What’s the Most Unusual Gift You Have Received?

We have a beautiful day today me ex girlfriend got a fly ,hope will kill her

For Christmas, my twin brother gave me a card that said, "Expect a visit from the cleaning fairy." A few days later, I came home to a *spotless* house and the smell of something delicious in the kitchen--vegetarian stir fry! <3 I love the cleaning fairy.

For my 39th birthday my mother gave me a cemetery plot. Maybe she was anticipating I wouldn't like turning 40.

A chinchilla. She was so cute but she didn't like people. Every time someone put their hand in the cage to pet her, she stood up and purpousely peed on them

The most unusal gift I ever got was from my late grandmother. She got me some type of art/painting kit and I wasn't into art at all so I found it to be very strange and unusal that she purchased me that gift.

Well, one year I got a broken and dirty mug. That was super awesome.

I received a toy weener dog with a nose that looked like a toothpaste cap. It turned out to be a radio, the nose was volume control, the tail an antenna and the small transistor radio was in it's belly. It really worked!

I received 6 empty banana peels from a friend of mine.

I received a bouncing ball ... from my mother in law !

I received a whoopie cushion.

The most unusual gift I received was from my boss. His wife puts together gift bags for all of us who report to him. I got a jar of jam from the Mormon food bank and a small personal massager. If his wife understood what that was, it was an inappropriate gift, but then again, maybe she thought I needed it!

For my birthday, I received from my then fiance, a rock. Upon opening the black velvet gift bag, I found a ROCK. !
OK-it was painted black and did have a snowman painted on it, but it's only place in life was as a rock!

I received a bundle of dvds from a dollar store where they bought them at. They were old ooooool b&w movies, and not even one actor was famous.

i received a vibrating sex toy which will never be put to use by myself. looks like i will need to regift it next year

In my Christmas stocking, I received an artficial pile of dog poop. This has to be the most unusual if not the most disgusting.

i love playing games like shaking dice to share gifts, because often times its those simple gifts that are also fun to receive when there are MANY of them. One time I rec'd a gift in a box that had toilet paper in it. It was good for a big laugh and to be honest was the most fun we had all night! Granted it is all about the kids. Often times kids should get the good and big gifts, so they see how much they are important to us parents, uncles, etc.

Last Christmas I recieved a plastic/wooden statue of a pig holding a candy cane. He is wearing a green golf cap. Since I was a police officer at the time all I could manage to say ways "Just because I'm a cop doesn't mean you have to give me a pig". Ooops my strong sense of sarcasm did not get into her. We all laughed and she turned bright red. The pig has kinda grown on me and he now sits in my kitchen next to the sink.

A guy I was dating gave me a nice Zippo cigarette lighter - with a NASCAR logo on it. I don't smoke. I don't watch NASCAR. I "loaned" it to him and never saw it again. Or him. Whew, close call.

Well, if this isn't the strangest gift, I don't know what is. Just days ago we received as a Christmas gift a bale of cotton from a friend who is a medical doctor. A rectangular mound of cream colored cotton, surrounded by burlap and banded. When total puzzlement came over our faces the gifter chimed in that it was a wonderful "conversation piece".

My mother subscribes strongly to the "it's the thought that matter" and generously gives gifts. She goes beyond the call of duty to insure that no one is forgotten during the holiday season. This year she sent some dollar store purfume that was sheer delight for my seven-year old daughter, and she sent a bottle of Mennen Skin Bracer aftershave for her twin brother! All I could think of was the scene from Home Alone...!

Our first Christmas as a married couple, I noticed a large, heavy box from my husband under the tree. I couldn't imagine what it must be, since it had to weigh at least 20 lbs. I kept bothering the box, shaking it, trying to figure out what it was. I tore into it on Christmas morning to find....a fire extinguisher! I started laughing so hard, I couldn't stop. And before you think, oh how cute, their love was so hot, he got her a symbolic gift, he said -- in the midst of my hysterical laughter -- "But you said we needed one." He did get me other gifts that year, but he learned the lesson that many men must learn -- when we say we need something for the house, don't get it for us for Christmas!

Trying for years to fit in in the family Christmas at my very proper Grandmothers house. I finally got the clue when she gave me a UNION SUIT for my 15th Christmas present. (Let me state quickly I am a girl, why not girly pj's?) Yes, one of those insulated underwear thing-a-majigs with the flap in the back and to make matters worse she got me me an XL ( I wore a medium). While my cousins opened up Tommy brand duffle bags and great perfume I sat there with my "little house one the prarie wear". And no Gramma was not even close to senile.......guess she thought I was cold????

It has to be a chicken cookie jar from my husband. I don't even eat cookies!

I RECEIVED A LITTLE PIECE OF A CHURCH FROM FRANCE (THE MOLDING OFA SCULPTURE) IT HAD FALLEN DOWN ON THE GROUND AND MY SISTER SENT IT TO ME,,,,,,,,,,KEEP IN MIND THE THIS CHURCH WAS A ROMAN STYLE CHURCH FOR THE 12TH CENTURY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GENEVIEVE

Think I have this one won. I received a white wooden toilet seat one year from my husband. This is just one of his many unusal gifts that I have received over 41 years of marriage.

the most unusual gift i got was a kitten whom I still have.

How about the meat slicer my husband gave to me for Christmas. I think he was the one who wanted one - and that was the best way to get it?
What is strange about this gift is that he is the perfect gift giver -and that meat slicer came out of the blue! I still haven't figured this one out?!

that would be a pink flamingo candle lamp decorated for christmas. Tacky comes to mind. I laughed and laughed. What my sis was thinking when she bought this is beyound me.

The most memorable and unusual gift I ever received came from my father. On the occasion of my eighteenth Christmas, my Dad gave me a Eurail pass and a Raggedy Anne doll. Included in the envelope with the eurail pass was a map of Europe. He had highlighted all the best things to do and see. It came with a card that said, " Even though you're all grown up, you will always be my little girl." I still have the Raggedy Anne doll and the trip across Europe made for the most memorable Christmas, but it's the tears in my father's eyes when he gave me this gift that I will never, ever forget.

It was our first Christmas together about 22 years ago, only being married about 4 months. My husband gave me an epilady! What? Did he think I was hairy or something?? LOL...Of course I never used it, never returned it either. So somebody from Goodwill has it...

I think the box filled with old plastic food storage containers was the most unusual gift I ever received. My friend had meant to thow them out but mixed the box up with my actual gift.

When I was a little kid I had issues cleaning my bottom. Kept calling for my mom and did not want to get my hands dirty. Frustrated my mom got me toilet paper for Christmas and that is all I got period. My sister 1 year young got loads of toys since she had mastered the skill and never complained.

The most unusual gift I received was a beautiful new testament living study bible. I felt it was unusual because I am not a very religious person. My friend had recently become a born again christian, and was on a crusade.
It turned out years later, this bible became a lifesaver during the most difficult times.

The most unusual gift I've ever received came in the form of a human being. I had been having a tough time separated from my husband staying at my relatives trying to figure things out. All I had was an old truck of my fathers he had left to me,total junk! No one wanted it .Until one day a man called(I was at the end of my rope) I spoke to him on the phone.He showed up that evening he looked over the truck made an offer which I accepted,talked with me awhile. Something felt familiair about him almost like my dad.He gave me money for my fathers truck and has never been back to pick it up. Before he left he said your gonna be fine. It was the strangest most unusual thing thats happened,but just what I needed at that moment!

I think the most unusual gifts always came from my great-grandmother. Ever since I was a child I called her Cuckoo Grandma because she had a cuckoo clock. Seems she often gave me strange gifts. I remember one year it was a white purse that looked like it was for someone her age (I was about 10 or so) and then when I was a teenager she gave me a child-sized hat and glove set. I just always said thank you and when we got back home, mom always reminded me that it was the thought that counts.

My girlfriend took my wisdom that came out without breaking and added them to a beaded necklace. The idea was that if I wore it, I 'd be wise with good luck! I still have it, but it's a bit creepy! That was the 1960's!

The most unusual gift I've ever received was beautifully wrapped gift wrap - seriously. About 12 rolls of Christmas gift wrap as a Christmas present? I thought it was odd and probably very last minute. But the next year I loved having that gift wrap ready to go!

One Christmas I got light bulbs from my little girl, she said, "Now you can scratch that off your Christmas List". Which was really my grocery list on the refrigerator. I said, "Your right sweetie", I still have those light bulbs to always remember that.

Being a 6th grade teacher, I've received many unusual gifts. The most shocking and unusual came to me in my classroom , but was from my mother. On my 40th birthday my class decided to give me a surprise party after lunch break. They had a gift (beautiful scarf), cake, and decorations. Earlier in the school day my mother had left a small gift bag with the school secretary and asked her to give it to me after school. The secretary, aware of the surprise party, decided that was the place to give me the gift from mom. Imagine my embarassment when I pulled a sexy, black teddy out of the bag and in front of twent eight 12 year olds! I have never let my eccentric, dear mother forget that one.

