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Original poster

To ask about your worst Christmas day ever

195 replies

sparklybluesky · 14/12/2021 19:47

Mine was 2010 heading towards divorce. Day spent at In Laws where I had to drive as ex couldn't. Not as though much alcohol was served.
MIL served up a tiny meal, gifts to me were freebies from Avon. Weirdo ex was obsessed with his video camera which he set up to film the day. His Sister arrived with her badly behaved children and the whole thing was recorded on this bloody camera set up in the corner. Ex bought me some yankee candles off of ebay! We divorced shortly after.

OP posts:
tumbletastic · 14/12/2021 21:08

Having my 5 month old baby seizing in clusters all day (after asking to go home for Christmas having spent 6 days in hospital already.)

Awful guilt for coming home when really would have been better in hospital.

Toddlerteaplease · 14/12/2021 21:08

A couple of years ago, I was supposed to be working Christmas Day. (No problem with that it's a lovely day to work.) came down with vomiting on 23rd. Who I only lasted 8 hours. But couldn't go to work and my parents wouldn't have me. I was completely on my own. So drove up to the nearest motor way services for a coffee and a slice of cake.
On my own this year as my parents are very anxious about getting covid and missing my sisters wedding. I have a plan, but I think a motorway services will feature at some point!

lionobserving · 14/12/2021 21:10

Really needed this thread today, in a weird way. So sorry for all of the awful christmases faced by you all.

I am facing a very miserable, lonely Christmas this year, and I am struggling with all of the instagram family Christmas celebrations already. It's hard to switch off (with not much else to do) but it makes for a painful watch at the moment.

Realising that not everyone is having the hallmark perfect family Christmas helps slightly, in a twisted sort of way.

emmetgirl · 14/12/2021 21:13

All my childhood Christmas's basically. (D)M drunk and violent (D)F pretending it wasn't happening. I tend to ignore Xmas now. I'm 55.

ABCeasyasdohrayme · 14/12/2021 21:15

I hope the pair of evil bastards paid for their actions.

He died some years ago in the one way he really feared the most. That made me very happy, he suffered so much. I know that sounds horrible but he really was an awful human.

She has nobody who loves her, she is missing out on my children, has her sons who don't take anything to do with her, just show up when they need money, and has been cautioned for harassing me using social services to try and remove my children through malicious reports. She has turned into a lonely, bitter old woman, who is definitely reaping what she has sown.

I'm so sorry about your daughter Parkhead I, too, am a bereaved parent, nobody can ever prepare you. The world can be so fucking cruel Flowers

sociallydistained · 14/12/2021 21:16

My worst Christmas I was about 25 it started well but swine flu got me just after opening presents. Before Christmas dinner I was absolutely out of it with a high fever and I never got that Christmas dinner 😢 I was bed-ridden for 2 weeks and have never been as ill as that.

I remember there was a fight or something in my block of flats New Years Eve and the day after NYD the police knocked on my door to ask id id heard anything. I said was asleep from 8pm and out of it, didn’t hear a thing. Not sure what they would of believed that if they didn’t see the state of me 🙈

Youmeanyouvelostyourkey · 14/12/2021 21:20

Spent Xmas eve in ICU with my mum. She died at 12.35 am on Xmas Day. She always did have great timing. As I was driving out of the hospital car park, the were singing Silent Night on the radio.

Sleep in heavenly peace. Indeed.

Rest of day was very surreal as my 3 year old was very excited and happy as it was Xmas......

MoreRainbowsPlease · 14/12/2021 21:21

The year ds2 was admitted to hospital on Christmas Eve because his bowel wasn't working. I had spent weeks telling various healthcare professionals I thought his tummy looked weird and he wasn't pooing, but I was told that was normal for an EBF baby. We went for a routine visit to the health visitor on the 24th who was horrified by his stomach and sent us straight to the GP who sent us straight to hospital.

On the 25th Ds2 spiked a fever and had to have a lumbar puncture as they suspected sepsis. I was told he could die. I will never forget the feeling of complete helplessness as my 3 week old baby was taken away from me and I wasn't allowed to go with him, I just had to listen to him screaming.

