How have you Ruined Christmas in years gone by?

[TheQueef]

I don't mean the Christmas day super hangover, we've all done that.
Have you ever made such a bollocks of it that it's spoken about in hushed tones?

Mine was a fairly tame temper tantrum at Dbro who left his wife and three kids the week before Christmas.
I was banging the shopping away and lambasting him for being such a huge prick.
Took the wrapping off the frozen turkey so it'd fit the freezer.
Christmas eve got the turkey out to defrost.....of course I'd thrown it away and saved the wrapper
No one was allowed to mention it.

Anyone else?

[TheUnexpectedPickle]

I've been lurking on this thread as, thankfully, I do not have a story to add.

But @contrary13 I'm so so sorry but when you finished your epic tale with "I'm actually Jewish" I actually cried laughing.

I am a bad person.

But thank you for cheering me up and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas/Hanukkah this year 💖

[sueelleker]

@Mallardo. Start doing the same with his stuff.

[Mallardo]

AIBU?
Him indoors has a habit of 'tidying' by scooping everything up into a plastic bag and leaving it....... Then forgetting where said bag is..... He has also done this with DS1 work..... What Do I Do!? He thinks I 'over react'.... 😤

[Purplealienpuke]

I realise I didn't ruin any personally.... sorry misread the title 🤪

[Purplealienpuke]

The year my twat of an ex allowed our daughter to open ALL the presents before I got up, even ones not for her......
He was only in the house because he had nowhere else to go 😡
The year my parents were getting divorced. He lived downstairs and us upstairs. That was awful. He bought a present for me and my sister and nothing for our brother.

And this year, the first without my mum 💔

[contrary13]

The irony of this, @sueelleker, is that I'm actually Jewish. When I was younger, Christmas was celebrated because of me, and when I had young children, same deal. It's very difficult to explain to a toddler why they don't have a tree and Santa, y'know? My youngest is 16 now and we're easing out of it... but when I have grandchildren, I dare say it will rear its head again.

But no; we don't get along. Causes extreme anxiety, even to this day.

[sueelleker]

@contrary13. Have you ever thought of not doing Christmas? The two of you don't seem to get on!

[contrary13]

When I was 3, my father's mother bought me a Scaletrix set - this was during the late 70's, so nothing like the ones that exist today, but for the time, it was highly exciting! We were staying with my mother's side of the family that year (the last time we did so, actually), and my older brother (13 at the time) threw a wobbly because he'd not been given my gift. My parents spent most of the morning explaining to him that (a) my grandmother was not his grandmother, (b) he had other gifts from her, which she didn't "have to give" him, and (c) it had two controls, so I'd undoubtedly let him play with it, too. The afternoon was spent with me sobbing on my great-grandfather's lap because my brother had taken it upon himself to set up my gift and wouldn't let me play with it - aided and abetted by my father, who wanted a quiet life. The evening was spent with me being sick because in an effort to stop me crying, my great-grandfather had been feeding me chocolates, despite my mother telling him not to as I had a tendancy to either vomit or become hyperactive if I ate too many 'e'-additives. Historically, I am still blamed for "not sharing" my gift with my (Golden Child) middle brother.

When I was 6, my parents decided we were spending the day at home, just the three of us (my brothers chose to live 300 odd miles away with my mother's parents). Usually we spent the day with my father's mother, her life-partner, his brothers and by this time, their children (who would have been newborns at this point). I went to bed absolutely fine on Christmas Eve, but woke up the next morning miserable and wretched. Like a previous poster, I couldn't even work up the energy to open my presents from Santa, and spent the morning tucked up under my blankets on the sofa. My mother (a nurse) insisted that I be taken to our local hospital's A&E department, so I was carted off into our old family car, and my father drove us through the deserted streets to the hospital with me on my mother's lap in the front seat. I was violently ill on her during the drive. The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with me, and I was sent home again, despite my parents protestations that I wasn't "right". Once back home, I again cocooned myself onto the sofa and watched my parents unwrap my gifts in an effort to get me interested. Not even the Barbie camper van was enough to get me off the sofa. My mother called the emergency GP and, perhaps luckily, it happened to be our family doctor who'd known me for most of my life. I bit him when he tried to palpitate my belly. He said to just keep an eye on me, if I got worse, blah, blah. In hindsight, and he admitted this himself, I was having a severe anxiety attack/depressive episode. It is, however, referred to in the family as "The Christmas That [13] Bit The Doctor".

