Holiday 2020: The gifts you never thought you'd receive

"Thanks, you shouldn't have!" Who hasn't felt nervous at the idea of opening a gift and hating what's inside? In this most unusual of years, objects you could never even have dreamed you might need before the pandemic could be waiting for you under the tree.

Here's a (completely hypothetical) list of some "surprises" you might find yourself unwrapping this holiday.

A "nice" mask

Imagine the scene in 2019: you tear off the paper only to find...a face mask?!? You probably would have thought it was some kind of joke, or that the person giving you the gift was a total hypochondriac. But this year, no one will even blink an eyelid if you get a fancy face mask under the tree. But does that mean a mask is a good gift to give this holiday? That's another question entirely.

An anti-fog nose clip

Show me a glasses-wearer who hasn't found themselves fogged up five minutes after putting on their face mask! Once the preserve of aquatic activities, the nose clip has now found a new vocation in helping keep spectacles fog-free when wearing a face mask. The retired French engineer Jean-François Carrazé has developed this environmentally friendly version that's made in France and sold as a limited edition benefiting charity.

If you've already unwrapped a mask, have a good look through your gift pile -- a nose clip might not be too far behind.

A bread machine

What's the point in making your own bread when there's a delicious bakery down the street? No matter, the popularity of homemade bread during the first covid lockdowns this spring (even though bakeries and food stores stayed open) could have given some of your friends and relations ideas.

A cushion for working from home

While there are lots of good things about working from home, it's not always easy to find a good sitting position that's posture friendly when your usual home office setup involves slumping on the couch.

With remote working potentially here to stay for a while longer -- or becoming a new norm in certain companies -- a small cushion to wedge on your chair to help relieve back pain is a top contender for any 2020 gift list.

A removable door handle

Could there be a stranger gift idea? Maybe not, but then anything's possible in 2020. In any case, this little gadget can be very useful for anyone who obsessively wipes down their door handles with bleach for fear of picking up bugs. If that sounds like you, don't be so sure you won't see this turn up under the tree …

A giant stash of toilet roll

Granted, there really isn't much chance of you getting this as a gift...unless you're one of the many people who rushed out to panic buy toilet roll during the first COVID lockdowns this spring. Your enthusiasm could come back to haunt you if you bragged about your hoarding skills to the family joker!