The hospital never found out why his bowel didn't work. He had to have various treatments till he was about 2, but eventually it did work on it's own. He is now a very healthy 13 year old with no memories of his first Christmas. I unfortunately have never recovered mentally from that experience, and ds2 was about 3 before I thought I might actually get to keep him.

There have been other shitty Christmas's, usually due to illness, but since that Christmas as long as no one has died I count it as good.

MrsPnut · 14/12/2021 21:22

Mine are trivial compared to some of these, much love to all of you.

1998, I came down with flu from someone that martyred on ill the day before Christmas Eve. I came home from my friends on the next morning after falling asleep in a night club. My brothers were absolute shits and wouldn’t look after my toddler any longer so she managed to smear taramasalata over the walls in the bedroom at my parents. I got up to watch her open her presents and went back to bed. Got up for dinner and ate a sprout before going back to bed.

Another bad year was 2017 when one of my parent’s best friends dies the day before Christmas Eve, he had an asthma attack and died before the ambulance arrived. Their kids were our age and we used to spend so much time together when we were young. My mum had a phone call whilst I was driving them to my house from her best friend.

Then there was last year, I’d been diagnosed with two cancers in November and had started chemotherapy and radiotherapy 9 days before Christmas. I was organising the family collecting things and taking in the food shop whilst I was having chemo.
I did manage to cook Christmas dinner and had an afternoon nap so that wasn’t all bad.

ABCeasyasdohrayme · 14/12/2021 21:24

Nobodies worst Christmas is trivial.

Its still the worst Christmas you've ever had, someone else going through something different doesn't change that fact Flowers

DerAlteMann · 14/12/2021 21:24

Slipped a disk on Xmas Eve and spent Xmas Day on my back on the bedroom floor. Problem was we were going to DW's mothers (80 miles away) for Xmas leaving first thing Xmas morning. Had literally nothing in the house for DW, me and 2 DCs and presents etc. had been sent on advance. Not a fun day for anyone.

Forgothowmuchlhatehomeschoolin · 14/12/2021 21:25

@AFingerofFudge

My mum died on Christmas Day 1985. I was 14. The whole thing was surreal. I knew I was getting a cheap Walkman type thing but it sat under the tree unopened for days and I felt guilty for really wanting to open it. Now I over compensate and try to make it all really special for the DCs.
Wow....l came on here to say my worst was when spent it with ex in laws and boyfriend who clearly wanted to get pissed with his brother and the whole day was shit cos they lived in a different country so l couldn't leave. But your story is heartbreaking, l am so sorry.
userxx · 14/12/2021 21:26

@AFingerofFudge

My mum died on Christmas Day 1985. I was 14. The whole thing was surreal. I knew I was getting a cheap Walkman type thing but it sat under the tree unopened for days and I felt guilty for really wanting to open it. Now I over compensate and try to make it all really special for the DCs.

Jesus, that's so sad 😞

Quirrelsotherface · 14/12/2021 21:32

The year where my DM had been diagnosed with a terminal illness a couple of days before. She knew it would be her last Christmas so wanted joy and we had lots of little DC around so tried for them but every single minute was tinged in horror, disbelief and sadness. She passed away a few weeks later.

Elderflower14 · 14/12/2021 21:32

I lost my eldest son three days before Christmas in 1994.. I spent Christmas Day cuddling my six week old niece and crying lots.
Christmas Day 1995 was better as we were able to tell our families that I was pregnant again. Ds2 arrived the next July... ♥ ♥ ♥

Forgothowmuchlhatehomeschoolin · 14/12/2021 21:34

Have rtft now and feel so humbled about what people have been through.
Wishing you all a lovely Christmas this year xx

JaneyJimplin · 14/12/2021 21:34

When I was 8, things were particularly bad at home (never good generally). Things escalated and my mum ended up fleeing my dad with us 3 kids. She just said we were getting the bus to our nearest shopping town, but when we got there we got on a train to London. She wouldn't respond when we asked where we were going. She literally just was silent the whole time. Eventually, 3 tubes later, we realised we were going to nan's.

