Ho ho, ho! Merry Christmas, dear Pandas!
If you celebrate this all-consuming (but cheerful) holiday, you are familiar with how much planning and preparation it entails. Coming up with a fresh new menu, decorating every corner of your house, and buying gifts a month in advance are just a few things we do to make this day extra special for our loved ones.
But as the proverb says, “Man plans and God laughs.” Despite our careful preparations, there’s plenty of room for error. Our Bored Panda team has gathered some of the most unfortunate failures and accidents that happened to people during this holiday season.
From misprinted greeting cards to cracked teeth, it reminds us that our celebrations could get much worse. So gather around and scroll through the list to find some humor and beauty in the disasters people have experienced on this sparkling day.
#1 White’s Family Christmas Card
Image credits: atdanwhite
#2 Someone Has Been Cutting Our Christmas Lights. Today, We Caught The Culprit
The first day, we suspected it was Jehovah's Witnesses (the only people approaching the house that day). The second day, we thought it might be kids just outside the camera's view. On the third day, we found out who it was. I had no idea rabbits could produce such clean cuts.
Image credits: henryhendrixx
As we can see from the pictures, during this busy time, the long to-do list lingering in our heads can lead to various mistakes and accidents. One of the most common injuries during the holiday season comes from decorations.
It’s estimated that 18,400 people in the US are hurt by them each year. Surprisingly, 10% of this group are children under four years old. Additionally, middle-aged adults are the most prone to decor-related ER visits, whereas young adults and teenagers are the least likely.
#3 I Got Up Christmas Morning To Get Some H2O, Fainted In The Kitchen, And Crashed Down To The Floor. Came To With A Split Lip And Spat Chunks Of Teeth In A Pile
Thank you, dear Santa, for my new Christmas smile!
Image credits: Zagmut
#4 I Battled Alcoholism For Years. I Quit Drinking 19 Months Ago. Today I Received This At My In-Laws' Christmas Party
Image credits: GetYourDichotomy
#5 What I Was Greeted By This Morning At Work, The First Day After Christmas Break
Image credits: DekuTheOtaku
#6 My Boy Thor Passed On Christmas Day. My Girl Has Been Struggling To Cope Since. She Loves Stuffed Animals So For This Christmas I Ordered Her A Cuddle Clone. I Paid $300 For This
Image credits: WaddupThugsBunny
Amidst the sparkling decor, Christmas trees are the main cause of holiday fires that injure more than 1,600 people and rack up $990 million in damages in the US every year. Almost a third of them are the result of various electrical issues.
Not to mention the fact that about 1,000 people are hurt by their Christmas tree when fixing decorations on the higher branches.
#7 After Working 3 Positions And Managing 20 Employees, Here’s My Work Christmas Gift
Image credits: JungleLiquor
#8 My Bed For Christmas (And The Last 3.5 Days Stranded At The Airport)
Image credits: JoshuaDudeman
#9 What I Ordered vs. What I Got
Image credits: Negative-Rub5351
#10 Negative Temperatures In Texas But At Least Our House Stayed Toasty. Merry Christmas
The firefighters told us it was faulty wiring. My husband overheard them talking to each other and they were discussing the duplex. They think it used to be one home they split in two, that they updated the other side but didn’t bring our side up to code. The fire started up in the attic apparently and went down through the furnace. It collapsed the ceiling and put a handful of holes in the roof. Both of the closets got eaten into by flames. Still trying to process it all for sure.
Image credits: Helpful_Mountain_263
It appears that not everyone is completely safe when visiting Santa at the mall, either. A study revealed that 277 children were injured while whispering their wishes into his ear. This usually happens when kids fall off his lap or run away from him, and cut themselves on other objects around them.
Kids aren’t the exception, as adults also get hurt when they trip over something while taking their little ones to see the big man in red.
#11 I Bought My Kid A Drone For Christmas, The Wife Doesn't Love It
Image credits: Cichlidsaremyjam
#12 Weigh Gain On Christmas Eve Can Be A Real Problem. Especially Right Before The Whole Family Comes
Image credits: stevenil1
#13 Merry Christmas
Image credits: FastParamedic7342
Opening presents can also pose risks, especially if we’re dealing with kids and toys with small parts. In 2021, more than 200,000 toy-related injuries were treated in emergency rooms. Unfortunately, a scooter is one of the most unsafe presents you can give to a child, as 400,000 accidents related to it have been reported since 2011. The second and third most dangerous are balls and toy vehicles.