It was my birthday and I went into work and there was a huge basket on my desk from the office, they have me one of the baskets that we were all making for families in need for Thanksgiving and they all gave me one because they thought that I was poor and living without food. I was so embarassed. I made the same amount they did. I wanted to crawl under my desk. about 15 people went in, OMG I thought I was gonna die LOL

I"ve has some pretty horrible gifts:
-When I was turning 13 and had my first coed birthday party, my parents gave me a dog food dispencer. (I didn't have a dog). What was worse is that my "real" present was bras. Imagine opening that infront of your friends when you are 13.
Other bad gifts include:
-a cat devotional book
-a medical journal
-literary action figure.
-recently a bag of doritos from a student. HAHA

I received a kit of mini medical tools when I was younger and really wasn't sure what to do with it!

I had a housemate whose mother was redecorating & insisted upon hiring a moving truck to deliver her unwanted furniture to our house 6 hours away. It should be mentioned that the daughter really didn't want the furniture, but the mother wouldn't take no for an answer. The household decided that whatever wasn't suitable would be donated to a charity. When the truck arrived, the furniture was gastly (think light pink high gloss entertainment unit) so we had it drived directly to the local Goodwill. A few week later a bill arrived from the moving company for $500, in my roommates name. Appaulled at the amount and thinking it was a mistake, she phoned her mother. No mistake, she thought she should be grateful for the beautiful items she had gifted us and at least pay the moving bill. The daughter broke down and told her the truth and the mother relented by saying "Fine, then consider it your Christmas and your birthday gift this year."

for our 2nd christmas my husband gave me a matching set of Victor Mouse traps, thats it nothing else. He on the other hand got LOTS of wood working equip. 22 years later the mouse traps still hang on the tree for all to see and the love of my life will remember never to do that again... EVER

I was dating someone for a year and Christmas rolled around. He gave me peanuts. A jar of peanuts. He said because I liked them. Peanuts.....for Christmas. We broke up after Christmas....hahahaha

one year I got an odd-shaped ashtray (but I don't smoke - EVER!)

I got a pink skirt with green frogs on it, from my grandma. I was 12 and it was hideously ugly. Still not sure what she was thinking! :)

A used bread maker. Didn't want it. Not sure why I got it. And had no idea how to react to this obviously old bread maker, used, and in an old dirty box. Also, have never used it. Wasn't a joke gift. Nobody else got anything used. Did they really even have to wrap it?

When I was 17 years old (I am a grandpa now), so this happened many years ago. My christmas present was a wallet with $50.00 in it. WOW - you are thinking - that's not a bad gift - right? Wrong - that is the only gift that I got that Christmas - and the $50.00 was the amount of money that my father owed me (he had borrowed it from me the previous month.) I smiled and said Thanks! It was the thought that counted --- I guess!!

One christmas my girlfriends mom made me a bathrobe out of yellow bathtowels. She was great at sewing so it was made well, but I wasn't a big fan of the color. After not wearing it for a couple of years, I regifted it, with my girlfriends ok, at a party a bunch of our friends were having to pawn off the gifts none of us had any use for with the hope that someone else would find something of value in our castoffs.

I got a real Star about 27 yrs ago from the National Star Registry, before it became popular. Also a medalion from a family of 5... know to be from the BC Era ... made of metorite. I had it tested and the name on it was written in Hebrew. Cool Huh..

One year my husband got me a self-propelled lawn mower. He was concerned that I was mowing the hillside with a regular push mower and wanted to make it safer for me.

A dedication plaque that had been awarded to my father years ago at the college where he taught, my husband found out about it and drove three hours to pick up this heavy brass plaque. My father died when I was little so it is one of the few things I have and is very special, it hangs in my house in a very prominent place.

A pair of socks regifted from the year before. Just because Id didnt get a chance to use them doesnt mean they are fair game for regifting!

Actually my gift wasn't so unusual, but the wrapping was sure a surprise. My husband who was a Marine had "duty" the night before, so he hid my gift which was an electric razor, all wrapped up in aluminum wrap and stuffed it inside the cavity of the turkey I was going to roast for Christmas dinner. I thought i didn't have a gift, because he never said a word. I had to wait till I was cleaning the turkey and getting it ready to stuff, when I found my present inside the bird.

A catalog of a record labels artists. I don't mean the CD's/albums but an anctual directory of what artists' records I could purchase. Go figure. Maybe in 25 years I can take it to the Antique Road Show and they'll appraise it for $XXXXXXXXXXXXX. Wouldn't that be a trip. I wish my odd gift would have been something that could have been commended for it's patina because I just love that word.

10 or so years ago, my husband was so excited for me to open my present. He had bought something I really wanted and I could never guess what it was.... It was a metal detector so I could go out in the backyard and find his dad's wedding ring!

A 6 pack of Dr. Pepper. Yeah, I love Dr. Pepper but C'mon! I already have a case of it in the fridge!

Barbara Leatham 12.01.2009 Report
I received a package of those round plastic things that keep socks paired together...What a gift...

Liz - If you want, you can send it to me. My son can certainly use it and I (not him) would appreciate it.

My husband surprised me with a 5 diamond 10 year anniversary band ring.

One year my husband painted and decorated our bedroom while I was away for a week. There were new linens, drapes, the whole thing!

The Christmas before last I gave my mom, 91 at the time, a very nice gold necklace with pendant. On my birthday, 3 weeks later, I got the same necklace regifted to me!! I wonder if she really forgot where where she got it!!

The most unusual gift I have ever received was a box of Cocoa Puffs. I don't even eat them and this was a gift from a friend. HUh?

After receiving $10,000 from my in-laws one year, the next year I received a 5 lb carton of peanut butter. Funny, how we grow to expect the best gifts!

I am a teacher and one of my 5th grade students bought me a can of spray deodorant as my gift. Hmmm, was she hinting at something? I was surprised that her mom endorsed this gift.

A MANUAL CAN/BOTTLE OPENER...THE ONE YOU SAWED THE CAN OPEN WITH....
MY MOM SAID IT WOULD BE AN ANTIQUE SOME DAY.......NOT YET..!!

My vote goes to the poor lady who got the burial plot for a gift but my goofiest gift was from my husband--he sent to the drug store and bought a chip and dip set for me for our first Christmas when we had just gotten 4 for our wedding presents--what was HE thinking? And he has gotten no better at gift giving...Target, do ya think ya could help the man out????

um, I'm not really sure what it was. It was a VERY weird shaped purple-glass orb-type thing with what appeared to be a wick coming out of the top (maybe it was a candle that ran on oil?)...but there was no apparent way to get the oil inside. Some obscure relative of my husband sent it to us...I think it's since "disappeared".

fingerless gloves

a good friend of mine sent me a box of random stuff for my birthday -- the box was comprised of little girls bubble bath (re-gifting something that was given to her kids), packets of tea (she must have pulled out of the cupboard) and other junk....

One christmas, I unwrapped a medium sized, beautifully wrapped box from under the tree. Inside was a water balloon with a note from my husband that I could go and have a boob job for Christmas! I think the balloon was about a "C" cup.

We received a big bottle of Melluca Hand Soap for our Wedding Anniversary present. This was from his sister which is always giving us weird stuff.

a mango slicer... i thought it was unusual, but i use it all the time now!

When I was 15 my aunt got me little hair clips. You know, the kind that babies who are just growing hair get, they were so juvenile that I wouldn't have been able to wear them had I even been 10 years younger.

I got salmon one year and I am allergic to fish! The brother in law who gave the gift did not know that I suppose!

My aunt gave my brother and I a baby pot-bellied pig. I think my parents were flabbergasted....and maybe a little mad to boot! However, she turned out to be a pretty neat pet until she grew too big to keep her in the house. I can remember letting her sleep with me at night! She tried to "root" around on my skin to find a place to eat! OMG! As an adult I would probably never let that happen! LOL! Cleaopatra the Pot Bellied Pig! I have lots of great stories about her!

My husband gave me a Forever Rose , a real rose dipped in gold so you can keep it forever-it is so beautiful!

While we were still dating (early 20s) my husband received a plastic Christmas ornament that held Christmas themed underwear from....(drumroll please).... his grandmother!!!

a budda figure from a customer

My husband had one rose with a note attached that said there were 11 others hidden around the house that I needed to find to have them all together again. What a treat. It was soooooo fun!

My husband really puts time and effort into which card he chooses for whatever the occasion. I like to keep them from year to year so I can read them over and over. So imagine my surprise when I received the same card two years in a row! He wrote different inscriptions in each one but I guess he really liked the card!

I got a flower pot filled with pens made into flowers stuck into styrofoam. I keep it in a kitchen cabinet because my sister made it for me, but I have never used any of the pens.

I got a book from my then boyfriend about Project Manager Geeks...Boy was I disappointed! I didn't even read it, and it was over 8 years ago! He should have known I didn't like my job as a project manager.

