Am I the only one who hates giving and receiving gifts in general?

Growing up we had nothing. We were very financially challenged. As a result we did not give very many gifts. When I have been given a gift I overwhelmingly feel anxiety over showing the proper amount of gratitude and fretting over weather I got them one and if it was good enough or if I've offended them. Its an exhausting and frustrating awkward experience. I would much rather someone just bake some cookies or make a pie we can all enjoy instead.

Someone who didn't know anything about me once gave me a NEW TESTAMENT! Wheeeee! She said it was REALLY for my daughter. I told her that I was glad she wanted to give us a gift but that I didn't have any value for the book and I gave it back to her.

Felt GOOD!

(A bonsai Tree sounds nice.)

The worst gift I've been given was some plain grey socks.

Socks say: hum drum, bus stops, small talk, the Conservative party, bank accounts and slow death by loss of creativity.

My ex is a webmaster. He has a xian hymnal website. For mother's day 2008 he dedicated a hymn to me on his website. He used the music to an existing hymn, and wrote a poem to fit the music. There was nothing in the words about mothers or love or anything, it was an Easter hymn. Jaw hit floor. My kids were watching and I said "oh how nice." And Easter being in April, mother's day in May. I had asked for something for the garden and I got a god damned hymn because he couldn't even bother to shop or ask one of the girls to shop. It was dedicated to me on his website. In the divorce I asked for all mention of my name to be removed from the site. Worst gift ever.

A fully stocked "cleaning caddy" from my ex. He was so proud of it, too.

The worst gift I ever received was a bible from my father. It was liberating two years ago when I shredded it in a fit of rage. That year I was 13 my brother got a radio controlled car he was two years older than me. He was also molesting me for a couple years at this point along with my dads friend. When I was 14 I held my brother at gunpoint for a while was put in a drug rehab then ran away. I make no fucking apologies ever for who I am or my beliefs. My dad was the organist at every church we attended, people loved him!???

A leather tool belt...not exactly what I expected for a birthday present...but we had just bought our first house...so maybe it was a hint?

A food hamper with champagne. I am a vegan and detest champagne

Whenever i am with somene their relatives always get me aftershave i have eczma and cannot use aftershave at all

A cartoon of cigarettes and Ten pack of lighters.
I did not smoke much at time and not that brand at all or type at all

Nothing. More than once.

Worst gift I gave: My husband and I made wreaths comprised of pine trees and cabins cut out of wood, painted, and glued into a circle. My sister called when the box arrived and we were on the phone. “Oh! It’s a....a...bunch of little painted trees and houses!” Bless her heart for trying to make sense of it. The glue hadn’t held, so the whole wreath concept went kaput. Worse? We made and shipped 4 of those damn wreaths.

On my birthday, my boyfriend took me to the Pendleton Woolen Mill in Oregon. Willy bought a pattern and plaid wool fabric for me to sew him a long-sleeved, wool shirt. I felt disgusted.

Four years later, I left Willy without making him that shirt.

Oh that would be the hand crocheted poncho my Aunt made for me.

Were they in style at the time? Well no.

Did I have to wear it in complete teenage angst? Well yes. Mostly to Church.

My Auntie was a nice lady - but she often also gave me perfume (which I didn't wear).

She did give me some lovely old tea cups and saucers once. So it wasn't always terrible unwanted gifts.

1. My boyfriend - ex - who was a carpenter, gave me a tape measure for my birthday. I had absolutely no use for one (I don't sew, I don't build stuff, and I don't measure myself), and he knew it.
2. Okay - somewhat long story - in the '80s I was in the hospital with major depression and a severe eating disorder. I'd been there for four months, and my birthday came around. My mother called and announced she was going to send me a Charlie fragrance set for my birthday. I told her please, don't, because Charlie smelled awful on me plus it made me cough and wheeze, and I suggested several other, less expensive scents that were compatible with my body chemistry and didn't give me an allergic reaction. She told me I didn't have good taste, and that I needed Charlie. I begged her not to send me any Charlie.
   And on my birthday, I received a big set of Charlie fragrance products from my mother. I gave it all away to other patients.
   Slight back story - my mother always doused herself in Charlie. She was a pedophile.

off the top of my head a plastic electric rice maker from mil. Thought bubble: HFS you REALLY don't know me do you, nor do you care. Unlike you I KNOW how to make rice!

After many years of things like that I finally prepared a gag gift for her for xmas. For several years I'd leave it in my car,just in case. It's almost like she knew.... I'd put white duct tape around a red broom to make it look like a candy cane & printed out a sticker that said "Sweep the Skies in Holiday Style"... It's still waiting for her.... ???

I hate getting lotions and bath soaps, make up, jewelry, generally anything that comes in a pre packaged gift basket... I don't wear any of those

A banana slicer from my ex for my birthday. It was one time he actually got me something for my birthday.

For Christmas he bought me a watch. After I insisted that he not buy me a watch because I really, really didn't need a watch. Anything but a watch. He decided he really wanted me to have a watch.

Every shirt my grandmother ever bought me for Xmas or my birthday year after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year.................

Got an absolutely hideous ceramic sculpture for Christmas, one year - Jed Clampett meets Oliver Twist (my name for it). months later, we were house sitting for some neighbor friends & I suggested losing it by surreptiously placing it among their nik naks. They weren't home 10 minutes before the woman shouted for us to get the damned thing out of their house!

My first wife gave me two. The first was a musical beer mug for which I had no desire and never used. The second was a shirt and vest sweater combination (which she probably bought on sale because the store could not get rid of it) of such hideous colors that I never wore them.

My ex once made the mistake of buying me a new iron for our anniversary. I told him off so viciously that from then on he bought me roses, but ruined it by complaining as he handed them to me that he couldn't understand why women wanted flowers..they were so stupid.

I should have dumped him the moment I saw he considered me his maid. Never again.

Yet, strangely, when I caught him having an affair with a friend's wife, turns out he'd just bought her a beautiful silver necklace and let her buy all new clothes on his dime, so he at least did know how to give women good gifts when inspired by adultery.

My mother in law at the time handed me a plastic bag with a shirt made out of jeans material. The sleeves were long and bloused and the front had frills. It was the ugliest shirt I'd ever seen. I thought she had picked it up for someone else and asked me what I thought of it. Well, I was honest. Turns out, it was my belated birthday gift. So very awkward.

I think you are talking about gifts given as veiled insults here.
If someone gives me an actual gift, I appreciate it because they wanted to give me a gift. If I receive a gift meant to be an insult or a jibe (it only ever happened once), I make double the fuss, thank them profusely and ask how they knew it was what I needed.

I'm always grateful if anyone takes time out of their lives to remember to give me a gift. It really is the thought that counts. I'll take that Klingon mug! ?