My older cousins and uncles used to do this to me and it was deliberate humilliation tactic, they just thought it was the funniest. One birthday they promise to take me out for a surprise, i got to watch them enter a video game store, buy a newly released ps2s with a hunch of games, controllers, etc but it was for themselves. Then with bags full of a few thousands of dollars of electronics they bought me a single cupcake with a candle on it and sent me back home.
Cool thing to do to a 12 yr old kid whose parent just died and is struggling to survive in the middle of economic crisis in Venezuela. That was my aunt's idea.
At least i learned a lesson about those kinds of people early.