Real People Share the Best (and Weirdest) Gifts They’ve Ever Received

When it comes to gifting, it’s not always about the price tag or the grandeur. The best gifts are often the ones that make us laugh, bring tears to our eyes, or stay with us forever because they carry so much meaning. 

At fnp.ae, we’ve always believed that gifting is an art form – a way to express love, care, and thoughtfulness. Gifts are more than just material items; they’re about sharing a piece of yourself with someone special. 

That’s why, as gifting experts, we understand that the best gifts aren’t always what you expect. Sometimes, they’re completely random, hilarious, or downright bizarre.

So, we dug into real-life stories to find out what some of the best and weirdest gifts people have ever received. These aren’t curated by influencers or trends, but from everyday people. 

And let us tell you, the answers we found were heartwarming, hilarious, surprising, and yes, sometimes completely bizarre (in the best way possible). 

Here’s a collection of these memorable moments – and our thoughts as gifting experts.

Best Gifts: The Ones That Stay With Us Forever

The 100 Rupee Note with a Hidden Surprise

A friend of mine once gave me a ₹100 note as a gift.

At first, I was completely puzzled. I mean, who gifts a hundred-rupee note? My eyebrows twisted in confusion, and before I could say anything, he said, “Look carefully”

So, I kept turning the note around, scanning every detail – front, back, serial number – until my eyes finally landed on something that made me freeze for a second.

Right there in the serial number were the digits 26081993 – my birthday date.

(Just imagine – the probability of finding such a note is something like 0.000000008!)

Thank you so much, my dear friend, for this truly one-in-a-million gift.

The Thoughtful Gifts from My Husband

I received two gifts on my birthday this January, and I loved both of them.

What made them special was that they were things I genuinely needed – without ever telling my husband about it.

He’s not the typically romantic kind, so the fact that he noticed my needs and surprised me meant a lot.

I already had 11 watches, but most were either broken by my son or just out of fashion – so he got me a new one.

And since I’d been wanting a good perfume for special occasions (something I’d looked up once and then forgotten about), he actually read reviews online and chose one for me.

It felt wonderful to be understood without even having to say a word.

The G-Shock Watch Surprise

I’ve always had a great love for watches.

One day, while browsing Amazon with my brother, we were talking about G-Shock watches. I stumbled upon one that instantly caught my eye. I told him I really liked it and would buy it soon – though I wasn’t sure when.

A couple of months later, I went home for my birthday. As I was cutting the cake, my brother quietly went to his room and came back with a beautifully wrapped gift box. We don’t usually exchange gifts, so I was curious and surprised.

When I opened it, I couldn’t believe my eyes – it was the same watch I had shown him on Amazon two months earlier.

It truly is the best gift I’ve ever received!

My Fossil Watch from Dad

For my 18th birthday, my dad gifted me a Fossil chronograph watch.

It’s the one I’d been dreaming of for a while!

They say, “Parents always know what you need,” and it’s so true. Just a few days earlier, I’d broken my old watch and asked my dad to get me any simple Sonata Super Fibre.

Instead, he surprised me with this beauty.

Thanks, Dad. Truly, thanks!

A Bike from My Dad

My father gifted me a bike on my birthday – a complete surprise.

Being an average employee, it was something truly special for him to do. I never asked for it, nor did I expect it.

That moment outside the showroom, taking my first ride, is something I’ll never forget.

My Face on a Peepal Leaf

A friend of mine is a gifted artist – amazing at sketching and painting. She can turn almost anything into art; from a human face to a pair of shoes, she finds a canvas everywhere.

On my birthday, she gifted me something truly unique – a portrait of my face painted on a peepal leaf.

It’s honestly one of the sweetest and most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever received.

The Memory Book from My Son

It was our 25th wedding anniversary, and our son gave us one of the most thoughtful gifts we’ve ever received – a notebook full of memories.

Inside, he had pasted old photographs – some faded, some still bright – and beside them, he’d scribbled little notes and doodles, trying to capture what he remembered from those moments.

As we flipped through the pages, every picture seemed to whisper a story.

By the time we reached the last page, our eyes were moist. It’s hard to believe that our little boy – the one in so many of those pictures – has grown up enough to give us such a beautiful gift.

A Website for My Art

My boyfriend gave me one of the best gifts I’ve ever received.

I’m an artist, and for a long time, we’d been talking about how I should have my own website – a place to showcase my artworks and keep adding new ones. I always used to say, “Not yet. I’ll make it someday when I’ve created my best pieces.”

But on my birthday, he completely surprised me. He handed me a small card that simply had a website name written on it.

When I opened the site, I was speechless. He had collected almost all of my artworks – every sketch, painting, and digital piece he could find – and arranged them beautifully on the website.

Later, he told me that he had been working on it for the past two or three months, gathering my work, building the site after his office hours, and even taking help from a few of my friends.

I couldn’t hold back my tears. I was crying out of pure happiness and felt like I was on cloud nine.