#14 Our Work Christmas Bonus. Can't Wait To Pay My Bills With This
Image credits: Virtual-Nobody-6630
#15 Was Told I Did An Excellent Job And Earned An "Early Christmas Gift" Came Back To A Fake $15 Tip
Image credits: blackairforceuno
#16 Just In Time For Christmas
Image credits: MikeOxHuge
Cooking is a big part of the holiday season, but hot food and sharp knives can make the kitchen a hazardous zone. According to one survey, 49% of people had an accident while preparing a Christmas feast. 1 in 10 spilled hot fat on themselves, and 1 in 5 cut themselves while preparing vegetables. Cooking fires are also three times more likely to happen on Christmas due to food or equipment left unattended.
#17 Merry Christmas, Here’s Your Gift
I sent my sister a stockpot and claimed other home goods for Christmas (she just got an apartment and has nothing for her kitchen).
She came home to find her package looked like it had been run over. The guy at the front desk who took the package in said the delivery driver seemed supremely uninterested in the problematic package. Getting it refunded and a new one sent over, hopefully in better condition and in time for Christmas.
Bonus cat in the pic too. Say hello to Star.
Image credits: Paradiddle14
#18 I (A 30-Year-Old Male) Participated In Secret Santa At Work, Asked For Sports Equipment, And Got This Instead
A coworker came up to me after and said, "I thought it was funny".
Image credits: gonehalohunting
#19 Shop Safely This Christmas, Folks
Public service announcement to be extra careful when purchasing gifts this Christmas time, especially expensive ones. Thought I could trust buying a phone through Amazon directly (not some third party), but I was wrong.
Meticulously swapped and stolen somewhere along the way, then spent a week fighting with customer service in which I was blamed, told I was lying, and threatened to have my account closed before they gave in.
Do not be like me, buy from trusted sources.
Image credits: Forsaken_Hope_2348
#20 Guess Who Had To Get Special Deodorizing Baths After Getting Skunked On Our Morning Walk Just Before I’m Having 25 People Over For Christmas Eve. The Answer Is Both Of Them
Image credits: Yosemite_Scott
To have a safer Christmas, it’s advised that people take extra precautions. Before decorating, make sure to check the fairy lights and other electronics for any signs of damage. If the cables are frayed or look unsafe in any way, it’s best to get rid of them. Also, don’t overload the electrical sockets, and keep flammable things away from lights, candles, or fireplaces.
#21 Pipe Burst On Christmas And Destroyed Our Entire House… Won’t Be Able To Move In For 6-12 Months
Image credits: kassabelle
#22 Went To My Neighborhood Mailbox To See All Of Them Busted Wide Open. Was Expecting Some Christmas Stuff
Image credits: Kiki_Raptor
#23 I Guess My Drains Froze Up? My House Is Now Full Of Freezing Water. Happy Christmas Eve, Everyone
Image credits: peperoni_dog_farts
More importantly, don’t rely on unstable chairs or stools when decorating something high; instead, use a sturdy ladder. Furthermore, the longer natural trees are in a house after a holiday, the more likely they are to dry out and cause a fire. So, water it regularly to ensure it doesn’t become parched, or dispose of it within one month of purchase.
Finally, dull knives can be more dangerous than sharp ones because the blunt edge is more likely to slip off food. To be extra safe, keep them sharpened and use a cutting board with a grippy surface.
#24 Bought Some Nice Big Christmas Balls
Image credits: kajola1969
#25 Christmas Socks As A Present. Crock Socks vs. Hand Puppets
Image credits: Exciting_Health3054
#26 A Pipe Burst And Flooded My Entire Downstairs, Including All The Christmas Presents We Had
This was after I used my shop-vac to suck up some of the water, it was 3 inches deep. The water literally shot a hole through my wall, the outdoor hose spigot is what burst. It went from -36° to 34° in a single night.