A rock. Yes, you read that correctly. My mom had a rock which probably weighed about 3 lbs laying out by the mailbox. My brother spotted it one afternoon as we were leaving mom's house and for some reason found it quite interesting. I didn't say a word, but the next time we were at mom's, I slipped it into his car. He got a laugh out of finding it and voved he would get even. That Christmas, I received the rock all wrapped up in box, paper and bow! We traded it back and forth several times and it was always with a laugh and a smile.

I received a tin foil wrapped My Little Pony from my brother for Christmas. The funny thing is that he wrapped one that was already mine.

The most unusual gift I have ever received was a wheel barrel....seriously, yes....it was sad as I don't even have a yard to use it and I live in a tiny Manhattan apartment....it was hysterical! Happy Holidays.
www.thehealthyapple.com

For our first wedding anniversary, my husband gave me a 22 caliber rifle. He had it cut down to fit my smaller size and since he loves to hunt and shoot, he thought I would enjoy it. I don't but both of our boys learned to shoot with it. We've been married 32 years now and he's improved a little with his gift giving.

I received a stapler from our son. And I loved it!

the funniest gift I received was a comb from my grandmother-and I wasn't sure it was even new!

My husband made me a dozen chocolate chip cookie long stem flowers for my birthday. I thought it was great and he did a very good job.

one year a friend of mine had moved to wyoming, and her husband bought me airline tickets round trip
and gave her a week long visit. we had a ball snowmobiling, seeing the goats in the mountains, yellowstone
park and the mormon tabernacle in salt lake city it was a blast. i am 5 ft tall and the snow was 62 inches deep.
never had seen snow like that before. best and strangest gift i ever got.

One year I got a life size glass head filled with peanuts from my aunt.

last year I got a candle set that my mom had given my sister 4 years ago, and she had given it back to my mom 3 years ago and my mom had given it to my sister in law 2 years ago, and now i got it...

The most unusual gift I ever received was a slice of cake; not a whole cake, but just one slice!

The most unusual gift I ever recieved was an electrical bread knife, from my grandmother. You could plug it in and it would go back and forth. I never did use it. However, I did regift it after five years in a white elphant gift exchange.

The most unusual gift I got was a cute ceramic reindeer in the shape of a shopping bag and it had a note in it that said Merry Christmas here is some reindeer poop for you ~ and it had a bag of tiny marshmellows! :) I love it and put it out every Christmas.

The most treasured gift I have been given besides my procious grandson, is an opal ring from my two sons. In the fall of 1981 my oldest son and I were waiting to pick up a purchase at a catalog store, we were wandering around looking at things in the jewlery dept I was telling him about birthstones, mine is saphire his and his brother's is the ruby, and that I really like opals but that it is supposed to be bad luck to buy them for yourself. After paying for our item and going home I thought nothing more about the conversation until I was presented a tiny wrapped package by two very excited litttle boys insisting I open it immediately even though it was still several days until Christmas. Inside was a pear shaped opal ring with a tiny diamond accent, picked out and purchased by the two of them with the money they had received from their Grandmother as their Christmas gift. I have worn it every day since, and love to tell the story.

It was a gag gift at our family Christmas party which consisted of a whoopee cushion and a big brown plastic reindeer that when you pushed down on his head, he pooped out chocolate jelly beans! lol! :) Thanks for the giveaway!

Some members of my family gave me broken items as my graduation gift.

My father-in-law bought me a male canary. With the canary came the largest cage he could find and toys hanging from all sides. The bird was the nosiest bird, he sang day and night. To top it off he spewed his seeds all over the place. I would have loved to have given him away, but my father-in-law died shortly after and I didn't have the heart to do it. The bird lived a long life of 7 years!

When I was in college, I had a truly eccentric boyfriend that I dated for three years. My gift one year (the last year we were together) - a hedgehog. A live hedgehog for a pet. I'm not really an animal person, so great gift. When we broke up, I left the hedgehog.

I know listing two lame gifts isn't really called for here, but for comedic purposes, I'll share (how bad is this for a dating track record?); the next guy I dated gave me an old crockpot his Mom didn't use that was stored in the basement. We weren't together too long after that...

I received an Actual Rock as a Wedding Gift!!
It had the wedding date engraved on it, along with a ring motif, and my name and husbands.
This was thoughtful and unique.. Definitely the first and only time that I got something like this-

One year i open this pretty, tall ceramic thing. I wasn't sure what it was so I called my Mom, who had given it to me, and she said it was to hold toilet paper. It was cute, but a little weird!

My husband like to play pranks occasionally. One year he hid a designer bar of soap in the center of a box filled with tissue paper and powdered color pigments. The soap in the end was helpful.

I love Dale Jr and one yr I got as my only gift from anyone, a dale jr memo cube from the dollar tree. It was unusual for the sake it made me feel like was that all i was worth. ha. I don't know but it just felt unusual to me to see your parents do that.

A burial plot from my MIL, didn't know quite what to say, umm thank you??

A pair of slippers that looked like a Schnauzer dog.

I recieved a hotoi Buddha lamp with a lightning ball globe that he's holding up!(You touch the globe part and it makes lightning bolts inside the ball)...a little kitchy for my tastes but I love the person who it's from so I will keep it

I received a crochless pair of underwear .I was so embarressed ,I opened it in front of everyone at work and everyone thought it was funny . the reason they gave that to me was because I had been syaing how I hated going to the gynocologist . I guess you should watch what you say,they thought that would be a great thing to wear to the gyno !

I opened a package from my grandmother when I was in college and found a book called "Anti-Semitism." I called and thanked her, then called my mom and told her about the book. She laughed hysterically. Apparently my grandmother had asked her what I was interested in and Mom told her I was studying feminism...and Grandma took it from there.

I received a bag of bird seed for Mother's day. I didn't know what to say, I know I must have had a funny look on my face, because then I was given another package which was a bird house that my granddaughter had painted for me. It is one of the best gifts that I have ever been given.

THE MOST UNUSUAL GIFT I EVER RECEIVED WAS A CONTAINER OF WORMS...................FROM MY BOYFRIEND WHICH LEAD TO A SHAKESPEAR FISHING ROD WHICH LEAD TO THE LAST 21 YEARS OF MEMORIES OF FISHING WITH MY HUSBAND. I WOULD HAVE LOVED A PICTURE OF THE EXPRESSION ON MY FACE WHEN I UNWRAPPED THE WORMS.

Here's the thing. Growing up in a big family, we did not have a lot of money and I don't remember receiving any exceptional gifts. Now as an adult, I still do not celebrate Chisrtmas in the traditional way. I would have to write that the best gift that I have ever recieved and continue to receive, is the gift of Love.

I received a match box with two pennies from afellow first grader in my class.This was in 1958 and hard economical times. This was all he had to give.I said thank you and I still remember the scent of the matches.I held on to them for years.

A few years ago I was a preschool teacher in a small town in Italy. At the end of the year all the parents joined together to get me a going away present to say thank you. With a big smile, they presented me with this huge painting of a dark, northern-European landscape of a desolate house in the windy countryside. They said it was for me to remember Italy by! I was puzzled, since everyone knew I rode my bike to and from school every day and was taking a plane home in a few days, how they imagined I would take it with me! It was a nice gesture, but sadly, it never left the classroom. The memories I have of teaching their kids English, however, were present enough.

My son received a used air pump for his bike from a thrifty neighbor.

I once received a parakeet as a birthday present, from my mother. The following year, on my ninth birthday, she gave me another, so the first one would have a friend. I pretended to really enjoy them, cleaning the cage daily and reading books on training parakeets, but really they were more of a passion of my mother's, than of mine. I believe she just assumed every child loves the idea of having a pet, but I'm more of a dog type than a bird type, I guess. Anyway, my mother really meant well & I really pretended to be enjoying having these pet birds. Did I mention that we kept them in my bedroom, by the way? It was like living in a aviary The bird loving mother that I have, then decided that she had always enjoyed Finches and never owned any of that type of bird, so by my twelveth birthday I had 4 finches. They lived in a cage beside my parakeets. Now as luck would have it, one of the female finches became pregnant and as you can see this was really the gift(s) that just kept on giving.

I once recieved a hand me down shirt that smelled like mothballs from an elderly friend

the most unusualgift i received was a fart in a jar gag gift it said do not open potent material in side of course i opened it to find a note that said "oops you let the fart out" mary mhsimonton@sbcglobal.net

Oh I once got a beautiful but very unusual tea set from chiina. I LOVE and collect tea pots and cups, but this was a tiny pot, with the smallest cups and special handpressed teas, it was absolutely amazing and really taught me how to appreciate drinking tea. (The most unusual quality was the way it was painted in chinese symbols, I still have no idea what it says, LOL)

The most unusal gift I ever got was for my birthday. A guy I had been seeing for a few years got me an electric wheelchair. I am disabled and I loved it!! Most people would think that was a strange gift, but I didn't . He even made a ramp to put ion his car.

