again: “What should I buy for a Christmas party? I want it to be cheap but it must look expensive and bulky.” And because of that, we often receive these gifts during gift exchanges: cheap, big and expensive-looking.

Yes, I, just like you, really hope that I won’t receive any of these this year.

Photo frames
People hate this so much that they state explicitly that the gifts exchange must NOT be a photo frame. We all know the trick: a $100 photo frame from some atas shop and a $2 photo frame from Daiso look the same, and they’re usually large enough for others to think that you’ve bought a TV as a gift. Face is important lah.

Chocolates
If you want to know how popular this is, just go to any supermarket. You’ll see boxes of chocolates near the counters, shining like they complement the design of the store. The truth is, they’re usually bought at the last minute or by a very busy person, as the queue in a supermarket is usually shorter (or faster) than a department store on 24 December.
And of course, because it looks big. Anything that looks big looks good on you.

Daily planner
Yes, it does look very cool when you whip out a book and look at your schedule for the day. People will go, “Wow, there’s a successful businessman.” But it’s 2014. Who still use a book planner when all you need is an app? I know you’ve bought a daily planner as a gift before because, well, there’s a 10% discount when you use your POPULAR card. Been there, done that.

Paperweight
It’s heavy, it looks expensive and it shouts “classy”. It can even look handmade. People will be convinced that it costs $99.99 when it costs mere $2.00 from Daiso. But let’s look at facts: have you used a paperweight for the last thirty days? I haven’t.

Leftover souvenirs from the last vacation
When you go for a vacation, you have to buy something back to the office mainly to thank them for doing your work while you were away. You’ll mass-buy the mass-produced massive-discounted souvenirs. And you’ll realize you’ve bought one extra, and that’s when it comes in handy.
Mai siao siao, people might just believe that you bought it solely for a Christmas party.

Gifts from another party
On 22 December 2014, you went to one party and got a gift. You didn’t even bother to open it; you just bring it to the next party on 23 December 2014. This is called efficiency; you save both money and time, and you’ll not receive many photo frames and paperweights. Just remember to delete the name on the wrapper.