All I want for Christmas is…. Oh, not that
We have all been there. Opening something on Christmas day, your entire extended family’s eyes on you and having to smile so widely your face hurts. You over enthusiastically say “Oh my god! I love it!” as you unwrap something you detest, breaking out in mild sweat as you try your hardest to disguise any signs of dismay. With Christmas Day just under a month away, we asked KU students what was the worst present they had ever been given.
Jessica Chewter, 20, Radiography:
“My nan once bought a desk for a child in a third world country as my Christmas present. On the day I was handed a picture of this boring standard wooden desk and everyone was watching me open it, it was so embarrassing. When she gave it to me I was thinking ‘are you serious?’ but I told her it was very kind. She kept saying it was so kind of me to give someone a desk but I didn’t even give it. I don’t think I ever saw the picture of the desk after Christmas day.”
Lucy Major, 20, Drama and English Language:
“I know men always complain about getting a standard Lynx set for Christmas, but imagine getting one as a girl. I got bought the Dark Temptation Chocolate one from my nan. I think she just thought I would smell like chocolate. I pretended to like it in front of her but my dad called out and said it was for boys. She didn’t think it was any different!”
Sioned Evans, 21, Human Nutrition:
“Every Christmas my mum buys me a tea infuser and loose-leaf tea. In reality that sounds like a nice gift right? The problem is I have too many infusers and too much tea now. My family live back in Ireland so every January I pack up my case with my bloody new infuser and my tea and travel back to uni. She thinks herbal tea is the answer to all my problems because I’m stressed. I swear she thinks I use up all the tea she gives me but really I’m just creating a collection on the top shelf of my small Uni cupboard. ”
Tess Edwards, 20, Graphic Design:
“For five years in a row my auntie would buy me some woolly hat, scarf and gloves sets. The only problem is, I’m allergic to wool. She knows this, yet every year I think she forgets and buys me another set. I have to act really pleased every time. One year, we had to go on a boxing day walk with her so I had to put them on, I had red itchy eczema all over my head, neck and hands for days after. Anything to please the relatives I suppose.”
Rachel Dicker: 22, Human Nutrition:
“I was around 11 or 12 years old when one Christmas my auntie bought me a donation gift for people living in poverty. She handed me an Oxfam envelope and it was a fridge magnet with a picture of condoms on it. But at the time I didn’t really know what a condom looked like so I was just very confused. I was kind of expecting it and I didn’t mind as it was for a good cause.”
Megan Kelly 
Maurizio Kayonjo