I am a lace, wicker furniture and pink roses kind of girl. My sister always gives me something off the wall. Last year it was an American Chopper picture. Can you picture me saying "I love it, I have just the place for it"? P.S. I really do....there's this box out in my garage.....

My friend regifted a tea pot and never bother to see that her name was on the cup. I did not know what to say and she was speechless.

The most unusual gift I reciived was from my brother - it was a virgin Mary statue. What was I going to do with this, since I am not Catholic? So I gave it away to Goodwill. I hope he wasn't shopping there! LOL

Most unusual gift for me.. hmmmm was when my boyfriend by the way lived with me bought me some pots and pans he had been eyeing for awhile.... yep ....... I think they were for him.... darn him!

one year for christmas i received a fireplace log holder from my boss. she knew i didn't have a fireplace. i'm guessing it was a re-gift or on sale! everyone else received a nice bottle of wine. maybe she just realy didn't like me!!!

I received a pineapple and chocolate from a guy I was dating as an apology for something he had done. He said he didn't want to give the typical flowers so opted for something unique. Unique it definitely was!

I just posted several comments in the "What do you fear about growing older" and so I want to say here, that the most unusual gift I have ever received, or ever will, is the wonderful ten and a half years I had with my beloved Daniel. We met online through a mutual friend, soon met in person, and shortly afterwards were married. While our time together was far too short, and I suppose some might say that's not a gift. I beg to differ. Having the love, support, encouragement, and faith of another person, is a gift that can be quite unusual. To have someone tell you that "They love you with all of their world, that you are their world" is just beyond belief. Never mind about that Weed Wacker you got for your birthday, or the Pork & Beans & Weenies Anniversary dinner he cooked for you. True love, unconditional love is indeed the most unusual gift of all to receive. I was lucky enough to have that, and hope you will as well.

Last Christmas my daughter, who was in the Air Force, was stationed in Kirkuk, Iraq. She sent me a pretty little box made out of polished camel bone. She also sent a clock that is shaped like a mosque and plays the "call to worship" music for the alarm. These are the most unusual gifts I have ever received.

Many, many, Christmas’s ago I received an earthquake for Christmas. My at the time boyfriend was a grad student at Texas A&M. It was his job every day to change the paper (this is why it was many, many Christmas’s…..perhaps I should have added a few more). His job was to change the paper on a seismograph machine that measured the intensity of earthquakes around the word. I received my earthquake a few days before Christmas rolled up neatly, tied with a bow. It was from a very far away very tiny Island. Why you ask did I receive an earthquake? Because I made the earth move, of course! Who says geophysicists aren’t romantic.

The most cherished gifts I received were the handmade cards from my children. They are all adults now-but every now and then I'll pull out different paper items they made for me. The most unique item was a paper Ninja,cut out of black construction paper.My oldest son was about 7 years old at the time;he loved the Ninja as well as Spiderman and a few other heroes. The most unique thing about this Ninja figure was how well my son had glued him on cut- off popcycle sticks so as to stand straight up with one hand extended;holding an elaborate green paper Christmas tree that was decorated with red streamers.

At the bottom of this Ninja's feet was the words "Merry Christmas". Every detail of this gift was so paintakingly created by my 7 year old son. My heart leaped for joy for the talent and time that went into this "Standing Ninja
Christmas card"

It was 1993 and I'd been with my boyfriend for 5 years, we'd even bought a house together. So at Christmas time, my entire family was anxiously waiting for us to get engaged. Surely it would be this Christmas! My romantic boyfriend gave me a salad shooter instead. He thought it was the greatest gift in the world and couldn't understand my lack of excitement. 5 months later we were finally engaged. He has taken flack for that salad shooter for 16 yrs. However, I will admit, it was a great addition to the kitchen...

I have two "worst" gifts: one was 3 pairs of huge cotton underwear when I was about 12 years old that made me extremely embarassed and a shower cap.

I received a hair brush set one Christmas from a family member (years before electric hair straightners were on the mass market). I have naturally kinky curly hair and never brush it, only use a pick or comb because brushing makes it frizz or the brush gets stuck in my hair.

My husband gave me an electric can opener for our first Christmas together, before we got married. He saw me using a manual one to open cat food cans. How unromantic!

I had a friend, we kept in touch via email. We both had new babies and sent each other gifts. I sent her a blanket, bibs and teether spoons. I was all excited to get her package. I opened up a ceramic tea-light house in the shape of a train station---Dr. Suess style. ??? Just goes to show how we each perceive a 'gift'.

I don't know If it was Unusual but it was unually bad..i got a pair of socks that smelled like they'd been worn!!!

In 1975 a dear friend gave me a Gibson Les Paul Custom Guitar (20th Anniversary model). He had bought a fine acoustic guitar and wanted to persue, practice ,study and play only acoustic. Did not ask for any money, just gave it to me. I still have that guitar, it is a fine vintage guitar and I love playing it. This guitar is more than a fantastic instrument, it is an old friend. Over the years I have pawned it at times to put food on the table, to pay utility bills, buy diapers, etc. Back in the mid-eighties my home was gutted by fire but this guitar was one of the few items that was not destroyed. I has traveled with me to many a distant shore, when I was in the Navy. Although I have had other guitars and I have other guitars at this time, I always get the feeling that this guitar strangely is almost a member of the family. Although I have to say I have recieved many a great gift over the years (my Grandkids being two of them) I must say, this is the most long standing and unusual.

I received a remote for outdoor decorations from a best friend that knew I didn't have outdoor lights because we have no outdoor outlets. Go figure.

I'll never forget the time a church member wrapped up a tired, old Amway video from the 80's and gave it to me for a Christmas gift. This was just as recently as 2004! We couldn't even bless that dear soul to watch it, since we had a DVD player by that time. Oh, well...

A bag of flour from a geeky guy who said I had mentioned I like flowers. I was speechless. What is the appropriate response?!

The worst gift that I received was a friutcake in a fancy can. This happened to me many years ago at work. The fruitcake was my polyanna gift from someone, while I gave a Jean Nate' perfume set away to someone else. Huh?

After my grandfather divorced his third wife he began dating his first wife. While we were visiting at her house I noticed this hideous ceramic serving bowl designed like several ears of corn huddled together. I thought to myself, "What an ugly dish!' Low and behold, thinking I hadn't noticed the eyesore on her kitchen shelf, she'd wrapped it up and given it to me as a present! I held my tongue that I knew it was a recycled present and regifted it to another unlucky person ASAP.

One gift I can't forget was from my 6 year old grandson. He gave me two bath oil balls in a little sack and said. These are from 'JUst Me". He had always had to share the gift with his brother. He is 18 now and has probably forgotten the balls. I wrote a story about this and sold it to a magazine.
Dorothy Baughman
dbaughman@elmore.rr.com

I once got a make-up bag filled with different hotel sundries that the gift giver had stayed at!

One year my husband gave me a card that read, "I can't give you perfect eyesight but I can give you the gift of lasik surgery."

an odd-shaped ashtray (but I don't smoke!)

I received a miniature Noah's Ark complete with pairs of several assorted animals from an eccentric
co-worker.
It looked like a gift for a child, not an adult!

Oops, nail file...

About twenty years ago, my god father gave me an electric nail fail. As I remember it had different fittings on it. One for filing, one for buffing and several others that escape me.

The strangest gift I've ever received was a set of musical instruments because I don't play anything.

During my first year of teaching I received the most unusual and strangest gift that I've ever received! One of my 3rd grade students gave me a used lighthouse nightlight and a half empty bag of individually wrapped snickers. At this age, it usually means the parents had some kind of say so in the gift. To top it off, the gift came from a fellow teacher. Call it budget cuts I guess! =o)

My sister-in-law gives us (and all of her siblings' families) a brick of generic Cheddar Cheese every year for Christmas. We've really started to look forward to our strange gift, as we usually take it home and create something yummy for everyone!

This year I was going to have to cancel my traditional tree-trimming party due to finances. My friends got together and decided to chip in to cover all the party expenses, even the tree. So without a doubt, the best gift I've ever received was the gift of Christmas and the friendship that they showed me this year.

Last year, my grandpa made me a wooden bowl out of a tree that had fallen in his backyard. It is so beautiful, and I love it!

My mother-in-law gave me a cute mug with a baby angel on it for my first married Christmas. I thought it was a nice practical gift and she knew I liked angels....until I realized she hasn't read it...it said Baby's 1st Christmas!

At our office Christmas party one year I got the gag gift and everyone else got something really nice...mine was a hand puppet called 'The Fighting Nun' complete with boxing gloves!

I received as a birthday gift a set of four new tires. Practical but not very romantic.

I received a Lasik surgery gift certificate from my husband!
It's been 7 years and I'm still 20/20! He gave me the gift of good eyesight, priceless!

a hello kitty karaoke machine (complete with pink microphones) from the person i was dating.

