The holidays tend to bring out the best in some people. Generosity and goodwill are at an all-time high, and people usually are in the giving mood. And at some point, all the gifting that goes on during the holidays can go completely awry with a present that’s odd, hideous, inappropriate or just not your style at all. When you get a gift you hate, how do you react? Ideally, we should all remember the old adage, “It’s the thought that counts.” But when you open that Chia pet from your aunt, it can be tough to mask your disdain. Nip any hurt feelings in the bud by thanking the giver, first and foremost, no matter how much you hate it. Making a face or saying out loud that you don’t like the gift is sure to engender hurt feelings. You simply cannot throw manners out the window if the gift was given in good faith and the person is excited to see how you’ll react to their seemingly thoughtful and carefully chosen gift.

If you do happen to react with shock, cover it up by saying something like, “Wow! I wasn’t expecting this!” or “I don’t have anything like this!” Always thank a gift giver for thinking of you. Use or wear the gift once or twice around the giver, then donate it. Perhaps you think your uncle’s eyeglass repair kit is a tacky gift, but it may come in handy someday – give a seemingly terrible gift a chance. And if you know for sure that you’ll never use or wear the gift, why not get together with friends after the holidays to have a gift swap party? It’s a fun way to “regift” that bad present, and you may get something you really love in return. The only reason not to be gracious when receiving a bad gift is if the gift is offensive or inappropriate. For example, a co-worker or your boss giving a sex toy in your office’s random gift giving isn’t all right – in fact, you might need to file a report with human resources. Giving the gift back with the explanation that it would make you uncomfortable to accept it is perfectly fine. Hey, there’s always next year…