Image credits: tmfult
#27 They Fired Everyone, Without Notice, By Text Messages, Weeks Before Christmas
Image credits: Harbjagen
#28 Merry Christmas Everyone
Image credits: PhatPlonker
The holidays are a time for celebration and quality time with your loved ones. Accidents like those mentioned above and included in this list can spoil the fun when you least expect it. So stay safe, and if you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out our other publications about last year's unfortunate ones here and here.
#29 I Don’t Know How I’m Gonna Get Out Of It, But I’m Definitely Not Delivering Pizzas On Christmas Eve
Image credits: randojpg
#30 There Was An Attempt To Install A Christmas Tree In My Hometown (Throwback To 2013)
Image credits: Dyliewillie
#31 Thieves Made A Hole And Stole My Whole Business (It's A New Business). The Worst Way To Have A Christmas
Image credits: Snoo-96584
#32 I Got An Appendectomy For Christmas
Image credits: TahkoBell
#33 I Invited Around 20 People Over For Christmas. Someone Went Into The Garage And Did A Number On My Car With A Pot Or Other Round Object
Image credits: 4859carcar
#34 We Came Home To A Flooded Basement And 3 Deceased Pets. Merry Christmas To Us
Ball python, leopard gecko, and some baby mice.
Image credits: IntoxicatedBard
#35 I Wanted To Stop By Parent's House On Christmas Eve To Check On The Dogs While They Were Out Of Town, And This Happened
Image credits: ForemostPanic62
#36 TV Is Completely Broken, And We Won't Get A New One Till After Christmas. Plus, The Boiler Is Broken, And We Don't Have Hot Water
Image credits: sleepswithsixpillows
#37 Some Jerk Steals Disabled Elderly Woman’s Christmas Decorations
Image credits: Hupacmoneybags2
#38 Merry Christmas! We’re Increasing Your Rent! The Date Says The 13th But All Tenants Just Received These Today
Image credits: AlwaysAngryFox
#39 Just Locked Down At The Mall Of America During A Shooting. Merry Christmas Everyone
Image credits: clumzyproofreader
#40 Mom's Neighbors Put Up A Million-Watt Crucifix For Christmas
This is not across the street. This is the block over. Best of our picture-taking contest, the power of Christ was too great for our phones to depict this behemoth in all its 20 ft glory.
Image credits: CatScratchEther
#41 Felt A Shooting Pain Down My Leg After Bending Down To Dry Myself After A Shower
A herniated disc, yeah. Saw a pain specialist recently, and they said it was "impressive".
I threw my back out over Christmas carrying in a bunch of presents while visiting my parents. Felt better after a few days of rest, but it came back in the worst way.
Image credits: ZeBootygoon
#42 Someone Unwrapped My Christmas Present
Image credits: BreathingCarpet
#43 Walked Out To My Car This Morning And It Looked Like This
Image credits: sonicdrive-in
#44 Spent Christmas Day Alone In The ER (I’m Fine)
Image credits: alaaaaanna
#45 So My Dad Dropped Half The Slow Cooked Venison Christmas Dinner On The Floor And The Other Half On The Oven Top
Managed to scoop up the oven-top bits but all the red wine sauce was unsalvageable. Still had a good dinner though.
Image credits: WilliamIsted
#46 Happy Holidays
Image credits: Vewwy
#47 Trying To Watch My Son’s Christmas Concert
He played on it the whole damn time. Didn’t even get a high score.
Image credits: S1mw1z
#48 Bought A Polaroid Camera For A Friend For Christmas And Inside Was An Instax Camera Instead
Image credits: IDK_IDGAF
#49 A 100-Piece Puzzle My Son Received For Christmas Has 66 Pieces
Image credits: WalmartGreder
#50 We Got Our Christmas Bonus Today. Not Even Handed Out. Just A Pile In The Break Room
Image credits: wchappel
#51 Hospital “Leadership” Gave This To Their Nurses For Their Christmas Bonus
Image credits: ShaiHuludNM
#52 ATM Chomped Up My Christmas Shopping Budget As A Treat
Image credits: legomahfuego
#53 I Opened My Unit To Get My Christmas Decorations, Only To Find It Covered In Mold
Image credits: BorvuxVI
#54 Custom Photo Gift Company Rearranged The Photos Into This Ridiculous Configuration. “No Refunds”
Image credits: smithsbha
#55 Won What I Thought Was A VR Headset At My Company Christmas Party The Other Night
I should have looked closer before getting excited. I don't own an oculus.