I'll never forget the year my brother surprised me with an out-of-print book- it had been a childhood favorite. He is amazingly thoughtful!

The most unusual gift felt like a punishment. My husband and I wanted a short engagement. We got engaged in March and planned an October wedding. My Mother In Law, who is very well trained in ettiquette (go figure), was upset because she felt we didn't allow her ample time to save money to cover their "requirements" as the groom's parents. As a result, when Christmas came around, and money had been spent on the wedding, she gave me a gift basket of things from around the house. Included were hotel shampoo bottles, some fancy soap that had obviously been sitting in a wet soapdish as the decorative tissue had water rings. I also got what I thought was a box of truffles, but alas was a box of dry-cleaner safety pins, most with the claim tags still attached. But the best part was what was waiting at the bottom...She and my Father In Laws old, dog-earred, edition of the Joy of Sex complete with highlighted sections and suggestive magazine article clippings tucked inside the pages!

A mug with a pack of hot chocolate mix, which the mix was hard as a rock.

What were obviously men's dress socks! And I'm definitely not a man!

I once had a boyfriend who quite a joker. For our first Christmas, he gave me a package of pigs feet. Its safe to say we didn't last till the next Christmas.

I got a wood and steel bread knife shaped like a French baguette. Unusual and practical too.

I received lip balm in a container shaped like a golf ball! So random but so cute!

I received a pocket pack of kleenex wrapped up in a gold box from my Sister in Law. No, it wasn't a white elephant gift! And after I tracked down the American Girl game for my niece when it was sold out! That game was number one on her Christmas list, by the way. Ah well, at least the kleenex were Christmas themed!

The most unusual Christmas gift I ever received was a battery powered scrub brush. Sounds kind of neat, except it came from my mother-in-law. I guess she figured I needed to do a little more work around the house.

A keychain with four fart sounds that released when you pressed the button: the wet whistle, the airy fairy, the bomb, and the sneaky splitter!

The most unusual gift would have to be a quit, made by my lovely Mother. A number of years ago she started quilting and I was the lucky one who was gifted the first quilt she made. It was obvious a lot of te and love went into the making of the quilt. She carefuly chose fabric I would like (animal print) and a pattern that was not beautiful and easy (the open faced flower). I love my mother dearly, but why did it not occur to her that the open face flower design looked like several viginas covering the quilt. I am sure you can only imagine my reaction when I opened the box and found a large leapord print quilt covered in viginas.

toed socks!

I received Mr. Bubble bubble bath as a gift, I guess it was supposed to be gag gift.

I got a box of kleenex from my co worker when I was 18. THE WORST

Ok, well these 2 gifts count as one to me since they came to me from my 'then' fiancee at the time. When you hear the thoughtful gifts, you will realize why is a 'then' and not a 'now'. I am NOT a difficult person to buy gifts for by any means, but for our first year together, I unwrapped a beautiful gift box only to discover a gray pair of skin tight PLEATHER pants (2 sizes too small, hint maybe)...i guess he mistook my look of horror for a look of wonderment because he then gifted me with another beautiful box (now i'm thinking, ok, this is gonna be the good one) only to discover he had gifted me with the fake fish you hang on the wall that will sing when you walk by and clap at it....Seriously, I still have them as a reminder of what could have been!!!! :)

Jelly Bellys! They're my favorite jelly beans, but kind of a strange Christmas gift.

My most unusual gift is a tie...I have received two.....

Three Christmas' ago my son (then 4) got me kitchen sponges, saying "So I could clean something", when I opened it. But it has now become tradition that I receive kitchen sponges on Christmas.

Five years ago, my Mom got me a paperweight tarantuala, I dislike spiders. She tought it would be funny to see my reaction when I opened the box, needless to say, when I opened the box and there was a humongous spider, I screamed and tossed the box away from me....everyone laughed so hard!!! I still have the paperweight though......

IThe last Xmas I had with my husband (Mac) before he passed away,he put a Peppermint Patty candy bar, my favorate,under my pillow.Unusual,but my most wonderful gift.

Filler paper! My parents were really short on money so one Christmas my sister and I got shampoo, Kleenex, and filler paper. I remember being very upset at the time but now that I am a parent I realize how tight the money must have been.

A toy necklace with 14 carrots as a gag gift!

i recieved a cookie jar but actually is a doggy treat jar from my mother in law it sings who let the dogs out&you aint nothing but a hound dog.It says trear jar on the dogs name tag.she was 80 when she bought it for me now gone so i guess this will always be my treasure it now makes me smile with great memories of her.hohoho

I recieved an ashtray that my son made in art class. I DON'T SMOKE and NEVER HAVE

I received a walking elephant that played really loud music when you pressed the button and squeled when you pulled its' tail.

The most unusual gift I ever recieved had to be a decorative christmas tree ornament or ball. It had the following features: 1)it was perfectly round, 2)it was made of styrofoam, 3)it was covered, or wound, with brightly colored synthetic polyester string, 4) it was larger than a softball 5)it was hung on its own display mount 6)and it could be viewed while still in its origional "display" box

the year my mother gave me underwear for Christmas.. i think i was 16?? I'd give anything for another chance to recieve a Christmas gift from her.. MIss you MOm!

I think my most unusual gift ever was a pair of simply enormous underpants from my mother in law for Christmas. She had a habit of buying everything on sale that reminded her of a person, and they were my favorite color--purple--but I could have fit two of me in there! Gift opening is a very ceremonial thing there, with all eyes on the person opening the gift, so I got lots of attention with my new undies. Must have been a very good deal, lol.

The most unusual gift I've ever received was a passport holder -- which signified a 3-week trip to London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Brussels. Wow! Beats a Cuisinart any day!

Many years ago before I got married, this guy that I was dating got me a Fire Extinguisher for Christmas. Although he meant well, being concerned with my safety and all, we just were not compatible. My husband always gives wonderful, thoughtful gifts of jewelry that I appreciate very much.

When I was nine years old I had a birthday party with a bunch of friends. I started opening presents and my dad brought over this huge gift! I was so excited that I grabbed it and started ripping off the wrapping paper, but when I opened it and looked inside the box it was a globe sized rock from our front yard. It was the first time I'd ever seen my dad play a practical joke, which was weird at the time, but now seems like a pretty cool gift.

My adult son gave me an electric chain saw for Christmas 2 years ago. I have not used it as I am afraid of it and cannot imagine why he got it for me. He tried it and prefers the more heavy duty gas powered ones. What was he thinking? I guess it was the thought that counts, last year I got a computer, much better choice! LOL

Two years ago 5 different family members each gave me a $25 gift certificate to the Cheesecake Factory. Normally that would be considered and awesome, generous and thoughtful gift however; six months prior to that Christmas, I had a $20,000 weight loss surgery that restricted the amount of food I could eat. My goal was to lose 180 lbs. Eating at Cheesecake was so far from what I needed and or even wanted at that time in my life. What were they thinking?

One year for Christmas my husband gave me a Chia Pet - it was some sort of sheep that you spreed seed on and it grows. What! Well I followed the directions and put it on the kitchen window sill but since we live in Florida and it's humid it just grew mold ... gross! I brought him one the next year as a joke. We still laugh about it. Why oh why do they make those things?

A half eaten fruit cake, with the packaging it was originally in, pressed around it

A corncob pipe-LOL

When I was little my older sister handed me a little box and told me to open it, that she got a gift for me. I was about 4 years old at the time and she was 6. When I opened it it was wrapped up and when I unwrapped it I screamed, threw it and ran! She just laughed at me. It was a dried out insect skin. That the worst I ever got.

My (now ex) husband really wanted a new cordless drill. We already had one that worked well and I used often, but he thought we needed this newer one. He bought it and gave it to me for Christmas. When he was boxing things up to move out, I hid the drill. He spent hours looking for it but finally gave up thinking he may have already packed it. It was a gift to me after all.

I'm torn between the year my schizophrenic brother gave me mouthwash and hinted that it was imperative that I use that particular bottle and the year a coworker gave me a plastic sumo wrestler battery operated fan. Both insisted they had put a lot of thought into their gifts and decided they were "so me."

Probably the strangest gift I ever received was Mrs. Beasley, a doll I had from my childhood. The reason it was strange was that my brother gave it to me when I was 48 because he remembered me having it then. My mother told me he thought I would be thrilled! Too bad she lives in the back of a closet.

My husband is the champion of worst Christmas gifts (make that birthday and anniversary, too) In the past, I've received: plastic laundry baskets, a salad shooter, 50 lb of bird seed (the cheapest kind), a gift certificate to the office supply store (figuring it's tax deductible for my home office supplies), some telescope gadget (he's an amateur astronomer - I could care less), and a gift certificate to buy clothes at the "fat lady shoppe" where I used to go....before I LOST 60 POUNDS.

