With only days until families across the country gather together to excitedly tear open gifts, a new study released today by eBay reveals that there will be 29 million disappointed faces around Christmas trees.

When asked how people will react to unwanted gifts, 6.6 million said they will be laughing awkwardly while 6.3 million will force a smile to fake happiness. However, in Wales, the more sensitive souls felt that unwanted gifts show how little the gift-giver really knows them (29 per cent) while ten per cent went as far as to say it gives them the yule blues.

According to the study, one in three (29 per cent) of the Welsh say the unwanted presents are un-useable, like a hairdryer for someone with a crew cut, a jumper two sizes too big or earrings for someone without their ears pierced. Just over a fifth (21 per cent) said they were seeing double as they owned the item already.

The fresh research also found that mums in Wales are the most likely (23 per cent) to give unwanted gifts, quickly followed by colleagues (15 per cent) and, in third place, friends (13 per cent). In the battle of the spouses, wives are the festive stars being more likely than husbands to give something that truly sparkles.

The five worst Christmas present givers are:

1. Mum

2. Colleagues

3. Friends

4. Daughter

5. Aunt

Dr Simon Moore, behavioural psychologist, commented: “Hiding disappointment on Christmas day can often be a challenge. There is quite a psychological difference in perceptions of an undesirable gift and perception of gift buying effort! Often people who receive the item assume as well that the effort has been minimal. That’s a psychologically risky decision.

“If people actually appreciate 'effort' more, it cushions the gift buyers ego, takes the emotional charge out of the situation and then enables you to indicate their gift 'missed the mark' in a more open and less catastrophic way!"

Steve Heywood, eBay spokesperson, commented: “Let’s be honest, we’ve all received a gift and thought ‘that’s destined for eBay’. Selling your unwanted gift can be a good way of avoiding the embarrassment of asking for a receipt and there’s no need to feel like Scrooge as we expect over half a million people to choose to donate part of their sale proceeds to one of the 9,000 charities you can support through eBay.”