KINGSTON, Jamaica — The usually whimsical and exciting office holiday pixie exchange can be a source of trauma for some people who have not had the best experiences taking part in the gift giving exercise.

From receiving a pack of peanuts as a gift after spending thousands of dollars on a present for your pixie to being completely forgotten on the day of the exchange, people have opted out of taking part in future exchanges out of fear of having a repeat situation. However, there are a few who brave the exchange after horrible experiences but only if there are strict rules.

Here are six nightmare pixie experiences that have left people scarred:

Amoy: So you know how pixie is all about guessing when it comes to gifts?. The team at my office left nothing up to chance. We all sent out an email with our desired gifts leading up to the exchange as well as the big ticket item for the grand finale. Well, I got as much as I could for my pixie. She had an extensive list, which included toys, but that came as no surprise because she had a child, so I picked up a few items and got them delivered to her desk. Here was the issue: week after week, she would complain. When it wasn’t done via email, there was an uproar in the office about the bad gifts she received. It was so bad that she began complaining to me about it, not knowing that I was the one who picked her name. I felt so bad. I mean, who wants to disappoint their pixie? But when the team did their investigations, they realised that I was sticking to the script. Meanwhile, she was failing when it came to her pixie, gifting him teaser treats that not only weren’t on his list but that he was actually allergic to. We all felt he was being robbed of the true pixie experience, so the group made a unanimous decision to drop the Grinch who botched pixie and for the final exchange, I would be the one to give the last gift to her pixie. Let’s just say the exchange left him in high spirits, and he immediately picked up that something was off. That’s when we explained what happened. This was someone who knew him longer than I did. As for my former pixie, she looked on at the merriment, still clueless as to who picked her name.

While Amoy’s nightmare pixie exchange had a happy ending Kerry had to figure out a way to ensure she was gifted something of value after her pixie failed her.

Kerry: In 2017, the ward had Christmas pixie. The agreed final gift amount was $5000 but persons were instructed to treat their pixie at least twice per week. The whole thing started four weeks before the final gift exchange and within those four weeks I got only one treat; a chocolate. On the day of the final when the $5000 gift was supposed to be given I was ‘gifted’ a travel charger the size of a lipstick! I was hurt because I had treated my pixie throughout with a candy here and there, key rings, little knick knacks, and for the final gift I gave a decorative glass bowl with coloured marbles to decorate it. But when I saw the ‘gift’ I received I held back tears. But I decided I was not going home without something so I took the gift that was left for the person who was supposed to gift me.

Kerry took matters into her hands to ensure that she walked away with a substantial gift, but there are those like Fran who have not recovered from her pixie experience that occurred some 15 years ago.

Fran: About 15 years ago we were having pixie at my church. I was excited about it because it was my first time joining, plus it was nice to look forward to getting a gift at Christmas. So through my excitement as a teen I saved my money and I bought a $2000 gift set with a watch, a perfume and a purse for my pixie. But imagine my shock when I got a pair of $100 pearl knob earrings! I was so mad! I didn’t do any more church pixie after that.

Fran says her experience has improved since that experience, however for Dre, she is still waiting on the gift that was promised to her.

Dre: I was in high school and I was a member of the choir. We decided amongst ourselves to do a pixie exchange as a way to close out the school term and I put effort into the gift I got for my pixie. But I never received a gift in return. The person who had my name reassured me that the gift would be late but it has been 15 years and I have not received the gift. To this day my mother remembers it because she took it to heart. Everybody else went home with a gift and I never did.

From no gift to a snack as a gift? Jason relays his experience with pixie and why he is so strict with the rules when he participates in the exchange now.

Jason: It was in grade 4. We had pixie and my mom and I walked the the entire  downtown to ensure we got an age appropriate gift. My pixie was a girl, I still remember her name, even seeing her face as I am talking about this. We got her a souvenir type thing similar to a snow globe but I can’t remember exactly. I got ‘goldfish’ in return. If it was the animal it wouldn’t have been that bad, it was the snack! Every time I see the damn snack I remember. I have only done pixie once since that and I ensured there was a budget and pixies were able to list items they would like.

As for Toni-Ann, who went to extremes to get her pixie a gift, she was a puddle of tears when she opened the gift she received.

Toni-Ann: I was a teen and I didn’t have any money to buy a gift so my sister gave me one of her expensive perfumes because she did not want me to give someone a bad gift. But when I got my gift and saw that it was a $200 purse from downtown, I cried so hard. I wish I could have taken back the perfume.