When I was 19, I'd newly broken up with my abusive ex-boyfriend (not knowing that I was pregnant at the time!), and went out clubbing with friends from work after our Christmas Eve shift. My mother's parents were staying with us for a few days, and I was doing my utmost to avoid them. I spent the night asleep in my (male) manager's car after having had my drink spiked, and him rescuing me from some randomers. He lived in another town and didn't know where I lived - and I was in no fit state to tell him - so he drove me home with him and fetched a duvet from his bed, then spent the night watching over me in case I was sick, having passed out. He then drove me home the next morning once I'd surfaced, having explained why I was freezing cold and in a car on his drive (he lived with his parents), and I walked into my parents house at around 7am. My early rising grandparents were not amused or impressed by the state of me. I spent the rest of the day trying to defrost, pretty much. Oh, and my grandfather somehow knew that I was pregnant... and didn't say anything to me about this knowledge! He just sat and gave me narrowed glares every now and then. My parents? I don't think they actually knew I'd not made it home the night before. This is referred to as "Why Didn't My Grandfather At Least Tell Me That He Thought I Might Be Pregnant?!", and "The Christmas I Had A Very Lucky Escape!" (my manager and I are still friends now, and I'm still very grateful that he was in the right place, at the right time to rescue me that night).

When I was 31, I woke up on Christmas morning with the 'flu. Not ideal when you have excited children and you're a single parent! Especially not when it's the first time you've been "allowed" to host the big day in your own home. I spent the morning building my son's toys, listening to my daughter pontificate about her gifts, peeling vegetables, and crying. My father took over with the cooking and made me retreat to the sofa, whilst my mother took over with the children. This is referred to as "The Last Time [13] Is Ever Allowed To Celebrate Or Host In Her Own Home" by my parents and daughter. Luckily, my son was too young to realise what was going on.

Last year, I ruined Christmas by being unable to stop laughing at the look on my daughter's face when she bit into a chilli flavoured chocolate brussel sprout during a game of Sprout Roulette that my mother had bought because she thought it might be fun to play. My daughter then threw a wobbly (she was 23) and refused to sit at the table with everyone else, because I was there. I am, however, blamed because I couldn't stop laughing. I was "cruel" and "a nasty cunt" for this face, so...

This year, I forgot the crackers - which apparently ruined the entire day for everyone. Not entirely sure why, but I got blamed for the lack of exploding bits of paper full of plastic tat.

[MaelyssQ]

My little sister ruined Christmas for me when I was 7 and she was 3. My mum let me open one present after midnight mass before going to bed and I chose the biggest one, of course. It was a beautiful golden haired life sized baby doll and I was so happy. Little sis was also allowed to open one present...she got an art set. We shared a bedroom - this is relevant.

When I woke up later on Christmas day, my beautiful baby doll was absolutely covered, from her perfect head to her perfect toes, in green felt pen scribbles, courtesy of little sis. And it was before the days of washable ink.

My doll looked like she had some terrible skin disease. I was heartbroken and I have never forgiven a) my Auntie Julie for buying little sis an art set at the age of 3, and b) little sis for thinking it was okay to practice colouring in on MY BABY DOLL!