That was a couple of days before Christmas. My mum couldn't eat, she'd just sit staring in silence. No presents, which upset my brother. Because we left with nothing and my mum was so distraught, we all wore the same underwear and clothes for a week. I still hate the feeling of being unwashed and grubby.

Eventually she went back to him after Christmas. He'd smashed the house up, ripped down the decorations and thrown our gifts away. I wish she'd never taken us back.

freesolo · 14/12/2021 21:36

@AFingerofFudge

My mum died on Christmas Day 1985. I was 14. The whole thing was surreal. I knew I was getting a cheap Walkman type thing but it sat under the tree unopened for days and I felt guilty for really wanting to open it. Now I over compensate and try to make it all really special for the DCs.
Bless you, that's really got to me x
Campfirewood · 14/12/2021 21:37

@ABCeasyasdohrayme I hope you have a lovely Christmas, with the new family you have created, you sound like such a wonderful mother Smile My mother is bitter and alone after mistreating all of her children and I absolutely love my Christmases with my 2 wonderful DC. I really spoil them and probably overdo it!

Stripyhoglets1 · 14/12/2021 21:39

Last year was the worst for me - not being able to see family freely. I can appreciate that is not very serious compared to what some of you have experienced. But im used to travelling and seeing alot if family and we couldn't see any last year.

ABCeasyasdohrayme · 14/12/2021 21:44

[quote Campfirewood]@ABCeasyasdohrayme I hope you have a lovely Christmas, with the new family you have created, you sound like such a wonderful mother Smile My mother is bitter and alone after mistreating all of her children and I absolutely love my Christmases with my 2 wonderful DC. I really spoil them and probably overdo it![/quote]
Thank you, I hope you and your family have a great Christmas too 🎄

No such thing as overdoing Christmas... I hope 😂

PatsyJStone · 14/12/2021 21:45

Had caught ex with another woman on Christmas Eve, but we still had Christmas dinner with my family, him hungover, green and nearly sick. It’s times like these you know you will never do another Christmas Day with them.

NettleMania · 14/12/2021 21:49

Last year was the worst Christmas.
3 months before my 20 year old son took his own life.
No one knew anything was wrong, it was about out of the blue and has completely blown my old, normal, happy life out of the water. I will never be the same again.
I keep going just for my younger daughter.
This Christmas is 15 months on and I'm still struggling. There will be no cards sent, no tree put up. We are having a roast and I have bought presents for Dd. We will visit his grave and remember him.

Mum45678 · 14/12/2021 21:50

The Xmas before my EXH left. He had gone away for work for a week which was the longest he had been away, leaving me with our two small DDs. He came back in time for us to put up the tree together. We were so excited to have him home and he was horrible and grumpy to all of us. He continued on like this all month, I was a SAHM at the time so I organised everything for Xmas. I asked him to do one thing, he totally messed it up and blamed me. Christmas Day wasn't much better, He complained about everything and it was really miserable. We went away between Christmas and NYE - He spent most of the time on the phone and being horrible to me. NYE we had a party for friends and when we got into bed that night, out it came - I love you but I'm not in love with you, blah blah blah. The script. Just over a month later, I found out he was having an affair.

I gave away almost all of our Christmas things and bought new ones to create new memories for my DDs and I.

ABCeasyasdohrayme · 14/12/2021 21:57

@NettleMania

Last year was the worst Christmas. 3 months before my 20 year old son took his own life. No one knew anything was wrong, it was about out of the blue and has completely blown my old, normal, happy life out of the water. I will never be the same again. I keep going just for my younger daughter. This Christmas is 15 months on and I'm still struggling. There will be no cards sent, no tree put up. We are having a roast and I have bought presents for Dd. We will visit his grave and remember him.
Its not easy, just keep taking one day at a time, at some point you'll look forward a week, then a month until you can see some way forward in this new, awful, normal you're in Flowers

I'm so sorry that you have to miss your son. Its a pain no mother should bear.