Lexi:

The best: If you’ve ever watched Christmas comedy classic, ‘Elf’, then you’ll have some idea of what I was like as a child! Honestly, every gift was ‘THE BEST EVER’. But I think my parents topped the charts one year with a Fisher Price dollhouse… until my brother received the knights and castle version and my little plastic family decided to vacation in the Middle Ages rather a lot.

The worst: Secret Santa of ’09 gifted me a fruit cake. The worst part? It was ‘reduced fat’.

Cachin:

The best: Was when my family and I went skiing in Hokkaido in Japan – it was freezing (and I definitely belong in HOT climates) but I got to experience the magical moment of eating lavender ice cream in the snow… definitely one of the most memorable moments of my life to date!

The worst: My parents wrapped up a massive box and I got super excited that it was an amazing gift only to open it and to find it it was actually a purple… LAMP. My family thought they were being hilarious but come to think of it, I never got anything other than my “joke present”. Think I lucked out on that Christmas.

Tania:

The best: Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year, so all the presents, food and festivities have merged into one glorious champagne-tinted blur. Looking back, my most recent favourite was one particularly well-stuffed stocking. Complete with the rose gold watch I’d been eyeing for months, and enough chocolate to last ’til next December.

The worst: When I was about 13, a family friend gave my sister an intricate little silver jewellery box (so my hopes were high!)… But when I unwrapped my little parcel of joy, I found one of the free McDonalds toys you get with Happy Meals. I know it’s the thought that counts, but they could’ve been more subtle about who the favourite child was!

Kat:

The best: My son was born near Christmas time and it goes without saying that he was one of the best presents ever (minus the sleepless-zombie nights that ensued soon after). Outside of that, one of my most memorable gifts was the Pocket Locker (a digital notebook that came with a password and all!) I had received as a tween. I had seen the commercial on TV and it was honestly all I ever wanted so I was completely floored when my parents surprised me with it on Christmas Day.

The worst: At university, a group of us have the annual tradition of giving one another Secret Santa gag gifts. The total amount is $10 Canadian (approx $60 HKD). One year, someone received a plastic picture frame with the giver’s mug plastered on frame and the remaining $5 in small change (we’re talking pennies and nickels aka 5 cents) taped to the frame. The worst gift but also the most hilarious and memorable!

Pearl:

The best: I was traveling in Johannesburg, South Africa on Christmas Eve in 2015, and I was preparing to spend Christmas by myself – my boyfriend at the time couldn’t make it back to SA due to visa problems. Then I randomly met this lady on the train and she invited me to spend Christmas with her and her family. It was the warmest (literally, as it was summer!) Christmas I’ve ever had and they were the best gift I could have asked for.

The worst: My friend got me the Gift of Nothing (look it up it’s actually a thing) last year. Okay, you’ve made your point.