[APurpleSquirrel]

One year the oven broke whilst we were cooking the turkey. Didn't realise until the time we were due to take it out that it was still uncooked in the middle. Could have cried! DH ended up slicing the semi-raw turkey & putting it in the microwave. At least it was finally cooked.
Another year both DM & I had a horrendous cold with a hacking cough so bad every time I coughed it triggered my gag reflex so there I was chopping veg etc whilst also hanging over the kitchen sink in case I followed through & was sick
Then in 2013 I found out I was pregnant on Christmas Eve - we were very happy & excited to tell DPIL on Boxing Day but I woke that morning so ill & vomiting that thought it must be morning sickness. DH had to go to DPIL without me & tell them I was ill but if the 'morning' kind - not how we'd wanted to tell them! I spent the day in bed sleeping, watching tv & waiting till DH came home. Turned out it wasn't morning sickness, just a bug - thankfully the rest of the pregnancy was vomit-free.

[Teapotuser]

Spending Xmas with an addict. Very sad. Try to make it the best you can but end up doing all the work. Eating dinner with the kids, while partner is either in bed because they are so wasted. Or they eat with you and struggle because they are so wasted. Find out they have drunk the Xmas alcohol themselves in the morning!. Or the other one was to say I will look after the kids Xmas money for the boxing day sales only to find out a week later they have stolen it. Banned from being with your own family or friends either because they are a controlling person. Awful! This year I'm single with the kids and none of that shit! No booze, presents paid for , phone calls to family and much happier kids!

[HigherFurtherFasterBaby]

I was 19, my younger sister 17. Back in the days when ID wasn't really a thing in pubs (I'm 34 now). We decided to go see a band at the local rock pub on Christmas Eve. Got absolutely hammered, rolled in around 3am.

We have much younger siblings, who woke up when we fell through the front door pissing ourselves laughing and falling over each other.

They wouldn't go back to sleep, insisted on opening presents as they could see that Santa had been.

Our mother was not happy, spent the day glaring at us, ended up having Christmas Dinner at 11am as she had to start cooking early, read us the riot act several times.

It's gone down as one of our best Christmases ever, well, for me and my slightly younger sibling anyway

[opinionminion]

I was convinced DP had bought me a puppy a car or an engagement ring... evidence towards all 3 ...
I got a purse .....

[Trollsinthedungeon]

Got chicken pox for the second time on Christmas Day when I was 6, parents bundled me in the car after I refused to open any presents because I didn't feel well enough. Went to sleep in the car, woke up at my grandparents covered in spots, threw up
On myself, had no change of clothes so spent all of Christmas Day in my grandparents spare room in my pants crying because I had been sick on myself and I was so itchy.

I missed Christmas dinner because I was asleep :(

[CharityDingle]

Not my story but a former colleague once told us about how, the previous Christmas, she refused to get out of bed, on Christmas Day. She wasn't ill, just being a brat.
There was just one other sibling and her parents and they didn't want to have Christmas dinner, without her.
Her dad eventually persuaded her, by getting her his dressing gown to wear.
She was a spoilt brat, in general, as an adult. Glad I no longer work with her.

[CorianderQueen]

@SeasonallySnowyPeasant

Not me but the Yugoslavia Christmas reminded me of DH's flatmate at uni. He was Kosovan and here on an international student program. He got very drunk one night leading up to Christmas and DH got home from a party to find that he'd caught a goose from the lake near their halls and was butchering it in his shower

What the fuck. Omg.

[CigarsofthePharoahs]

