Each year the media likes to discuss what the most sought after gifts will be for that Christmas. Of course, once twelve months has passed, they are on to the hottest gifts for that year and no one can quite remember what the top gifts were the year before.

What people never forget, however, is the awful presents they sometimes get at Christmas. These remain, lurking, in the recesses of your mind and occasionally leap out at you unbidden.

So, I did a highly researched, extensive and scientific survey to find out which were the five worst Christmas gifts ever. Well, I asked a few friends and family anyway. It turns out that these are the very worst gifts:

1) Socks. We all have sufficient pairs of socks. Thank you. We don’t need anymore. So if you are even considering thinking about buying someone socks. Stop right there. Go and buy something else.

2) Secondhand Clothing. Look, I don’t care if it is vintage Dior. It’s still secondhand. It’s either something you didn’t want yourself or something you bought from a charity shop. Try harder next time.

3) Household Cleaning Products. If you are a man, particularly one that has only recently started living with his partner, do not buy your other half a vacuum cleaner or a washing machine. Or anything even remotely related to work. Otherwise, you will soon find yourself alone, right.

4) One Year’s Gym Membership. This is just cruel. And insensitive. You really don’t want to send the message to your loved one that he or she needs to lose weight. And no one ever uses gym memberships, even when they’ve bought them themselves. So this one is out.

5) Makeup. Another mistake made by men. Do not buy your wife or girlfriend makeup. You’ll get it wrong. You’ll buy the right brand, but the wrong shade or the right shade but the wrong brand. Or something. No matter how hard you try, it will be wrong. Makeup should only be bought by women.

Beyond even the top five worst gifts, I did learn that one female friend of mine was bought facial hair lightening creme by her now ex boyfriend. I also found out a vegetarian friend received a ’50 Interesting Things To Do With Chicken’ cookery book; while a male friend got nose hair trimmers.

So, on Christmas day, if you are a little unhappy with your gifts, you can rest easy knowing that none of your friends or family was so insensitive as to get you any of the awful gifts listed in this article.

For great, guaranteed ‘not dreadful’ presents, check out Find Me A Gift’s range of christmas gifts this year. Or, better yet,get one of their personalised gifts.

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