15 Worst Secret Santa Gifts That Turned People Into Real-Life Grinch

Secret Santa exchanges are meant to spread holiday cheer, but let’s be honest—they don’t always go as planned. From thoughtful gifts gone unappreciated to outrageously bad gift choices, these Secret Santa fails will leave you laughing, cringing, and maybe even rethinking your own holiday traditions. Here are some of the most memorable Secret Santa disasters shared by people online.

1. The Rat Food Surprise

• Every year at work, we do Secret Santa. And every year, the same Karen complains to HR about her gift. Yet she gives away her own junk, calling it "vintage."
  This year, someone gave her a bag of rat food. The office erupted in laughter. Red-faced, Karen stunned us all by saying, "Actually, I really have a rat." Oddly, she didn't complain about her gift to HR this year.

2. Zoo Worker’s Special Perfume

• I work at the zoo. Every year we do Secret Santa. We each make a wish list for gifts under $50. I asked for a new perfume and was thrilled to see a fancy Versace box.
  Excited, I spritzed it on — only to nearly pass out when I realized it was bobcat urine in a perfume bottle as a gag gift for Secret Santa! My Secret Santa thought it was hilarious, though!

3. Thanksgiving Leftovers as a “Gift”

• I did a secret Santa with a club at my school. The budget was around $35. For my person, I went all out and basically got them a bunch of items they wanted and listed down on their paper.
  The person who had me gave me a takeout box filled with broken cookies. Worst part, those cookies were leftovers that she took back home from our Thanksgiving party we had a few weeks ago. © Ninjanese / Reddit

4. The Receipt-Wrapped Poem

• I went to a high school gift exchange, and this one guy decided he was a poet. For his “gift,” he scribbled a poem on the back of a receipt. To make it even worse, he "wrapped" it in another receipt. Nobody even realized it was a gift until the end, when one poor girl thought she’d been left out. Honestly, she would’ve been better off if she had been.
  When she opened it, the guy started bragging to the whole crowd about how he’d been “working on the poem in his head for a while” and how lucky she was to have received it. Then, to top it all off, he made her read it aloud to the entire room. The cringe was so thick you could’ve cut it with a knife.
  Meanwhile, earlier in the exchange, he’d opened a Nerf gun and spent the rest of the night shouting at people who tried to steal it from him (which was perfectly within the rules). Safe to say, we never had another gift exchange after that. © Unknown author / Reddit

5. Vintage Lego Set Gone Unreciprocated

• I found a Lego Christmas set, still in its original box, from the year the giftee was born. They were a Lego collector and had mentioned that they sometimes kept sets mint in the box (MIB), so I thought it would be a thoughtful and fun gift. Miraculously, I even managed to stay under budget—well, except for shipping.
  The twist? They didn’t get me anything. That alone would have been forgettable, but they kept bringing it up every week or so. Eventually, they “made it up to me” by buying me lunch—which turned out to be an energy drink and a bag of chips. Truly unforgettable... For all the wrong reasons. © Blisteredhobo / Reddit

6. When Effort Isn’t Reciprocated

• The school where I teach does Secret Santa every year. I stopped participating after about five years.
  For five years in a row, I bought thoughtful gifts for my recipient based on what they listed as their likes and dislikes. And for five years in a row, the person who drew my name got me absolutely nothing. I can't stand this. It's voluntary—why participate if you're not going to put in the effort? © DIGGYRULES / Reddit

7. Hard-Boiled Egg Disaster

• I have a friend who is terrible at gift-giving. He’s so absent-minded and last-minute about things like this, and he also refuses to care about “materialistic things.” Good for him, but if you’re participating in Secret Santa, you’re supposed to be thoughtful toward your giftee—it’s not about you.
  Anyway... The first time we did Secret Santa, he gave his giftee a hard-boiled egg. The worst part? He handed it to her before the gift exchange, so she ate it while waiting for dinner, only to find out later that that was her “gift.”
  The second year, he gave his giftee a book in a language she doesn’t read. It was almost certainly something he plucked off his own shelf.
  The third year, he gave her a coffee-tasting experience (his friend owns a café). The problem? She doesn’t drink coffee.
  This year we’ll see. We’ve all warned him to put in some effort this time. © targayenprincess / Reddit