For Valentines day my husband stopped at our local convenience store and bought a card and a single rose to give to me. The card's drawing was in pretty pastel color chair and table with what appeared to be a jewelry box and jewelry with a floppy hat on the back of the chair. On the front the card read "Honey I love you...". Upon opening the care I was met with these words " Because you're one hell of a man! ". Immediatly I flipped the card over to examine the drawing on the front and was suprized to find it was actually a fishing tackle box, fishing flies and a fishing hat. We got a chuckle out of it. Still do. It is one card that I will keep forever. Oh yeah, he has learned to take a lttle time to read the cards well before buying.

My husband would always get me cookware a common gift u need em but i would rather get fun stuff like a bathrobe or something personal besides cooking stuff...........................

I got door knobs for Christmas one year when I was in High School, I needed one, but got 4 instead.

I received two blown glass swans with blue liquid in them. The swans sat on a mirror and between them sat this...thing. It had blue plastic fronds cascading in multiple layers. I think it was meant to simulate a waterfall, but to me it looked more like a character from a Dr. Seuss book.

One Christmas, I received a gift from a co-worker.
It was a Pi Plate.
No, not a typo.
Pi Plate.
It had the number of Pi (3.14 repeated ad infinitum on the crust edge of the plate, and the Pi sign centered on the bottom of the plate.
I am known for my coconut cream Pies, and I am known for my math Pis, so it was a most creative, most unusual, most unique, and most personal gift I have EVER received.

I received a stuffed Pilsbury Dough Boy as a college graduation gift.

For my 18th Christmas, my father gave me a shotgun. I loved to hunt with him. He actually let me open it a few weeks early since the season was opening. then later years, nmy husband gave me a rifle with a brand new scope, for my brithday. Everyone at his work told him he would be in the dog house, and what an awful thing he was doing, and how upset I would be. NOT, I loved it . It was certainly a surprise and one I loved. He knows me well.

I received a package of those round plastic things that keep socks paired together...What a gift...

for work, we had a yankee swap and i was stuck with a santa figure that pooped out candy when you pressed his head.

When my husband and I married, we lived in the country and he really wanted to try his hand at pig farming. My cousin, who bred and raised hogs, gave us a boar (That's a male hog for breeding purposes!) for our wedding gift. How romantic!

For me it had to be a birthday gift from a old friend. I got hurt at work and he got me a statue of a guy all wrapped up in bandages that had a logo on the bottom that said sue the bastards. I probably still have it some where in the attic.

My husband and I married in college. The first year of our marriage, I stayed up late at night to study, plus I had a part-time job three nights a week. This left little time for romance. On our first Christmas together, my husband gave me a pair of jumper-cables as a joke.

My grandparents sent me a Christmas gift when I was thirteen years old. It came in an attractive white square box. Inside I found the box full of bright blue translucent chrystal rocks. I did not know what it was for. First I thought it might be rock candy, but sucking on one of the rocks proved it was not rock candy. Then I thought that they had remembered that I loved gardening and that these were decorative rocks in which to force bulbs. But they were so sharp that I ruled that out Something for potpourri? They had no scent to them. I do not remember how I wrote my thank-you note. I still do not know what they were for, fifty-five years later, and it's too late to ask them.

Oh man, some of these posts are hilarious! I was involved in a white elephant gift exchange at work and I received a staue of a faceless monk holding a video camera. Needless to say noone tried to take my gift...

My boyfriend made me this shell person. It was a shell with big eyes, another shell for the nose, and it sat on a block of wood. I guess its the thought that counts.

I was 22, living in New Orleans at the time with my boyfriend, and it was our first Christmas together away from New York. It was Christmas Eve, and I came in from work, and there hanging in the Living room was foot tall white and yellow Cockatiel stuffed toy with a bow, sitting on a perch, hanging from the ceiling. It was such a delight to see it there, and when I got closer I realized he had something dangling from his claw, a beautiful diamond and pearl ring! It was a very special gift and made being homesick that year, a little less so.

I received a set of dishes when I was 13.

A used silver coffee pot. It was definitely not new and some relatives sent it from Italy. Did it belong to a great grandmother or something? I never did find out why they gave me a used coffee pot!

The most unusual gift I recievd was a drawing from my 3-year-old that to this day I have no idea what it is. I think it's a mountain but it oould also be an elephant because it has what I thik is a trunk. Though that could be a tree on the mountain. I love it though and cherish it.

eddiem11@ca.rr.com

I was at our annual friend xmas grab bag party. My husband and I each picked a gift to open and both ended up
with the same gag gift of a battery operated humping dogs..It got alot of laughs but we got stuck with useless gifts.

My father was able to get tickets to see the king tut exhibit at the seattle center in washington state for my birthday. I was 9 yrs old at the time and can see visualize the treasures in my mind, the same feelings of awe are present today, i'm over 45 now

The strangest gift I ever received was a hand-sculpted, larger-than-life, purple Dia de los Muertos skull! An artist friend of mine made the skull from clay, painted it, and then bedecked it with sparkling gems, antique brooches, beads, and knicknacks.

My husband and I learned just how strange the skull was when we had to pass through security at the airport while traveling home after the holidays. I placed my bag, which contained the skull, on the conveyer belt and the female employee let out a screech when the "face" appeared on the screen in front of her. She yelled, "All of the sudden I've got somebody LOOKING at me!"

Without a doubt, the most unusual gift I've ever received was from my grandmother when I was 13 years old. It was a pair of dark beige knee-high nylon socks with midnight blue high heel shoes all over them. The socks were made completely flat from top to bottom, no foot/heel contour whatsoever. They were the single most comical item of clothing I had ever seen in my entire life...even to this day! I think the best part of it was that my grandmother truly thought I would love them. She described them as " very classy." And of course, my mother made me wear them. :(

Guess the most unusual gift would have to have been a ball of string gluded together to make a Christmas ornament.

Most people would think postage stamps an unusual Christmas gift, but for someone like me who entered sweepstakes and contests by mail (at that time), it was a very thoughtful gif from someone who knew I'd love it! It enabled me to enter more sweepstakes and I won prizes in some of them. I'd say that was a gift that kept giving! Now I enter mostly online sweepstakes, so I don't need as much postage as in the earlier days of my hobby. Hmmmmm. Maybe I should put a month of free internet service on my wish list this year!

Several years ago a group of us decided to do a secret Santa gift exchange.We all met at a local restaurant and proceeded to exchange gifts.My turn came ,I opened the oddly wrapped package and I wasn't quite sure what it was since the lighting was a little dark.It was a basket of rolls glued together. What was really surprising was that they were real and also slightly moldy.I didn't even know what to say but thank you.I don't think I have ever received anything that unusual before or since.

One year, my mother gave me an assortment of owl items, including a macrame owl plant holder. I didn't collect owls, never mentioned owls, nor had a desire to own any. It was the strangest assortment of gifts I ever received.

I have enjoyed reading all these posts.

My first husband and I were fifteen and sixteen on our first Christmas together. He bought me a set of plastic mixing bowls and a black felt coloring kit. He was so into his first car, so I got him a pair of 12 dollar car speakers from Radio Shack.

Our daughter and her husband bought us a toilet for Christmas, we had an old green colored one that didn't work very well, it was a strange gift but we did appreciate it...it was needed :)

Years ago my husband and I liked watching the show South Park on tv and there was a character on the Christmas show called Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo. Well my sister made me a little "Mr. Hankey" out of tootsie rolls, with the little santa hat and everything, wrapped it up in a small jewelry case and I opened it in front of everyone at our family Christmas party!

My mother-in-law once gave me a red sweater with an indian woman embroidered on the back. She had long braids hanging below my bottom. That same year she wrapped a tube of toothpaste and put it in my stocking.

Every Christmas Eve we always open one present randomly picked from underneath the tree and that year I picked a present from my Aunt. Beyond the bright, cheerful Snowman wrapping paper was a compact gray Delta airline bag for travel filled with a sleeping mask, lint brush and comb. I was 10....

My mother gave me a hamper. I thought it was nice, even though I had one already, which she knew. Then when I went to lift it to make room for opening other presents it was unusually heavy. It was full what looked like clothes, but they were actually random presents wrapped in new clothing!! My mother is so creative :)

The most unusual gift that I ever received was from a fellow nurse. It was a salt candle-holder. It claimed to be able to remove negative energy from the air, hence relaxing you. It can not touch water or it will begin to melt. I tasted it to see if it was salty, and it was! lol... I do not know if it actually works, but candles lit in general have a calming affect on me so it does not matter.

When I was getting married 5 years ago, my husband's great grandmother came to my bridal shower. She was the sweetest, kindest woman you could meet, but perhaps forgot to purchase a gift until it was too late. When I opened the present, I got two hand towels that had obviously been well loved since the 80's--one was frilly and pink and the other baby blue with a small rip in the corner.

