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Bored Panda

Donata Ruzgaitė

61 Pics Of The Most Bizarre Things People Received As Christmas Gifts

Elvis White Elephant

Gifts are one of the best parts of Christmas. Truly, who doesn't want to receive something authentic and well thought out? This year, many Americans said they spent around $1,199 on buying gifts. However, sometimes, the perfect gift isn't always the most expensive one.

The examples on this list certainly prove that. You don't need loads of cash for presents like an Elvis decanter or a comprehensive ancestry family tree. Just some time, effort, and a willingness to find out what the other person likes. There's no room for scented candles here, and these folks will certainly not be re-gifting their cool-as-heck Christmas gifts next year!

#1 My Wife Got This In A White Elephant Gift Exchange

#2 I Was Once Gifted A Solid Bar Of Copper

#3 My White Elephant Gift This Year Was A Picture Of Elephants Participating In A White Elephant

Finding the perfect gift is not easy. That's why the holiday season causes immense amounts of stress for people. In fact, 40% of Americans say that not knowing what gifts to buy seriously messes up their holiday vibe. That worry is only second to having to navigate overcrowded stores during Christmastime.

You'll find lots of White Elephant exchange gifts on this list, and Americans really seem to love their gift exchanges. People online have even been noticing how popular White Elephant is in 2025. A previous poll in 2023 found that the majority of Americans who celebrate Christmas (84%) participate in some kind of gift exchange.

#4 My White Elephant Gift Was My Aunt's Annual Paco Calendar. 12 Months Of Her Favorite Chihuahua, Now The Star Wars Edition

#5 A Gift Given To Me Because I Unicycle. His Little Legs Go Up And Down As You Cut

#6 Was Gifted Four Leaf Clovers That Are Growing Obscenely Tall

The popularity of Christmas gift exchanges differs by the age of the person. Gen Z is the most likely (98%) to take part in White Elephant or Secret Santa, with Millennials following closely (72%). Surprisingly, Gen X is the generation least likely (45%) to participate in a gift exchange, and Baby Boomers (50%) are in the middle.

On average, Americans planned to participate in six gift exchanges in 2023. The numbers for 2025 are still pending, but in 2024, the online platform White Elephant Online reported that 4,600 players participated in 3,000 gift exchanges with the help of its website, swapping around 47,000 gifts in total.

#7 I Just Got Rick Rolled Via White Elephant Gift Exchange

#8 I Was Gifted A Piece Of The Berlin Wall

#9 I Was Gifted My Maternal Grandmother’s Nearly Complete 8th Generation Family Tree

It's probably not ideal to gift someone what you want to get for yourself. Luckily, most Americans agree, as, on average, the gifts they want to receive differ slightly from what they give to other people for Christmas. In 2025, the most popular gifts to both give and receive were clothes and shoes.

However, the most common gifts Americans bought for someone else were toys and games, vouchers or gift cards, food and snacks, books, and health and beauty products. Ironically, out of these, people wanted to receive gift cards the least. Only one in ten Americans says they would like to get a voucher as a Christmas present.

#10 Probably The Coolest White Elephant Gift I’ve Received. An Elvis Decanter From The ‘70s That Is Filled With McCormicks Whiskey And Plays Music

#11 We Think This Is The Perfect White Elephant Gift

#12 I Was Gifted A Whole Metre Of Spaghetti For Christmas

Of course, gift preferences differ according to age as well. Older people don't really want to receive clothes, books, or health and wellness products. In the poll, they listed their preference as "other," meaning more personalized or less conventional gifts. Sports equipment, vouchers, music, movies, and video games were also among the least favorites for those aged 60 and over.

#13 My Gift From Our Office’s White Elephant

#14 Had A White Elephant Gift Exchange With Family. Here’s My Contribution

#15 A Sawfish 'Saw My Great Grandfather Gifted Me. ~107 Cm Tall

White Elephant might be gaining more and more popularity in recent years because it's a bit more interesting than your average Secret Santa. The origins of the White Elephant gift exchange are traced back to Siam, or modern-day Thailand. According to legend, the king would give white elephants to subordinates whom he didn't like. And that logic tracks to this day: White Elephant is about giving away silly, unusable gifts, with the chance for other participants to steal them.

#16 My White Elephant Gift With Its Ecstatic New Owner

Found this at an antique and oddities shop near me. Paid $18, then taped $20 worth of candy to the back of it. She was so happy! I guess her jeep caught fire last year. I'm not sure if this was even the same year, very, very doubtful. But she was so happy to get it. The candy was just a bonus.

#17 Someone Boxed And Wrapped A Hot And Fresh Grocery Store Rotisserie Chicken For Our Annual Cut-Throat Pollyanna Party This Year

We’ve been doing this party for more than 15 years at this point and surprisingly no one has ever brought a hot meal as a gift. This was hilarious and it was coveted and stolen during the night. The person who brought it did a great job at sealing it in the box to prevent any odor or hints that there’s a whole chicken in the pile of presents.

