Worst Gift Scenario

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Jae

Well-Known Member
It's Christmas morning. You're gathered with your family opening presents. When it's your turn to open, you unwrap the brightly colored gift to reveal -ack! - a fruitcake! What will you do?
 
Depends. If it's a nice homemade one like Mom used to make, I dig in. If it's a store bought one, I throw it at the person who gave it to me and howl in dismay :ROFLMAO:. Okay, not really, but that's what I'd think of doing. I thank them politely and start thinking of how to subtly regift it.
 
I think the worst Christmas gifts are the ones where the giver has spent quite a bit of money but not bothered to find out what is appropriate (ie clothing that is the wrong size). I try to smile and appear thankful but what good is a dress that is two sizes too large or a pair of pants that you'll never be able to zipper - or another set of wineglasses when you are down-sizing to an apartment. I hate waste.
On the other hand, I do appreciate the effort some people put into gifts.

Seelerman once pointed out to me that I sometimes gave him gifts that I liked more than he did. (ie I grew up with a jigsaw puzzle under the tree every year. I find doing puzzles relaxing and early in our marriage I noticed that whenever I had one set up he would join me in completing it. So I started buying him a puzzle each year - pictures I thought he would like (deer, moose, kids playing pond hockey, trains, horses hauling lumber). And he told me that he only does puzzles because I enjoy them. Now Santa puts a puzzle under the tree but it isn't counted as a Seelerman gift. He gets the usual jeans, socks, shirt.
 
It's Christmas morning. You're gathered with your family opening presents. When it's your turn to open, you unwrap the brightly colored gift to reveal -ack! - a fruitcake! What will you do?

"Thank you so much, I was wondering where this bit of me had gone to...anyone for a bite? I'm nonfattening..."
 
A dark Christmas cake under the tree would get the giver a big smile and a hug from me. I love real Christmas cake - dark - rich - wrapped in a rum soaked cloth - thick with fruit.
We have downsized and have no desire for household items. Clothing? We prefer to find our own (sometimes at a Thrift Store). Within the family little kids get a gift from us (and anyone else who buys something), bigger kids get cheques. My midlife kids get a 'something' to open - maybe a game to share with their family, maybe a useful bit of camping gear, or some art/craft stuff. They have each thrown out more 'stuff' than I ever dreamed of having - and they appear to have more money than us.

No matter howit plays out there will always be leffsa, sausage rolls, mincetarts etc :)
 
cool @KayTheCurler! is there Viking in your background? :love:

there's a viking hall in Vancouver, WA, where they serve a pretty cool pancake breakfast

i haven't yet had the opportunity to taste the leffsa dinner
 
the worst gift I could think of would be a large decorative item from a friend who comes to visit often and expect it to be up on my wall. I once got a garden ornament- but the weather took care of that one within one season.
 
I wouldn't have a problem to find someone who likes fruitcake- the foodbank would likely take it, the youth group might eat it,or people in the homeless shelter.
 
wow, wouldn't it be amazing if I made Chrismas cake his weekend and sent some to PR Jae as his gift?

Hmm... Perhaps Pinga is my SS... ? If you were to send me that Pinga I would be thankful because I would turn it over to my wife and my mom. They <3 fruitcake.
 
flatbread -so good.

Fruitcake - dark and homemade. yum

It's the darkness that makes me turn away. It's too dense - too aged - too moist for my liking. Maybe if there was a lighter fruitcake - with less dried fruit and more nuts in it - I think I could go for that.
 
I loved my grandma's fruitcake, I didn't know it was fruitcake for the longest time as it was Christmas cake. A light one, she used to make one with and one without nuts for our family but later switched to just no nuts as that's what I preferred, my sister couldn't eat the other one and my parents had no preference. I don't think there was any dried fruit, it was all cherries and gumdrops.
 
I think the worst Christmas gifts are the ones where the giver has spent quite a bit of money but not bothered to find out what is appropriate (ie clothing that is the wrong size). I try to smile and appear thankful but what good is a dress that is two sizes too large or a pair of pants that you'll never be able to zipper - or another set of wineglasses when you are down-sizing to an apartment. I hate waste.
You exchange it.
 
I loved my grandma's fruitcake, I didn't know it was fruitcake for the longest time as it was Christmas cake. A light one, she used to make one with and one without nuts for our family but later switched to just no nuts as that's what I preferred, my sister couldn't eat the other one and my parents had no preference. I don't think there was any dried fruit, it was all cherries and gumdrops.

My Mom used to sometimes make a lovely gumdrop cake. Mmm - now that was good eating :)
 
(ie I grew up with a jigsaw puzzle under the tree every year. I find doing puzzles relaxing and early in our marriage I noticed that whenever I had one set up he would join me in completing it. So I started buying him a puzzle each year - pictures I thought he would like (deer, moose, kids playing pond hockey, trains, horses hauling lumber).

Also with me, seeler. A neighbour we had always gave us a jigsaw puzzle every year for Christmas as we were growing up. I would spend Christmas afternoon/evening doing the puzzle (if we didn't have company or go out visiting) and throughout the Christmas holidays til it was done.

Santa brings our household a puzzle every year for Christmas too! And those of us that gather here work on it over the holidays. Our Co-op store used to get in the most beautiful Christmas scene jigsaw puzzles, but they stopped a couple of years ago . . . it is hard to find them here . . . I will look on one of my out-of-town trips.
 
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