Image credits: Jomalar
#56 Went To An Outlet Mall Over An Hour Away To Buy Christmas Gifts. Got Back Home And Realized The Cashier Forgot To Remove The Security Tags
We’ve tried the fork method, but it’s just not coming off.
Image credits: coversbyrichard
#57 Merry Christmas
Image credits: MoodyMissMolly
#58 Instacart Ornaments
I was busy decorating and decided to order more from Michaels via Instacart. The shopper didn’t even ask about changes and I got this, both were more expensive too. I also tipped over 20%.
Image credits: Able_Afternoon_1749
#59 They Literally Admitted To Paying Us Peanuts
Lovely Elf on the Shelf activities at a large thrift store non-profit. Accurate reflection of pay, benefits, and work environment.
Image credits: Existential-Robocat
#60 My One-Hour-Late, Stone-Cold Meal. I'm Working Overtime As A Nurse On Christmas Day
Image credits: Aphita
#61 I Tried Making Christmas Cookies (White Stuff Is Icing)
Image credits: reddit.com
#62 A Cheesecake I Tried Making For Christmas
Image credits: rambo21125150
#63 Bought My Wife A New iWatch For Christmas From Our Local Verizon Store. Looks Like Someone Else Bought It, Registered It To Their Account And Then Returned It
It's not working unless any of you know r*****@icloud.com's password
Image credits: reddit.com
#64 Growing Up, My Parents Refused To Ever Get Me Dolls Or Accessories. Now I’m In My 20s, And They Have Decided To Buy Obnoxious Doll Stuff Each Year And Laugh In My Face
Image credits: xlostinimaginationx
#65 Guess I'm Looking For A New Job
Image credits: moonwtr
#66 After Seeing The Picture Of My Nephew In His New Christmas Gift My SO Thinks He “Might Have Ordered The Wrong Size”
Image credits: the_drunken_taco
#67 I'm A 24-Year-Old Waitress And Got This Christmas Gift From A Regular 50/60-Year-Old Customer, Who Requests My Section 2x/A Week
He leaves if I’m not working, has asked me out on a date twice, and said the offer is open if my boyfriend and I split. Creepy yet sad.
The card says:
"Nina, there is no better gift than you being you! Beautiful in more ways than I can describe. Merry Christmas. Chris"
Image credits: neeeenbean
#68 USPS Bent My Niece's Christmas Gift, Which Caused It To Break
She's six and I wanted her to learn how to write her name along with her sisters.
Image credits: SmithNotASmith
#69 Someone Parked Across Our Driveway And We Can't Get The Car Out On Christmas Eve
Image credits: asomek
#70 Wife Went To Her Christmas Party Tonight At A Former Premier League Stadium. This Is The Meal They Paid £35 For
Image credits: WiganLad82
#71 Had A Nice Morning. I Then Broke My Favorite Christmas Bauble. I Made A Brownie Cake To Feel Better. Forgot The Sugar
Image credits: Low_Engineering8921
#72 My Cousin's House Burned Down Two Days Before Christmas
Image credits: bwalters0987
#73 This Year For Christmas: Brother Survived A Fatal Pileup On His Drive-In This Morning. The Pipes At Our Cabin Very Suddenly Froze A Few Hours Later
We checked into the hotel he was staying at to use the shower only for a ceiling pipe to burst SECONDS after we opened the door.
