Dubai: With Christmas around the corner, many people are impatiently waiting to tear open their gifts under the Christmas tree. However, can those perfectly wrapped gift boxes be a disappointment?
With Christmas-inspired gift ideas flooding the malls, holiday shoppers are hoping to make the right choices for their family and friends without breaking the bank.
Gulf News talked to Dubai residents about the funniest and worst Christmas gifts they have received in previous years, and asked them about their budgeting strategies when gift shopping for family and friends.
British Sarah H., 32, said she has received several bad gifts across the years, with the worst being a bright red and green Christmas jumper with a protruding golden star attached to it.
“I have had my fair share of bad gifts, especially from great uncles and aunts back in the UK. I don’t get upset any more, I just laugh it off and give it away to charity,” said Sarah.
The Dubai resident said she tries to purchase “smart gifts” for her close family and friends that are valuable and useful. “It’s not about the financial worth of a gift, it’s about its value and meaning to the person you’re giving it to. I try not to disappoint,” added Sarah.
Another Dubai resident, Russian Olga Zolotova, said she often received the weirdest Christmas presents when she was a student in Dubai years ago. “The funniest gift was a satellite phone. I knew the importance of it in the outdoors, but back then I was not into outdoor activities and had no use for it,” she said.
The Dubai resident allocates Dh1,500-2,000 for gift shopping, and hopes not to spend double on a Christmas night out with friends.
Egyptian Maria S. said the worst gift she received was a travel neck cushion made of “cheap, itchy material”. “A travel pillow wouldn’t be so bad for a gift if it were good quality. The one I was given is terrible and has been sitting in the boot of my car for over a year because no one wants it for free,’ she added.
When it comes to budgeting for Christmas gifts, Maria said it depends on the person she’s gifting. “Some people are a tad more special than others, so it’s worth spending extra money on them just because the present will actually mean much more to them,” she explained. Maria pointed out that she tries to get everyone — close or not — a good gift that would put a smile on their face, even if it’s as small as a Christmas mug from Starbucks.
Meanwhile, Indian Ashwini Pai said she finds a use for every gift. “I would say a box of chocolates when I am on a diet would be the worst timing, not the worst gift,” said Pai. Keeping an open budget for family and friends’ gifts, Pai also participates in secret Santa at her workplace.
“We keep a budget set of Dh20, 50, 100 and another set with colleagues’ names. You pick one of each and have a combination,” she added.
With hopes of receiving the best gifts this Christmas, Dubai residents eagerly await a session of gift exchanges under the tree on Christmas morning.