A Flight to Greece

My friend and I had booked a trip to Greece – my very first trip outside the country! I was so excited, but also a bit stressed because money was tight at the time.

Without even mentioning it, she went ahead and booked our transfer flight from Athens to Kefalonia herself and told me it was my “early birthday present.”

I was honestly so touched. That small act of kindness made the whole journey even more special.

A Dog for Christmas

Probably the best gift I’ve ever received was when my dad got me a dog for Christmas, about three years ago.

A Rottweiler – big, strong, and somehow the sweetest goofball I’ve ever met. From the moment he came home, he’s been pure joy and chaos rolled into one.

Honestly, no matter what kind of day I’m having, one look at that face and everything feels better. Best Christmas ever.

A Jar of Love Notes

My wife gave me a small jar filled with 100 folded pieces of paper. On each one, she’d written a reason why she loves me.

Some were funny, some heartfelt – all of them genuine.

It’s such a simple gesture, but it means the world to me. Hands down, the best gift I’ve ever received.

A silver ring from my grandma

She gave it to me the last time she visited our hometown. It was completely unexpected – out of all the grandchildren, I was the one she chose to give it to.

It wasn’t just a piece of jewelry; it was something that carried her warmth, her love, and a bit of her story. I love her so much, and that’s why this small silver ring means the world to me.

I’ve realized that the most beautiful gifts I’ve ever received weren’t the expensive ones. They were the thoughtful surprises from people I truly cherish – like flowers, handwritten letters, and even a simple video game once. 

Sunbeam Stand Mixer

Many years ago, my husband surprised me with a big Sunbeam stand mixer.

I’ve always loved to bake – and he’s always loved to eat – so it was the perfect gift for both of us!

That mixer has been with me for over 32 years now. It’s mixed every wedding cake, birthday cake, and holiday cake I’ve ever made – not to mention mountains of icing along the way.

It’s more than just a kitchen appliance now; it’s a part of our story, filled with the sweetness of every celebration we’ve shared.

Caricature for Us

I received one of the best gifts recently – an early Christmas present from my husband.

He had a caricature of us from a recent trip matted, framed, and hung in our family room. Every time I glance at it, it brings back the laughter and joy of that vacation – those little moments that make life so special.

Another gift that holds a special place in my heart is a framed oil painting by my father. Painting was one of his hobbies, and although he’s been gone for over 30 years, that painting still makes me feel close to him.

Weird Gifts: Sometimes, They’re Just Plain Hilarious

The Hunting Camera

For me a weird gift was a hunting camera!

I don’t hunt, I don’t live in the countryside – there’s literally no connection between me and hunting.

Yet, my colleague thought this would be a great gift for me.

Three years later… it’s still sitting in the box.

The Valentine’s Cauliflower

It was our second Valentine’s Day after marriage, and like a typical Indian wife, I was nagging my husband about not getting me a gift.

“You never bring me flowers,” I said. “I’ll bring one today, for sure,” he replied.

That evening, he came home with… a cauliflower.

“What is this?” I asked.

“A flower! You never mentioned the type,” he said with a straight face.

I was furious, but then he went into the kitchen, cooked a few dishes with that cauliflower, and even cut a potato in half to stick in some birthday candles – setting up a little candlelight dinner.

My anger melted instantly, and that’s how we celebrated our Valentine’s Day with a (Cauli)flower-themed dinner.

The Tea-Lover’s Coffee Mug

There was this girl I’d known for a few months – we met on an online dating site.

Over time, we got to know each other’s likes and dislikes. She soon discovered my deep love for tea and would often tease me about it.

One day, I got a text saying, “The item you ordered is about to be delivered.”

I was confused – I hadn’t ordered anything. But somehow, I had a feeling it was from her.

Soon, a small package arrived from a customised gift site. Inside was a coffee mug – with our WhatsApp chat printed on it.

It was the exact conversation where I was passionately defending my love for tea!

Later, she told me she’d started that chat on purpose, knowing I’d give a typical tea-lover’s reply.

A lot can happen over a mug of tea 

The Hajmola Candy Jar

Once, a friend asked me, “Which toffee do you love the most, Silk or Oreo?”

I jokingly replied, “Hajmola candy.”

On my birthday, she gifted me a whole jar of it.

In the End, It’s the Thought (and the Laughs) That Count

If there’s one thing these stories prove, it’s that gifting doesn’t need to make sense – it just needs to make someone smile. From the deeply thoughtful to the delightfully bizarre, every gift comes wrapped with emotion (and sometimes, unintentional comedy).

At fnp.ae, we believe the real magic of gifting lies in the thought behind it – whether it sparks happy tears, uncontrollable laughter, or a “Wait… what is this?” moment. Because let’s be honest – the weird ones often become the most unforgettable.

So here’s to the heartfelt, the hilarious, and the “you really got me that?” kind of gifts. After all, it’s not about perfection – it’s about the stories (and giggles) that come with them.

And if you ever end up gifting a cauliflower, just make sure it comes with dinner plans.

We hope these stories inspire your next gift. Happy gifting!