Image credits: KarlWrites
#74 Merry Christmas Wine Advent Calendar
Image credits: deepfriedanchovy
#75 Finished Work To Find Someone Had Reversed Into My Car. No CCTV Cameras Anywhere And No Note. Merry Christmas
Image credits: Mhol246
#76 Amazon Accidentally Spoiled My Husband's Christmas Gift - I Thought It Would Come In A Generic Box
Image credits: Reptile-Rachel
#77 I Avoided Covid For 3 Years And Then Got This Extra Special Present After Lunch On Christmas Day
Image credits: KyIieJenner
#78 9°F Outside, Christmas Eve And My Power Is Out. Temperature Is Dropping Super Fast In Here
Image credits: SpaceHallow
#79 Someone Ordered These For My Mom For Christmas. Shari's Berries Charges $60 For Them
Image credits: memerdo
#80 Christmas Dinner At My Hospital
Image credits: CollieKollie
#81 Mom Got An Interesting Christmas Decoration This Year
Image credits: Bigcatent
#82 Pipe Burst Under The House. Merry Christmas
Image credits: halfblindguy
#83 Christmas Bonus This Year
Image credits: DoubtfulThomas
#84 Someone Went Out And Opened Every Single Mystery Pack In Search Of The One They Wanted, Ruining It For Anyone Else Who Wanted A Surprise
Image credits: KrazyCAM10
#85 My Christmas Bonus
The paper had a “Thank you for being part of the team” yada yada yada note.
Image credits: le_eddz
#86 I Got A King-Size Payday For Christmas Bonus
For the past 4 years, I’ve gotten $1000 in Amazon gift cards. This year was candy and $100 to Walmart.
Image credits: Donkknarf
#87 The "Medium"-Sized T-Shirt I Got My Husband For Christmas With An Actual Medium Shirt On Top
There are slight size differences, and then there is this.
Image credits: stoofkeegs
#88 A Christmas Gift For My Daughter Was Delivered Like This. As You Can Imagine, She Was The One Who Found It On The Front Steps
Image credits: Xplicit_kaos
#89 My Girlfriend And I Broke Up Last Week
She said she wanted all of the Christmas presents gone tomorrow morning, so I unwrapped them all and packed them up. The ones wrapped in flowers were mine to her. The ones in trucks were hers to me.
Image credits: rainbowboogers21
#90 Had A Flood On Christmas Eve. Scrounging Around For Cheap Furniture. This "Was" Free
This actually happened as I lifted the end up while trying to get the truck bed up. Was gonna use the gate to keep it forward. Straps were going on top. Gave the gate a push to get it to close and heard a pop. Knew immediately what I had done.
Image credits: hankthewaterbeest
#91 Daughter Got Her Permit. 2nd Time Driving
Took her to a school parking lot at 10 pm so I could ensure no other vehicles would be in our way. Apparently, my ball joint gave out. I’m so grateful she was only going 20 mph. But I’m so screwed. The tow alone caused me to use all the savings I had set aside for Christmas. Looks like we are getting a ball joint and possibly an axle for Christmas this year boys.
Image credits: ConcertDowntown333
#92 I Ordered This Long Cat Plushie For A Christmas Present Thinking It Was A Body Pillow Left, Only To Be Gifted With A Claw Machine Prize Right (Mario Party For Scale)
Image credits: QuintDunaway
#93 Wrecked On Christmas Eve. Other Driver Was Intoxicated
Image credits: superkushmaster
#94 Advent Calendar From Hell
Image credits: Opposite_Community11
#95 I Guess I’m On The Naughty List
Image credits: R0llingWaves
#96 $572.754 Billion In Profit As Of October And This Is What We Get For Christmas
Image credits: Haunting-Ad-8808
#97 What I Ordered For My Wife For Christmas vs. What Showed Up In The Mail... They Got Me Good
Image credits: jvstone172
#98 Christmas Morning And My Table’s Leg Is Bent And Falling Apart
Image credits: fakeitilyamakeit
#99 There Was An Attempt To Travel With Checked Luggage On Christmas Eve
Image credits: reddit.com
#100 The Way My Husband Wraps Gifts, But I Love Him Though
Image credits: NecessaryFlamingo620
#101 Mum Kicked Me Out Of The House This Week And Canceled Christmas. Here’s My Own Christmas Pavlova After Lamb Shanks At The Hotel I’m Staying
Image credits: BBHMM007
#102 So Today I Got Just One Single Gummy In A Haribo Christmas Packet
Image credits: top_karma_believer
#103 Guess We Can't Put On Christmas Movies At Work Anymore
Image credits: _Monika-
#104 This Clip Was Broken Off In My Assigned Seat On A Christmas Eve Flight. We Couldn't Take Off Until It Was Repaired By A Licensed Mechanic
Image credits: reddit.com
#105 I Got Pancreatitis For Christmas, This Was My Christmas Dinner
Image credits: QuailFeathers
#106 I Am Having Family Over For Christmas And There's Going To Be A Stranger In My Home Photographing Everyone And Everything
My property manager comes into my house every 3 months to take pictures of EVERYTHING. If I reschedule they charge $50!
