*Disclaimer*
The author of this article is not responsible for ruined friendships, broken hearts, crushed dreams, etc. Please practice these techniques with extreme caution.
We’ve all been there. Heart pounding, palms sweating, excitement rising. You anxiously tear off the wrapping paper to see the gift you’ve never wanted. Before you freak out, think about how the person even got you anything at all, and be grateful.
Maybe your grandma got you a Playstation 2 instead of a Playstation 4. Or worse: she got you socks. If it’s your grandma or another close relative, smile and pretend to love it. If it’s from anyone else, though, you must quickly evaluate the situation. You have a few options. None of these are recommended (especially in cases where the gift was meant to be serious).
If the bad gift (like an empty box) is from a friend, you could laugh about it. They probably meant for it to be funny. If they start laughing, too, that’s a good sign. That will give you a few moments to think of how to get them back. Getting them back could simply be getting them a funny gift next year, or it could be as extreme as filling their toothpaste tube with mayonnaise.
If your friend gives you a bad present, you can always re-gift it. Just because you hate it doesn’t mean everyone will. Think of someone who you can give it to (as a joke or a serious gift). Consider re-gifting it to the person who gave it to you. That’ll teach them!
Fancy theatrics? Throw your arms up and begin shouting. That will let them know that they screwed up. Make it big, but don’t make them cry. When you’re done, make sure to let the person know you were only joking.
As stated earlier, you can always give an equally bad gift to the person next year. If they got you a terrible movie, give them a terrible book (if possible, get the book corresponding to the movie). They buy you a presidential puzzle; you buy them the special edition Barack Obama Chia Pet (yes, that exists).
All joking aside, whatever the gift is, smile and be appreciative. Be grateful that they cared enough to get you anything. Remember, it’s the thought that counts.