By Shauna Scott Rhone / The Cincinnati Enquirer

It's the season for giving and getting and tearing of wrapping paper and squeals of delight and ... dead silence? Some gifts just elicit that response.

What's the worst gift you've ever received?

Several readers sent in their recollections, many of which prove that with one week left until Christmas, sometimes it's better to not give or receive.

The worst Christmas gift I ever received was a jar of olives from my mother. To this day, I have no reason as to why she gave them to me. To top it off, I don't even like olives.

Andy Hartman, 34, Sunman

I knew my husband would be receiving a very special gift I had spent over a month making, working secretly into the wee hours of the night while he lay sleeping.

As I handed him the gold-wrapped box with a big red bow, my heart started to pound with anticipation. He lifted out the album covered with camouflage material and began turning over the pages of a time in his past, carefully looking at the photos and newspaper clippings I had so lovingly preserved in this scrapbook commemorating a special military event in his life. He was speechless.

Then it was my turn. I wondered how he could ever top the previous year, but it was Christmas after all and anticipation was getting the best of me. This was the only package he had for me so I knew it had to be something very special.

I anxiously unwrapped my gift and curiously looked down at the box with a picture of a can opener. My immediate thought is that he was so thoughtful, using a sturdy box to pack an obviously fragile object, because he knows I like delicate things. You can imagine my shock as I pulled out the can opener.

Debbie Swope-Johnson, 36, Eastgate

In my early 20s, I had been dating a guy for about eight months when Christmas came. I purchased a lovely (and expensive) pair of leather gloves for his mom that I could hardly afford, but I wanted her gift to be something special.

When we all got together to open gifts, his mom seemed pleased with her gloves. I was thrilled by her reaction.

I opened my box, only to find ... a saucepan. A saucepan! Not even a lid. Just a saucepan, barely big enough to hold a can of soup. I was as gracious as possible, thanking her for the thoughtful gift. (On my way home, I threw it out of my car window onto the side of I-75.)

Alex Hoog, 41, Western Hills

One year, my husband decided to save time and ordered all of my gifts from the National Geographic catalog. As a 30-year-old woman, I was expecting sweaters, jewelry, perfume, etc., but instead got a globe and the Explorer Game.

Carol Schweinberg, 41, West Chester Township

One year, I got a set of floor mats for my car from my husband. Of course, we separated two months later.

Shirley Nagy, 58, Delhi Township

The worst holiday gift I remember getting was a pair of boots. I had wanted a pair of duck boots, they are simple slip-ons, sort of like loafers. I had told my husband (now an ex) which store, what aisle and what shelf to get them. When he presented them to me at Christmas, he stood there so proud that he had picked out exactly what I had asked for.

When I opened the box with my three sons standing around, we all looked and burst out laughing, but not my husband. He had gotten me a pair of combat boots. They were the worst looking boots I had ever seen, I wasn't angry that he again messed up getting me what I wanted. They were just so ugly, all I could do was laugh hysterically with my sons, while my husband stood there and just didn't get it.

Fran Ruegg, 57, Loveland

I have an aunt who is notorious for giving bad gifts. When I was in college, she gave me plastic screws for a license plate. Apparently they were supposed to prevent my auto tags from rusting, just what every college student needs.

The following year, I was single and living alone and she gave me 25 boxes of instant hot chocolate.

The first Christmas my husband spent with my family, my aunt gave him fuses for his car. I thought this was hysterical until we actually ended up needing to use one.

Robin Klaene, 33, Fort Mitchell

Last Christmas was an extremely important one for us. My husband's entire family would be visiting from all over the country to celebrate the holidays. My husband and I agreed that due to the expense of having 15 people in the house for a week, we would choose simple gifts for each other.

He went to visit his family in Connecticut a few weeks before Christmas to go shopping with his sisters. He called me and said in a loving voice that he had bought me a "little something." I coyly reminded him of our agreement, but was secretly thrilled that he had decided to spoil me with some magnificent bauble. Having only purchased him a small but sentimental gift, I was concerned for how out of balance our gifts would be.

One day when he was at work, I was reduced to doing something I hadn't tried since childhood: gift snooping. As I tore apart his closet in search of the "little something," I justified my behavior by telling myself I needed to match the depth of his expression of love. When I finally found the small box tucked behind his summer suits, my hands trembled with excitement. Carefully pulling back the paper, I was stunned by what was inside: two tiny ceramic roosters!

Later, I asked my female friends and found out that ALL of them understood "a little something" to mean jewelry. I calmly talked with my husband after the holidays. We agreed that men and women do not speak the same language. But he did produce a fabulous "little something" for our anniversary in January. I wear it on my ring finger and never take it off. Sometimes a bad gift can turn into a "little something" special after all.

Diane MacLachlan, 48, Symmes Township

I received the worst Christmas gift five years ago from my husband's uncle. It was our first year of marriage and I thought "what better time to host all of my in-laws than at Christmas in our new home?"

I spent weeks planning, cleaning, shopping and trying to anticipate every possible way I could make everyone feel happy and "family-like" for this holiday.

Finally the big day came and, as usual, my husband's uncle arrived early to indulge in some (or a lot) of holiday cheer. As he darted to the liquor cabinet he tossed me my Christmas gift.

I placed it under the tree for later; however, he insisted that I open it immediately. I was not sure whether to be surprised or amused at the gift. It was a bottle of Key lime juice. I asked him what I was supposed to do with this and he promptly replied (with a straight face) that I was to make him a key lime pie. He had been craving it since arriving home from a vacation in Key West, Fla. Laughing and biting my tongue at the same time, I left it on the counter.

When I went about preparing for the rest of the guests, he asked me repeatedly when I was going to start making it. He really wanted it tonight. Luckily, I had a frozen pie crust in the freezer and some eggs in the refrigerator so I complied with the request and tried to avoid him for the rest of the evening.

Maureen Kaneps, 32, West Chester Township

We were married in July 1953 and this was our first Christmas together. I was three months pregnant and my husband said he didn't want to buy me any clothes, as they would not fit. So he gave me a bathroom rug set with matching toilet seat cover.

I think he got the message, as the next year I received a beautiful watch for Christmas and celebrated with our twin boys.

Ann Karlstrom, 72, West Chester Township

The worst gift was sent to me by a person I have known for 40 years. For Christmas 2001, she sent me a small package with a clip - the kind you use to close plastic bags like potato chips or pretzels. There was a note attached that said something like, "I believe everyone needs one of these."

I was shocked and hurt. The person who sent this is a professional with a master's degree. I was especially hurt because the previous Christmas I had sent her several nice little gifts and a very beautiful book.

Rosemarie Burk, 69, Groesbeck

About five years ago, I was employed by a dry cleaning business. Over the years, I had received many great gifts, including cash and gift certificates, etc.

However, this particular year just before Christmas, one of my customers called me back as I was leaving and said, "Just a minute - I have something for you."

She went into the kitchen cabinet and took out a used, dried jar of mustard. She handed it to me and said, "Merry Christmas."

When I got home, my wife and two of my three daughters were there. They laughed and couldn't believe what I had received.

I'm retired now and have been for several years, but I'll always remember that year as "different."

Art Weber, 75, Mount Washington

E-mail srhone@enquirer.com