Christmas is the time for giving and receiving gifts. Have you ever noticed that most people buy presents that say more about them than about you? Some presents can be downright amusing and even a little bit scary. But hey, it’s the thought that counts right? So here are a few examples of some of the more unusual Christmas gifts I’ve seen given or have received myself.
Fish Pillow – My father loves fishing, so of course everyone in the extended family buys him gifts with fish on them. The truth is he’s not THAT fond of fish, just the sport of catching them. He is somewhat bewildered as to how it is that over the years he has come to own a rather sizable collection of fish-themed items when he doesn’t even really like them that much. My favorite item in his collection is the fish pillow he received for Christmas one year. It looks a lot like this: 
Who comes up with this stuff anyway?
Life Sized Robotic Pony – Once you get to a certain age, nobody buys you the cool gifts anymore. You get things like Tupperware or Christmas socks you can’t wear for a whole other year. I decided long ago that I was going to buy myself one big Christmas present every year. It would be the one time I could spend money frivolously on myself and not feel one iota of guilt in doing so. The more outrageous and unnecessary the gift, the better. As soon as I saw this robotic pony I knew I had to have it for my toy room.
Centaur Doll – What do you get for the serious doll collector who has everything? A centaur doll, of course.
Real Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh – My Mom received this historically fascinating gift for Christmas and she LOVED it. (FYI--real frankincense and myrrh doesn’t smell so good.)
Four Inch Tall Plastic Forest Ranger – I got this stunningly useless gift from my brother back in grade school. I remember looking at it and wondering what on earth I was supposed do with it. Years later my brother admitted that he’d bought it because it only cost him twenty-five cents. That left him with more money to spend on himself. Obviously, the true spirit of Christmas had not quite taken a hold in his heart yet.
(I don't have a picture of it to show you because I didn't care enough about it to take one.)
Musical Tie – All right, I admit that I am the one who cursed my father with this gift back when I was a teenager and thought it was so cool. When you press a button on the front of the tie, it plays different Christmas carols. The worst part is that even after all these years, the batteries still work—so my dad can’t throw it out and feels guilty if he doesn’t wear it at least once each year. My father is a saint.
Five Foot Tall Singing and Dancing Snowman – My mother was the recipient of this rather unique gift. She and all the grandkids were absolutely enchanted with it. My father went around the house shaking his head and muttering to himself about where they were possibly going to store the thing when Christmas was over.
Visit the address below to see a video of this monstrosity in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgBquVb1pdU
The Epilady – My sister and I got a pair of these torture devices for Christmas one year. For those who have never heard of the Epilady, there is good reason for this. It was a machine that shaved your legs by pulling each hair out by the roots with a rotating spring coil. Talk about OUCH! It only took one session of pure unadulterated pain, to convince most people they never wanted to use this product again. I know my sister and I never did.
So what is the most bizarre gift you ever received? I’d love to hear about it.