Image credits: Bailmage
#107 There Was An Attempt To Make A Christmas Decoration
Image credits: roofus8658
#108 There Was An Attempt To Buy A Christmas Banner
Image credits: vikonava
#109 So I Went To Put On The Sneakers I Got For Christmas And Saw This
Image credits: Head-Case
#110 Instead Of A Christmas Bonus This Year My Work Gave Out Gift Cards To The Company "Swag Store", Where You Can Buy Luxury Items Such As
A throw pillow with the CEO's face on it or a blanket with the CEO's face on it.
Image credits: velvetpurr
#111 Coles Christmas Gift To Staff
Despite a year of record profits, the executives at Coles decided that the frontline staff who work their hardest and face mistreatment daily, are only worthy of a Coles-branded water bottle and 5 "points" (equivalent to $5) for Christmas this year.
This kick in the face comes after months of enforcing staff bag checks and locker inspections despite the sheer number of customers who walk out with trolleys full of stock every day, with barely any action taken about it.
What an absolute joke. Do better, Coles.
Image credits: Ok_Cable1689
#112 My Christmas Gift From My Sister-In-Law. Like, What?
Her gifts to me are regifted items every year. But this one takes the cake and left me scratching my head.
Image credits: Dizzy-Heart7232
#113 There Are Only 11 Deals
Image credits: Historical_Cobbler
#114 My Christmas Bonus
Image credits: Methamphetacream
#115 Christmas Ruined
Image credits: JussVibes
#116 Getting Jury Duty For The Day After Christmas
Image credits: Brilliant_Growth
#117 With 9-Month-Old Twins
Tried less paint with the reindeer hand prints, did not come out any better.
Image credits: justcallmesweeti
#118 Got This 3 Days Before Christmas In The US, Thanks Amazon (It’s The Italian Version Of The Game, Not The English Version)
I’m returning it in case it is region-locked. It’s for a 10-year-old kid so it’s not worth risking the disappointment of it not working, and the replacement won’t get here until after Christmas.
Image credits: Skyhawk172
#119 eBay Promises That The Item Can Be Delivered Before Christmas, But When I Finish Checkout, It Says Different
Image credits: SamboTheGr8
#120 I Was Excited About My New Reindeer Cookie Cutter Until I Realized It Was Meant To Be An Octopus
Image credits: pippitravelstheworld
#121 I Told My Fiancée That I Wanted To Invest In A GameCube. Today, She "Surprised" Me With This Early Christmas Gift
Bless her heart. I’m not even mad at her, it’s the thought that counts.
Image credits: OfficialKnockout
#122 I Broke My Tibia And Fibula And Dislocated My Foot All At Once On The 21st, And Had Surgery On The 23rd. Couldn't Fly Home For Christmas. Spent A Week In A Terrible Drug Limbo Consciousness
Image credits: ScrwFlandrs
#123 Ordered Christmas Presents On Etsy, Have A Complaint After Just Receiving Them & See This When Trying To Contact Someone
Image credits: chicky75
#124 Well, It’s Finally Happened - It Broke. Restarted, Unplugged And Replugged. Nope, Finally Gone
Loved that thing too. On top of that, my Christmas order was returned because I mixed up my old zip code with the new one. I blame it on today being Monday.
Image credits: MKvinsley
#125 Christmas Tree Lights On Pinterest vs. Our Attempt
Image credits: HailtokingTeddy
#126 I Ordered This Plushie A Month Ago As Christmas Gift. It Arrived 3 Weeks Later Than What It Said, And Looks Like This
Image credits: greener_path
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