Having a good sense of humor and looking for the silver lining are two skills that will get you through the toughest of times. And they’re incredibly handy when some minor family-related drama pops up, too!
Internet user u/pandaboat8, writing on behalf of their father, amused the ‘Petty Revenge’ online community with a fun story about what he did when his “quite snooty” sister secretly returned his brilliant Christmas present one year. Scroll down for a good laugh and for some inspiration for witty revenge the next time your relatives are less than grateful. Bored Panda has reached out to the author for comment, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from them.
It's a wonderful feeling when someone genuinely enjoys the gift you got them. However, it's extremely difficult to please some picky people
Image credits: Nappy (not the actual photo)
An internet user, writing on behalf of their jokester dad, shared how he found a creative way to get revenge against his sister, who returned his amusing gift one Xmas
Image credits: worthpoint (not the actual photo)
Image source: pandaboat8
Daily laughter reduces stress, boosts your immune system, improves your mental health, and is a great opportunity to strengthen your relationships
Image credits: A. C. (not the actual photo)
Having someone return a gift that you put a lot of effort into can be heartbreaking. It’s uncomfortable, a bit embarrassing, and frustrating to say the least. And nobody really enjoys arguing with their family, especially around the holidays.
But if you shift your perspective a bit and embrace what happened, you can find the hilarity and absurdity in the entire situation. And we could all do with a bit more humor and joy in our daily lives, not least because it’s great for our physical, mental, and emotional health.
According to research, laughter reduces stress and anxiety, boosts your immune system, improves cardiovascular function, relieves physical tension and pain, and supports your respiratory health.
On top of that, laughing actually gives you a light physical workout, boosts your mood, and strengthens your relationships if you're laughing alongside someone else. Humor also enhances your cognitive function and promotes emotional resilience, Healthline notes.
"Laughter is a simple yet powerful form of self-care that supports your body, mind, and relationships. By making space for humor, you create a healthier foundation for coping with stress, deepening social bonds, and improving your quality of life. You don’t need a perfect mood or a special occasion to laugh. Whether it’s a spontaneous giggle or a full belly laugh, every bit counts."
In the retail world, returning products is quite common, especially around the holidays
Purchase returns are actually fairly common in the retail world, especially around the winter holidays. Based on the findings of a recent report by the National Retail Federation, total retail industry returns were projected to reach a jaw-dropping $890 billion (yes, ‘billion’ with a ‘b,’ not ‘million’ with an ‘m’) in 2024.
At the time, retailers estimated that around 16.9% of their annual sales in 2024 would be returned.
Meanwhile, another NRF study found that, for the 2024 winter holiday period, retailers expected their return rate to be on average 17% higher than their annual return rate. This, in turn, makes retailers take preventative measures like hiring additional seasonal staff to specifically handle returns and to seek additional support from logistics providers.
If you genuinely have to return a gift for some reason, you should consider the giver's feelings first and foremost
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
In an interview with NPR, New York City-based etiquette expert Myka Meier said that “discretion is key so you never hurt the gift giver” when you’re returning a present. From Meier’s perspective, you should stay quiet about returning the gift, unless the giver specifically asks you.
“For most situations, it's better to simply thank them graciously for their thoughtfulness without mentioning the return. The focus should always be on appreciating the gesture of being given a gift, not the item itself. I would still try to avoid ever bringing it up, but I also would not lie," she said.
However, British etiquette consultant Jo Bryant, who favors full transparency, had this to say to NPR: “The best way to return an unwanted gift is to really examine the financial worth, and relationship with the giver. It always involves a tricky conversation, so it is best to prioritise this for more expensive gifts when it really would be [a] shame that you can't use it, and a real waste. You also need to know the person who gave you the gift very well to be so honest with them.”
The internet adored redditor u/pandaboat8’s dad’s revenge story. At the time of writing, the post had already gotten 2.8k upvotes on the ‘Petty Revenge’ subreddit, as well as 93 comments and an award. It just goes to show that with a bit of creativity and wit, you can turn unpleasant situations around fairly quickly.
What do you think about the entire situation, Pandas? Would you have done anything differently if you were in the dad’s shoes? What moustache-twirlingly awesome petty revenge plan would you have concocted?
Has anyone ever returned a present that you’ve gotten them? What do you think is the best way to react to things like this? How do you avoid family holiday drama? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to share them in the comments below. And happy holidays!
The internet absolutely loved the story. Here's what readers had to say about it
Meanwhile, other folks had similar stories of their own to share
