Okay, it's not terrible but this was my worst Christmas Day.
Christmas 2004, we'd been invited to spend the day with SIL2 and family, MIL, and other SIL1 and family. First time not having Christmas dinner at my parents house.
We visited my parents early in the morning so they could see DC1, it started snowing, my mother and father both wanted us to stay but DH says how high?, whenever his sisters want him to do anything. They live about 40 minutes away in a lovely rural location. We'd been invited to arrive at 12:30pm to eat at 1pm. We set off extra early because of the poor driving conditions. We got into a terrible skid on the road, 360 degree turn, fortunately no harm done except to our shattered nerves. DC1 slept through it all. DH still wanted to go to SIL2, we were nearly there anyway. We agreed that we would leave before it got dark so we'd improve our odds of getting home safely. We arrived on time.
Arrived, SIL2 emerged briefly from kitchen to say hello, I spotted that she was pregnant but not enough to comment and expected she would tell us later, in that very moment I had a premonition that I was pregnant too! We were still expecting to eat at 1pm, she didn't say any different. I took my insulin shot expecting to eat shortly, spent the afternoon munching glucose tablets to compensate for the long wait. BIL1 was already ensconced in SIL2's kitchen helping her before we arrived, he's awesome in the kitchen. About 3 hours later SIL1 went into the kitchen to help too. This left me minding SIL2's baby as well as my own and keeping SIL1's children under control and trying to find things to chat about with my MIL. Literally dying for a cup of tea. Or a Diet Coke, Diet 7-up, Diet Fanta, Diet anything really, I'm not fussy. DH had gone off out with BIL2 to feed some animals. I couldn't leave all those children to even get myself a glass of water. The most miserable fake tree you have ever seen. They have central heating but it's never been on when we visit.
Eventually, 6 pm came and Christmas dinner was served. A main course, full stop. Like a Sunday roast with cranberry sauce. Turns out SIL2 had done no prep in advance and BIL1 did all the turkey and ham from scratch when he arrived. Vegetarian SIL2 had spent weeks working on her Christmas cake, I'm sure it was lovely but we literally wolfed our dinner and had to leave before we were snowed in. Still no cup of tea. We left our presents there in a bag, there was no time for a gift exchange/opening.
Driving back to town, the road was very quiet. It was dark, snowing and visibility was very poor. We ended up in a convoy of 3 cars including BIL1 and we seemed to have an unspoken agreement to have about 20 yards between each car going at a very slow pace. All good until we got to an overtaking lane going uphill and a taxi comes from behind and puts the boot down scaring the bejaysus out of us all. First I thought he was going to hit us, then the car in front of us, then BIL1's car. Was never so glad to arrive home cold and hungry at our own house. First phone call was to let my mother know we'd arrived home safely, her day had been spent worrying about us.
Dial-up internet and a freezing house meant SIL1 and family would never go there for for Christmas again, they resumed hosting duties instead. DH was very happy to go to my parents in the years after that until my parents and extra guests became happy to be hosted by us.
The good thing was that SIL was indeed pregnant, didn't tell us for another 6 weeks or so. I was the only one who'd noticed. I was pregnant too, conceived on Christmas Eve.