8. The Empty Box Scam

• The place where I used to work did one of those gift giving games where you either got to pick a new present or steal one from someone else. It was a hideous idea, but all the presents were just goofy little things.
  I had the last number, so basically my pick of any gift. Right from the early stages, I joked that I’d be taking the “dogs playing poker” serving tray. People kept stealing it back and forth, it became a running joke throughout the whole game.
  When it got to the end, I did exactly as I said and went and took the box that had the serving tray in it. That person got up and picked, whatever the last remaining gift was, seemed satisfied.
  Later, after they’d left the party, I went to open the box with the serving tray in it and found out they’d only given me the empty box, had hidden the tray in their coat, and taken two presents.
  Even the next workday after the party, that person was all like, "Hahaha! Got you! You got an empty box, dummy!" © PM_Skunk / Reddit

9. Best Tactics for Secret Santa.

• At my previous company, I was in charge of the Secret Santa for 100+ employees. I was given permission from the CEO and VP to buy 5 extra “emergency gifts” in the event someone who volunteered never provided a gift.
  Every year, it never failed! But we always made sure the person receiving an “emergency gift” didn’t know they were forgotten. © zomboli1234 / Reddit

10. Child’s Play

• When I was around age 5, our babysitter did a secret Santa for all of the kids. I gifted my secret Santa a Barbie doll. Mine gave me coupons for Hardee’s, which is a fast food restaurant, where her mom was the manager.
  Not even for a free burger, it was like $1 off of a burger. At 5-years-old, I was not buying my own food. I cried while watching the others play with their cool toys. This was the worst gift in my history of receiving gifts. © domcobbstotem / Reddit

11. Paper Napkin Rings from a 4-Year-Old

• I spent a long time thinking up something for my work Secret Santa. She was a bit odd, a bit quirky, but I knew she loved these weird doll things - so I found her one and some accessories to go with it.
  She gave me some paper napkin rings her son (age 4) made at school. We had a £20 budget. © shinyhappycat / Reddit

12. A Family Grinch

• My ex-husband's family always pulled names. His uncle got me and decided to not buy me anything. I had to sit while everyone else opened their gifts and try not to cry. © simplyatomic / Reddit

13. The Himalayan Salt Letdown

• One time, I bought a terrible gift for a Secret Santa. It was the year Himalaya pink salt was all the rage. I’d never even heard of it before, but suddenly, everyone seemed to be talking about it. So, I went to a Ross store and found a pink salt grinder at a great price. I bought one for myself and one for Secret Santa.
  I was so excited—until the guy opened my gift. The look of disappointment on his face while everyone else was unwrapping blankets, card games, and other fun goodies was unforgettable.
  I’m so sorry, random dude—I didn’t know. I thought the salt was cool. © Mowza2k2 / Reddit

14. The Necklace That Came Back

• In my women’s group, we didn’t do Secret Santa, but we had a $10 gift exchange where if you brought a gift, you got a gift. I didn’t like this system because the ages ranged from mid-20s all the way up to the 70s, so it was hard to find something that would appeal to everyone.
  For the Christmas party, I bought a necklace and earring set. The necklace was an aqua-colored stone in a hexagon shape, small and on a 19-inch chain. It had a little sparkle but was understated, so I figured both young and older women would like it. The earrings were posts that matched the necklace.
  The next year, I got the same set back in the original box. I’m not mad about the regift—I’m just mad they didn’t keep track of where they got it from! © BrownEyedQueen1982 / Reddit

15. The Tank Top Trap

• The gift exchange had a $20 minimum and $30 maximum. When I was working my high school job at McDonald's (located in a Walmart), I gave a phone case to someone who had just gotten the new BlackBerry Storm. In return, I got a pack of tank tops from Walmart—itchy and a size too small. © ic3manpw / Reddit

Here are 24 times people absolutely nailed Christmas gifts, making the holidays unforgettable for all the right reasons. These stories are a mix of humor, thoughtfulness, and just plain brilliance!