My boyfriend's mother gave me a pair of Avon earrings for Christmas, when I opened the box, there were 2 totally different earrings & styles in the box. She didn't like me that much, but she was trying, but she never checked the box from the Avon lady. She was so embarrassed, her feelings for me were no longer her secret once I opened the box. My boyfriend at the time was so mad at her. I guess she was upset that I was getting an engagement ring. I am glad I didn't marry him. My husband's mother is very good to me.

After being married for a short time, my mother came to visit my new husband and me. She brought us a gift of a package of four rolls of toilet paper. I guess she decided a practical gift was in order for the newly wed couple! Needless to say, my husband was stunned by her gift and I was rather embarrassed.

Pointy 5 inch platform shoes in psychedellic colors. Weird!

The most unusual gift was a set of hand-painted Russian lacquer boxes. They are small enough to hold in your hand. Each tells a story of a traditional fairy tale. The painting is beautiful and intricate, and much of the painting is done with a single bristled paintbrush. The colors are a stunning contrast to the dark black lacquer background. Gold is also used to accent the artwork. The boxes are absolutely beautiful and the craftsmanship and amount of time required to produce one box is astonishing. I also received books that describe the history of these Russian lacquer boxes and the different villages that produce them. They are beautiful works of art and I get lost looking at them, studying the detail, and thinking about the fairy tales that are revealed through art. Some lacquer boxes are very large - the size of a coffee table or cedar chest. Although they are larger, the fine detail and intricate artwork is just as complex. These boxes are my most treasured gift.

The most unusual gift I ever recieved was also one of the most wonderful! My boyfriend, who's now my husband of over 2 years, and I have always made fun of the Alanis Morissette lyrics 'the cross I bear that you gave to me' from her song You Oughta Know. We once mistook the lyrics as 'the cross- eyed bear that you gave to me'. We made fun of it every time we heard it! The gift he gave me one year was a 6 foot tall teddy bear he made out of orange fuzzy material and had planned to add crossed eyes to it. Sadly, he ran out of time and to this day, it's still blind. The funny thing was we had the same idea that year, I had given him a pooh bear that I modified with crossed eyes looking at a bumble bee on his nose! Great minds do think alike! =^>

Once I received two boxes of Christmas lights.....for Christmas.

Grandma gave her toddler grandson what he asked for, "snow globe". The beautiful glass globe contained a log cabin winter scene complete with horse and sleigh. It slipped out of his little fingers and crashed on the concrete floor. His older sister said gee maybe he is not old enough for that. It was remembered even just for the beauty of the moment.

My most unusual gift? A wig. My brother was a theater actor and used to give me best off the wall gifts ever. One year it was a mink head band, another a vintage prom dress. But the best hands down was the gypsy wig. Long black tresses wrapped with a fire engine red bandana. Still have it.

For my husband's 28th birthday he received a leather "fanny pack" from his father. Looking around the table, just about everyone was ready to crack up, including my husband. Then to my father in law's face who was so proud!! My husband kept that silly fanny pack on the shelf in our closet for years and he kept telling me he should just get rid of it. For whatever reason he never did give it away. Last October his father passed of Cancer. The fanny pack continues to sit on the shelf, but has taken on a new endearing quality. It represents his Dad in so many ways and I can still see that excited look on his face when he gave it to my husband. Who knows, if we keep it another 30 years....he might just use it? Just reminds me that it is the little things that matter in life.....maybe it's not always about the gift we receive, but the joy in giving to others(no matter what it is!).

My most unusal gift was a wedding ring. We had been married 10 years and I only had a simple wedding band. This was a complete shocker to me.

My grandmother was so excited to find shampoo and conditioner in the same bottle, she gave it to all the grandkids for Christmas. There was a room full of dropped jaws.

The most unusual gift I haveever received was given to me after the birth of my sixth child on December 21st. For Christmas, I was given a box of condoms.
jstet@hotmail.com

My mom, how I love her dearly, gave me steak sauce for christmas all different brands and mac-n-cheese. She said I wouldn't buy the more expensive steak sauce for myself and decided she would buy me some of the name brand ones and the same for mac-n-cheese. I just said Thank You and gave her a hug. Needless to say, I never got that kind of gift ever again.

I have got it! A little more than a few years back, I was dating an "interesting" young man! In his desire to give things that you had never recieved before, he bought me a package of Ginger Root........... Yup, that was it. A package of Ginger Root. I was a little underwhelmed to say the least!

My husband and I got a gas gauge for our grill from one of my relatives. They said they thought we'd like it so we'd never run out of propane.

I once got a stuffed animal that had obviously had a previous owner, it smelled like smoke & had baby spit-up on it! Pretty gross.

An empty box our first Christmas together, from my new husband. Fortunately, it hasn't been an empty marriage - as today we celebrated year 6 of our marriage :)

My stepson gave me these big puffy slippers. They are more for kids than a 59 year old man. I haven't worn them yet.

My mom gave me a belly button brush, she thought it would be funny.
I didn't think it was funny. Why would she think of that?

My first marriage, my new husband asked me what I needed for Christmas. I told him I needed socks. When I opened my gift that year I received 1 pair of mens tube socks. That was it. Needless to say we weren't married for very long after that.

My grandparents bought my a Dido CD when I originally asked for a Dio CD! Thanks!

Being a child of the 80's my sister and I always wanted an Easy Bake Oven. WE put it on our Christmas list every single year up until I was 9 and she was 7 and "Santa" never left it under the tree. As we grew older we would see the commercials for Easy Bake ovens and comment how we had always wanted one. So one year there was a gift under my moms tree addressed to both me and my sister from "Santa". We opened it together just like we use to do and low and behold it was the elusive Easy Bake Oven with a note attached to it that said "Now you finally got your Easy Bake Oven maybe now you can shut up about it!". DId I happen to mention I was 26 and my sister was 24 both of us mothers who regulary operated the real oven and no longer had a use for a mini toy oven that made mini cakes with a light bulb. Needless to say my mom had an extremely good laugh looking at our reaction!

I received a four holed button with twine in each hole that you pulled and the button swirled and made a sound. It was many years ago and I still remember that gift. It was very unusual and yet memorable.

Every Christmas, my mother-in-law gives me the gidts that her co-workers gave her that she doesn't want. No joke. What's worse, she doesn't have very good taste, so I'm sure you can only imagine the "treasures" she gives me. I have even found on some of the gifts, the gift tags still adresses to her. It isn't like she can't afford to give me even a little something, she has a 6 figure salary. I would just like for once to receive a gift from her. I don't care if it is a flower from her garden, at least it would be from her.

My brother and sister-in-law once gave me a pair of used, knock-off Ked tennis shoes, in pretty poor shape, as a Christmas gift, and they were so proud of their find!

I once received an old miner's hat from an elderly neighbor. I thought it was kind of odd for him to want me to have it. Now I own a little old country store and I have the hat on display. It starts up many conversation with the old timers of days gone by.

My brother gave me a antique Moroccan prayer board, hand decorated with designs and symbols and script written on the back. He brought it back from a trip he made there doing work as a geologist. I have no idea what it says but it is beautiful.

The most unusual gift was a Christmas miracle. A poor single mom at Christmas. My Car, my frig, and my washer broke a week before what was already going to be a year without a Christmas for my wonderful son. There would be no storybook box of life savors he had in his stocking each year. I decorated my house to brighten our spirits. It was then that the miracles began. I won the neighborhood decorating contest . The prize was $50. When I called to Thank the landlord and express how grateful I was..they waived the month's rent! I could repair everything. My son would have a Christmas including the lifesavors. In line at the store to buy the lifesavors I ran into a cusotmer from work and told him of the miracle, he handed $200. I could not accept it or I would get fired. He told me to give it away. I did. To others in need. It filled my heart! Years later,out of work, we are in the same position.It does not matter because I know that kindness and love are the best gifts of all.

The most unusual (and loved) gift I've received was an antique Singer sewing machine. My husband gave it to me for a birthday and had lovingly restored it. It had sat in someone's garage in the South for many years and the finish was sticky and discolored. It now has a beautiful honey oak finish and is a family treasure.

a moustache trimmer given as a gift to someone with no facial hair

A Santa Claus doll that made a farting sound when the finger was pulled. Entertainment for 5 year olds of all ages.

It was a singing(wall hanging) fish,of course.

Once I was teaching in a Florida Correctional Institution. One of the inmates, who worked in the kitchen, brought me an onion. It was the only thing he had(no apples). It was a beautiful thing. I loved it.

My most unusual gift was a carton of Marlboro Reds and a jug of whiskey!!

Sweet giveaway!

Great prizes I.m in

a small antinque hammer inside a Russell Stover candy box wrapped up for Christmas. The X ate the candy!

A fish in a plastic bag

I probally wont get anything...christmas is for kids ...expecally now right

My Grandmother once sent me a sympathy card on my birthday! lol

...a gold spray painted can with dried pasta on it...it was not a kid that gave it to me ! lol

The wrap! It's several dresses, scarves, sweaters, shirts, etc. You just have to learn how to tie it!