@Fluffycloudland77
I too have ruined Christmas by having the audacity to cook a good meal.
My Mum had been moaning that all the Christmas cooking meant she didn't get much time with her grandkids. So I took over.
She'd bought the turkey and I'd bought absolutely everything else.
It started going wrong on Christmas eve. I did a massive curry spread for everyone. My Mum spent the whole time complaining that I'd "made a mess of the kitchen" and I'd ruined her cooker. Even my incredibly mild mannered Dad had enough of listening to it and when my Mum got onto "But all the washing up!" for the third time he snapped "What washing up?" as he'd been helping me in the kitchen and all that was left to clean were the plates on the table and some serving dishes. My ruining of the cooker turned out to be a smear of beef madras on the hob that I wiped off.
On Christmas day we discovered that when my Mum had insisted my car needed to be moved she'd reversed it into a wall and broken the brake light. That didn't go down too well. My fault too, apparently.
So I cooked Christmas dinner, accompanied by a chorus of my Aunt and my Mum saying "Why are you bothering to do all that?" regularly. My response of "BECAUSE IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!" didn't go down too well. My Aunt genuinely believed we'd be better off with some Aldi version of Aunt Bessie's and a Bernard Mathews turkey roll.
I ended up cooking her own version of almost everything separately as she didn't want any pork in her stuffing and she didn't want any vegetable gratin and she didn't want......
My Mum shouted at me when I asked her to get the nice plates out to put on the table. Apparently she was far too busy to do anything like that and we'd just use the normal plates that don't all match. It was all I could do not to yell "Doing what??? Bitching at me???" back at her as that was all she'd done all day.
So yes, me going to a lot of effort to make a lovely spread ruined Christmas. DH and I agreed we'd do our own bloody thing the following year and my parents could come as long as they promised to not be miserable gits. Which we did and my Mum managed to be happy! Probably helped by my Aunt not being there as she does bring out the worst in my Mum.

[Hoppinggreen]

Seasonally was this at York?
If so no sympathy needed for the goose, they were evil and their slimy poops were responsible for many a poor student slipping over.

[SeasonallySnowyPeasant]

@slavetothenhs not for the goose! He didn't really know what he was doing and made an awful mess. Drunken DH made the point that it had spent its life eating leftover student kebabs nibbled by rats so the chap decided not to eat it in the end. He invited DH to visit his family in Kosovo so he could show him his gun collection and they could throw grenades together in his family's field!

[CorianderQueen]

Got drunk and had a screaming row with my step dad over a point I really wasn't that bothered about in the cold light of day

[slavetothenhs]

@SeasonallySnowyPeasant that's hilarious!

[Delatron]

Ooh @fromthesamecloth I forgot all the presents one year too. Well the kids presents. DH had his 🙄.

We were at my parents 300 miles away on Christmas Eve when I realised. I thought he’d put the sack in, he thought I had. I cried and cried! Kids were about 2 and 4. Luckily my parents had bought them enough and they didn’t clock.

Actually made me realise they don’t need so many presents. Felt like a massive idiot though.

[SeasonallySnowyPeasant]

Not me but the Yugoslavia Christmas reminded me of DH's flatmate at uni. He was Kosovan and here on an international student program. He got very drunk one night leading up to Christmas and DH got home from a party to find that he'd caught a goose from the lake near their halls and was butchering it in his shower

[fucknuckle]

i have ruined many, many christmases.

i once woke up on a sofa, very confused that it was only 9.30pm. mascara everywhere, proper drunk crashed out at about half 5, just between the roast and pudding.

i sorted my face out, found myself a drink and ended up in a hot tub at midnight. i’ve just about been forgiven for the almighty family row that my passing out triggered (i apparently got a little bit fighty when a lie-down was suggested)...between my family who were sick of my shit, and my BIL who just wanted everyone to get horrendously drunk and who had brought the tequila shots to the dinner table that were the engineer of my downfall.

i don’t drink any more.

[ThreeLadsPointingAtAStar]

The Christmas after my dad died we discovered (on Christmas Day) that neither my sister my mum or I could coordinate and cook Christmas dinner.
At 3pm in the afternoon we were sobbing over the turkey that wasn't yet cooked while the veg was all turned to mush. We ended up eating the veg first, roast potatoes about an hour later and the turkey in the evening.

18 years on we can all manage to produce a decent Christmas dinner but I as we dish up I do always remember that first year - and also feel sad that when dad was alive he did it all with such panache and made it look so easy while the rest of us lolled around.