#18 My Family's Annual White Elephant Gift Exchange. Everything You See In This Picture Must Be Displayed In Our Homes For The Entire Year. And Yes, Someone Got A Christmas Tree

But what if you're completely out of ideas about what to give another person? Well, the starting point would be making peace with the fact that you're probably not going to give someone the perfect gift. Let's be real: those don't exist. People like different things; some want a gift that's thoughtful and personal and doesn't cost a fortune, while others may prefer that it costs at least more than $10. Some people prefer experiences; others want more tangible things like accessories, clothes, or certain objects.

#19 I Wrapped Up $25 Dollars Worth Of Quarters For A White Elephant Gift

#20 My White Elephant Gift Exchange Item In Decoy Wine Bag. I Love A Laugh But I’m No Monster. There’s A Liquor Store Gift Card In The Bottom Of The Bag

#21 I Definitely Won White Elephant

Still, you can usually get some hints about what a person would like if you know them at least a little bit. Erica Cerulo, the co-host of the A Thing or Two podcast, told Vox that there are three gift-giving boxes that might give you some direction about what to gift a person.

Can I introduce someone to something they might not otherwise know about?
Can I get them a nicer version of something than they would buy for themselves?
Or can I make them feel seen?

#22 Glow Gloves I Got At A White Elephant A Few Years Back

#23 When You Hear That Your Friends Are Doing A White Elephant, You Need The Absolute Best Gift

#24 Made My Own Christmas White Elephant Gift

Another strategy, often used for giving presents to kids, is the five gift rule. Some choose to give one gift from each category, but if you're gifting to a colleague or an acquaintance, choosing one from each category would suffice.

Something they want.
Something they need.
Something to wear.
Something to read.
Something they don't know they need.

#25 Just Finished My White Elephant Gift

#26 Got This Big Roll Of Toilet Paper As A Gag Gift For Christmas. Whose Laughing Now?

#27 Every Year My Friends Have A White Elephant/Gag Gift Christmas Party. This Year I Gave A Generic Thrift Store Painting With A Few Things I Added

You don't have to dread the holiday season because you don't know what to give people. Many of us are in the same boat and are just trying to figure things out! Most people even prefer to give gifts compared to receiving them, and 82% of Britons believe they are good gift-givers. So, chin up, because this Panda believes in you, and this list might even help you get an idea or two!

#28 This Urkel-Centaur Was A Gift In My Family’s White Elephant Gift Exchange Last Night

#29 This Dashboard Bobblehead I Won At Dirty Santa

#30 A Bamboo Keyboard Received By Dad As A Gift

What did you get for Christmas, Pandas? Let us know what Santa put under your Christmas tree this year. Also, don't be shy and share the gifts you gave to others, too! You might give some good ideas to others about what to gift next Christmas. If you feel like reading some juicy Christmas family drama, check out this story about a woman who is refusing to host Christmas dinner for the eighth year in a row!

#31 My Insurance Company Sent Me A Christmas Gift. It's A New Battery For My Fire Alarm

#32 My Girlfriend Received This As A Gift And We Have No Clue What It Is

#33 I Got A Signed Picture Of Chuck Norris From A White Elephant Gift Exchange

#34 I Made A Playable Guess Who For A White Elephant Gift Exchange

#35 Stainless Steel Object With An Angled Hooked End. Given As A Gift

Helpful-Fruit-1404:

High Quality Stainless Steel Spaghetti Pasta Measure Tool with Hook, and that's a more likely gift than a surgical tool, too.

#36 I'd Say I Won My White Elephant Gift Exchange

#37 Somebody Gifted My Dad Around 15 Lbs Of Provolone

#38 Given As A House Parting Gift, A Small Turtle Figurine, Not Sure If Real Gold, Random Numbers On The Bottom

#39 This Was Received As A Gift But Neither Of Us Know What It Really Is. It’s Wooden, Seemingly Handcrafted, Has A Leather Loop. Kinda A Bowl, But Like Not?

#40 I Won The White Elephant Gift Exchange

#41 This Was One Of The White Elephants Gifts At The Christmas Party Last Night

#42 The White Elephant Gift I'm Giving At Tonight's Christmas Party

#43 My White Elephant Gift To An Unfortunate Coworker

#44 What Is This Thing Received By A Family Member As A Christmas Gift?

Top half silver, bottom half wood. Around 10-12 cm long, stamped with 'S*B', an anchor, lion and horseshoe.

Edit:

Thanks for the answers guys!

Nail buffer (minus the covering) produced in 1938 by Synyer & Beddoes in Birmingham.

#45 White Elephant At Work. 80 Gift Cards And Only 1 With Money

#46 The Perfect Combination Of Two White Elephant Gifts

#47 My Contribution To The Family White Elephant Gift Exchange. No One In My Family Is Named Helen And I Found The Photo On The Internet

#48 This Thing Came With The Perfume Gift Set But I Have No Idea What’s Supposed To Be

It feels like it’s made of clay or something but there’s no description in the box or anything.

lightningusagi:

It's a perfume diffuser. You can spray your perfume on it, and it will absorb it and release the smell into the air.