A Christmas Ornament..and I celebrate Hanukkah!!

The most unusual gift I've ever received was Patricia. I found her online just before Christmas a couple of years
ago and we've been together since.

A floor mop that was on an infomerical

Dish towels...for Christmas!

One Christmas I gave my then-boyfriend of several years satin sheets. He gave me a power drill. I found out later that he wrote people in his CHRISTMAS CARDS that we had broken up, long before we actually did. Talk about your Christmas spirit...

Several months before my grandmother died, she and I went through all of her old photos. As I scanned them to my computer hard drive, she identified everyone in the pics. Having those images of my family is a gift that I could never replace... seeing the look on her her face while remembering her life is a treasure.

I have a friend, and she gave me a pair of bedroom slippers that look like fish. They are pretty ugly, but I wear them a lot and my kids think that they are pretty funny.

a goat

The oddest gift I ever received was a baby rat. Really. My husband knew that I was interested in rodents, and out of the blue he got me a sweet little ratty from a local pet store. Most women wouldn't be very happy to get a rat as a gift, but I was delighted. A few days later we went back to the store and bought a second rat as a companion for the first. We named them Ben and Xanthippe. Although they were male and female, they never produced any offspring. They lived happily for several years in a large terrarium furnished with cedar chips and rat toys.

OMG,back a few years ago I collected antiques an old items,things I could decorate my house with,I as always looking in windows of shops,One Christmas my husband had a big gift for me,he was so excited,an I was too until I opened it,OMG,that man had gone an bought me a porcelene(cant spell) Chamber pot!!!! I didnt know what to say,where in the world would you display that??Everyone KNOWS what it was used for,I smiled an said thank you,what do you say,cant take it back because he bought it at a antique shop an it he thought he did so good,so I put it back in the box an put it in the closet,I hoped he would forget,OH NO,he had me get it out an show it to friends an family,he never had a clue that I was so embarred to for people to KNOW he bought me a poop pot for Christmas,he did ask a couple of times why I kept it in the closet,DUH,I told him I was afraid it would get broken,he paid a lot of money for that thing,but peopleeeeeeeeee! pooped in that!!!! Been 15yrs,its still in the closet!

A rack of ribs prize ............I'm a vegetarian.

A toilet seat made of clear lucite with a $1.00 bill in the top and the entire thing seat and top filled with US coins. All told it added up to $18.45 when I counted it up. Was a conversation starter. Given to me by my boyfriend after a business trip to Las Vegas and I hadn't the heart to tell him I didn't like it so I kept it on my john for the 4 years we were together then removed it when we broke up. Now everybody is asking where it is (in the back of my closet) and do I want to sell it.

Give Target Gift Cards

A box containing 100 pamphlets for Rogaine. I am a female and am NOT balding.

a ugly sweater with frogs on it

I got a fur toilet seat cover. I hated that thing but when the giver came to visit I had to drag it out. I was embaresed for anyone else to see it. OH, did I mention that it is lime green.

A memebership to a spa that is 1200 miles away. None of the franchise is in my area

2 or 3 yrs after I'd been married to my husband we spent Christmas at his parents house. I had never met his sister or her husband and it was the first holiday I'd spent with my inlaws. My husbands parents are very proper and British and it was in no way a joke.. i still don't know exactly what it was or why it was given to me. It was a red faux snakeskin pillow with 6 huge black nubs on the top.. and it vibrated. I'm normally really good with covering up embarassing situations or not allowing uncomfortable lulls in conversation but the only thing i could utter was "wow.. thanks!.. it's.. very.. thoughtful.. of you. It looked like some weird sex toy.. I can understand not knowing someone well enough..but isn't that what a scented candle or box of chocolate is for?

the worst came to mind.... my first husband had a drinking problem and I had confided to a friend about how terrible it was, the very next Christmas she gave him a bottle of Makers Mark for Christmas. Hmmm...still don't know how to put that one into perpective...

This gift was given to me by a 70 yr old grandma, I guess when you get older, you can do things like this and one will dare say a word to you. When I was 20 I started dating THE guy, you know the one you think you're gonna marry. Well it was Christmas, and he of course informed his entire family he was bringing me home for the holidays. Once there and settled the gift giving began. Gifts were thrown at me from every direction, which was lovely! After the third or so gift, I hear my guys grandma speak up and say, "Why don't you open that purple one there next." Of course not wanting to disrespect her I politely picked up the package, started to unwrap it, and she says "Tell everybody what it is dear when you get it open." finally opening the gift I was mortified!!! "What does it say everyone asked, what is it?" I reply with a very red face---it was a bottle of beans and the label read---PERSONAL BUBBLE BATH-EAT THESE BEANS, GET IN THE TUB, AND LET THE FARTS FLY!

Holy Cow! I think Maria should win. I would have had a heart attack if I had opened that gift!

I received a girl's "emergency" pack which happened to include such things as a sewing kit, a bottle of water, a candy bar and a few tampons. I thought the overall idea was cute but I could have done without my friend and her husband seeing me open up this box to find tampons inside. I was really hoping he wasn't the one to pick it out!

A dried frog on a stand, wearing a top hat and holding a cane. Unusual to say the least.

The strangest gift I got last year, it was my great grandmother's diamond ring, seems nice doesn't it? Well, apparently when my father dies his ashes are going to be made into a diamond and his ummm...diamond is going to be laid to rest in this ring! I am too scared to ask if my great grandmother is in the ring, because there is already a big diamond in the ring. When a relative asked me why i wasn't wearing the ring at thanksgiving, i said it was being cleaned.

An empty box with no explanation.
I have an older half sister who I've never gotten close to. We'd never exchanged gifts but one Christmas she left me a present at the family holiday celebration. She left the party before I opened it.
My mother asked her about it the following weekend. My sister said she 'forgot to put the item in the box and would mail it'. I never received anything.
The entire situation was very strange.

I received a glove ice scraper. It was a glove with a plastic scraper attached to it, and it wasn't a gag gift. Never did use it.

cake decorating classes, which were actually quite fun and interesting

We were in one of those Christmas swap parties, where you either choose a new gift or "steal" one from someone who has already opened theirs. I chose a new gift. It was totally wrapped in a box. I opened the box up to find a live tarantula. I gave it back to the gifter and pulled out of the game.

Someone gave me a mechanical tarantula toy the next year.

Two years ago l I had back surgery and neck surgery at UC Davis in CA, so I am caged and fused C4-T1 & L4 -L5. I have been doing well after finishing physical threapy, and walking most days. My dad for Christmas last year gave me a unusual gift. I opened a long handled yellow grabber so you don't have to bend over to pick up stuff. You can even grab your coffee cup off the coffee table. The thing was I could have used it before my surgery! But I am finding ways to amuse myself and my 13 year-old son with this thing. Comes in handy when I can't reach the top shelf! It is the thought that counts even though I need to bend over as excerise is the key to healing and keeping the muscles tone to support the bank.
Linda Davison

When I was a seventh grader in Jr. High, I finally snagged what I thought was my dream guy. He was a sports buff and collected baseball cards. For Christmas, I bought him some baseball card, an organizer for his baseball cards and some Christmas candy. I spent my whole allowance on him. Want to know what he got me?....a little ceramic elepant that held earrings and an opened single cassette tape of the B-52's "Love Shack". What's so bad about it is that he stole them from his sister's room. She recognized them on the bus home and said wondered why all of her earrings were just laying everywhere on dresser and her tape with her favorite song was gone from her stereo. I felt horrible.

While I was away at college a few years back my mother sent me a package of a few things I wanted and through in a gift with it. When I recieved the package I opened the gift and I found her car keys wrapped in the tissue paper along with the gift she ment to send me. When I called to ask why she sent me her keys she had said she has been looking for those for days.

My most unusual gift was from an ex-boyfriend, it was a broken DVD player. I was shocked it was our first Christmas together and he gave me broken electronics. I later found out that his friends mother was getting it for his friend but he didn't want it so I was the lucky winner.

As part of a leaving gift when I left my job years ago I was given a blue stripey rug and a bottle of Blue Nun wine. Strange gifts I thought but nice.

The strangest gift i got one year was one of those wwf championship wrestingling belts because i was a fan of the Rock when he used to wrestle. It was fift from a now ex-boyfriend...it was awkward when i opened it and gave him a strange look...I don't know what he was thinking but by far the worst gift and I never forgot.

The strangest Christmas gift I got was a cow horn and box of polident to clean it out. :D That same year i also got a sword, a helm and a chain mail shirt. ( We do historical re-enactment. )

The most unusual gift that i ever received were Scooby Doo car floormats.
My niece and nephew had quizzed me about my alll time favorite cartoon. Four weeks later they were Christmas shopping with their father and picked them out for me. Whenever I take my car in to be serviced I get a little embarassed, but I it really was my favorite cartoon.

A bridal shower gift that I received contained the game Twister and a bottle of baby oil. The worst part was seeing the look on my mothers' face when I opened it.