If you’re looking for a gift for a coworker, it’s PROBABLY not a good idea to surprise them with a pet turtle that may outlive them. Someone just did a poll on holiday etiquette, and there are some fascinating results. Here are the highlights:
1. Leaving the price tag on a gift . . . 56% say it’s unacceptable.
2. Giving a child a toy gun as a gift . . . 40% say it’s not okay.
3. Giving a pet as a gift . . . 38% say unacceptable. (Especially if it’s a surprise and they might not want it. Another 22% said maybe, maybe not, it depends on the context.)
4. Not giving a gift to someone who gave you one . . . 37% say that’s not cool.
5. Giving a gift that’s secondhand or used . . . 34% say unacceptable.
6. Not giving a gift to a close family member . . . 29% say that’s not okay.
7. Asking for cash as a gift . . . 29% say that’s unacceptable.
8. Throwing away wrapping paper instead of recycling or reusing it. . . 28% of people say that’s unacceptable. (That includes 98% of grandmas.)
9. Giving someone else’s child a gift that makes a lot of noise . . . 28% say that’s unacceptable.
10. Giving a gag gift instead of a serious one . . . 28% say that’s not cool.
11. Re-gifting an item . . . 25% say that’s unacceptable.
12. Giving a gift that’s unwrapped . . . 24% say that’s unacceptable.
13. Asking for donations to a cause instead of a gift . . . 16% say that’s unacceptable.
14. Waiting until the last minute to shop for gifts . . . 14% say that’s unacceptable.
15. Returning or exchanging a gift . . . 10% say that’s unacceptable.
16. Giving a gift AFTER the holidays . . . 7% say that’s unacceptable.
17. Giving cash as a gift . . . only 4% say that’s not okay. (Because come on, who wouldn’t just want some money to buy what they REALLY want?)
(YouGov)