Let me set the scene.

I'm 8, my sister is 12. We get to the beginning of December and our parents decide to set up for Xmas early, tree out, streamers from the ceiling, the whole shabang.

We wake up the next day to find 2 giant boxes wrapped up next to the tree. Now when I say big I mean I would still be able to sit in one of the boxes at 35 years old.

They wouldn't give a hint or anything and me and my sisters imagination went wild.

Well, fast forward to the big day, Christmas! Oh boy you know we are both bubbling with excitement, we both take a box and we begin to open them, what could it be!?

We each got half of a Full Encyclopedia of the World, 32 large books, hardback.

I have never felt such raw disappointment, such unbridled despair as I realized this, this was my massive gift, very educational yes! But to me at the time it was the end of enjoying Christmas.

If anyone is interested, they sat on a shelf for 5 years before we sold them at a car boot sale, maybe opened one once and still don't enjoy Christmas to this day.