6
My aunt gave me a half-used candle for Christmas 5 years ago.
I was 22, living in a tiny apartment in Denver, and she handed me a gift bag with this burned-down candle that smelled like old coffee and vanilla. The wick was barely an inch long and it took me three tries to even get it to light for more than a minute. Has anyone else gotten a gift that felt like they just rummaged through their junk drawer and wrapped it up?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
troyreed1mo ago
Next time someone hands you something like that, just smile and regift that thing to someone you don't like. Works every time. But seriously, old burnt candles are the laziest gift out there. Half used means she probably lit it a few times, decided she hated the smell, and pawned it off on you for Christmas. Keep it around for emergencies when the power goes out, but don't feel bad tossing it in the trash.
4
mark_thomas1mo ago
That whole thing is just a symptom of the bigger trend where people treat gift giving like a chore they have to check off a list. It’s the same energy as someone buying a generic candle or a cheap mug at the checkout counter because they forgot a birthday and need something to wrap up quick. The real pattern is that everyone is so busy with their own stuff that half the time nobody actually stops to think about the person receiving the gift (and what they actually might like). You get junk like burnt candles or half-empty bath sets, and then the whole cycle just keeps going, because nobody wants to be the one to say “hey, this is kind of thoughtless.”
4
the_paul1mo ago
Mark Thomas is right that there's a lot of thoughtless gift-giving out there, but I think he's making it sound way more serious than it really is... it's just a candle, man.
3