A Pennsylvania man took to social media to denounce the concept of mysterious Santa Claus-style gift exchanges after he put a lot of effort into his gift only to end up with… chocolates from the supermarket.
“I will never participate in Secret Santa again, for any job, in any workplace – ever again. I went as far as I could […] and I got a box of candy,” he said in a TikTok video reported by the New York Post.
In just two days, the Chester County, Pennsylvania resident's tempestuous statement has already reached more than 23.8 million views, while many Internet users recognized themselves in his story.
Last Friday, the man showed up at his company party after wearing his ugly Christmas sweater. In his hands he held a gift bag full of Christmas lights and bells, wrapped in Santa Claus paper, in which he found several gifts for the lucky lady.
“I exceeded expectations. It's Christmas, some people don't even get presents, and sometimes the Secret Santa is the only present the person I want gets […] Make sure you keep going,” he continued in the video.
However, his mysterious Santa wasn't even present at the exchange, so the man finally received his gift on Monday. When he opened the blue box containing a head of cabbage, all he saw were chocolates from the supermarket.
“I know Reese's, Hershey's and Mr. GoodBar can be pretty expensive, but I have $25? Well, maybe she spent a little money on the cabbage and the box, but guys, I got a box of candy,” he concluded with a sigh.
Online, the employee's anger opened the door to a wave of similar statements, while many Internet users in turn decried the concept of Secret Santa, which often leads to disappointment.
“I will never forget that in a previous job I never received my gift. “My mystery Santa kept saying he would bring it, then resigned a week later,” one of them pointed out, according to the New York Post.
“They had been saving their Halloween candy,” another laughed, while a third said he saw his colleague receive a bag containing 10 pounds of rice during their exchange at the office.