Woman left in tears after getting the 'worst' Secret Santa gift at work — and we don’t blame her

Secret Santa is supposed to spread holiday cheer—a fun and thoughtful activity for co-workers with whom we spend a large part of our days. Whether heartfelt, humorous, or practical, the right gift can bring happiness to someone, as holidays aren't a happy occasion for everyone. Such was the case with a woman who got the short end of the stick and burst into tears at her workplace after receiving the worst Secret Santa present ever. The woman, who goes by the username @chonkychihuahua on X (formerly Twitter), took to the platform to share her experience.

As reported by The Mirror, she penned, "Having such a horrible day and my Secret Santa gift just arrived and it's so terrible I burst into tears when I opened the package." So what was the present? Well, an A5 journal, its pages holding just the message 'Merry Christmas.' The woman stressed, "I'm the lowest paid person here, and I still put more effort than this." She added, "I feel incredibly stupid for dishing out 1k on a gift because I don't know how much you're supposed to spend...Like, I get it's supposed to be about the sentiment, but I'm feeling the wrong kind right now."

Netizens flocked to the comment section to share similar disappointing stories. On X, a person (@dr_strange_who) commented, “That's me my whole life. I give people personalised thoughtful gifts and get so disappointed in return. I stopped taking ANYTHING now.” Another person (@nawrrrcos) shared, “I hope whoever gifted you this has eggshells in their plum cake on Christmas.” In a similar vein, a comment also read, “You think that's bad, my nephew received a pack of dog food [when] he doesn't even have a dog.”

As the comments poured in, a netizen who goes by the username @techbrohater sympathized, “Oh god, this reminds me of my first ever internship. I had a 5k stipend, and I spent 2k on a Secret Santa gift. I was stupid.” Others saw humor in the situation. Choosing the ideal gift is not an easy task, but some thought in selection can never hurt. Wilko once surveyed 2,000 adults to find out what they would truly like as a Secret Santa gift, as reported by Metro.

Leading the list were champagne, chocolates, books, candles, and gift cards—classic crowd-pleasers. Perfume and bubble bath bombs also made the top 40, but choose wisely. Fragrance is personal, so only gift perfume if you know their favorite scent. The secret to a great gift is to pay attention. You can also ask around the office, as a little detective work goes a long way in picking something that one will truly enjoy. If gift shopping gives you anxiety, remember—a fun, lighthearted present is also the way to go. Sometimes, a good laugh is just as worth it as the gift itself.