Tales of family Christmas from hell?

[HTH1]

Following on from the guests from hell thread, please tell me about your worst family Christmas from hell. Hopefully that will make me happier about it just being a v small Christmas this year (all family away or dead) and would love to hear your experiences

When it was my PFB first Christmas 6byears ago

Dp begged us to go to them for christmas dinner even though it wasnt their year
Promised that DH and I could just coo over baby and not lift a finger.

We turned up at the time they said...no one was there but I had a key so let myself in and phoned them...at the pub they said wont be long

An hour later dh walks to the pub to see whats going on...

About an hour after that dh comes back and says they are all drunk... (we should have left then...)

At around 3.00 i realise not a veg is prepped and so call them again to say whats happening with food....oh yes were on our way back can you just crack on and start the veg and get THE TURKEY IN THE OVEN....

We didnt eat till about 6 and everyone was just so drunk...arguments etc. Honestly I know people have had worse but I was only 2 months post birth and felt very let down

Just had my heart broken by a man who dumped me, and my uncle lectured me on Christmas Day how there was no point in having a big fancy career if I didn't have a man.

First Christmas after a bereavement and we're all "making an effort". A family member bursts into tears as we start to eat our dinner, her mother snaps at her to pull it together, and I'm trying to swallow my dinner with a massive lump in my throat.

Then a funny one, went to my in-laws on Boxing Day with our 1 year old. It's a 90min drive. I had brought food/snacks for him but we were on the understanding we'd been invited for dinner. Spent about 3 hours there and were offered nothing more than tea and biscuits. I had brought a huge pavlova that I'm made, it was put in the fridge and we never got a taste. We drove home and I made us dinner instead.

I was going to say - this one, where we cannot see our families.

Went up to Scotland the year after FIL left MIL for a South American woman who was 25 years younger than him. MIL resented any signs of joy or Christmas cheer and was particularly hostile to me (normal) but also DH as he reminded her of FIL (she actually said this) and told me that DH would probably leave me when I get older “just like his father”. It was very remote so there was no escape. DH and I cracked open the booze well before midday just to get through it all, by 2pm I was passed out, snoring like a trooper, under the ginormous Christmas tree. When I woke up I had missed the Queen’s Speech by a considerable margin.

Slade “It’s CHRISTMAS!!!”

Princessnutnutroast- funniest thing I’ve read in a while! 😂😂Although I’m sure it wasn’t funny at the time 😬

Mine happened whilst as a young 20 something, I visited my bf on Christmas Day to drop in his present.

He and his sister both lived at home. He was always treat like a second class citizen by his younger sister and his parents didn't challenge it - but Christmas dinner was something else.

In the dining room, his sister had set, a glorious Christmas table, large central decoration, matching table ware, crystal glasses ...all set for four people, her mum and dad, her boyfriend and herself...

Whilst they ate together my bf/her brother was given a tray and sent to the living room to sit alone to eat his.

I was so upset for him and sad that he didn't feel he could challenge it.

The first year I hosted for everyone (10 people) I woke up at 3am with my first ever gallstone attack. It lasted alllll day, finally eased off about 8pm! I had no idea it was a gallstone attack, I thought I was dying from some sort of stomach ache/period pain/heartburn combination, so I just got on with it. Nothing ended up being on time and I spent a lot of time curled up on a kitchen chair crying in between cooking. No one offered to help me! They all just sat around enjoying themselves! If I asked for help it was met with eyerolls and half-hearted attempts, like "Oh, look at Nerve, so dramatic!"

One when I was about 13. My alcoholic mother (who didn't have custody) was invited along with the rest of us to spend Christmas with extended family, and spent all day sneaking vodka from her handbag despite having promised she'd stay sober that day, which was the only reason she was invited. When I pointed out the drinking (quietly) I got told off and told not to 'ruin Christmas' by other relatives. Once drunk she said plenty of rude and embarrassing things, but we were all expected to pretend it wasn't happening and that we were having a lovely time.

Not surprising that I don't like Christmas much now!

There was the Christmas when I was at uni. I was on a student exchange and didn’t have money for a flight home (North America). I made a German boyfriend and he said I should spend Xmas with his family. I booked to stay there two weeks (WTF was I thinking?).

After I’d bought non refundable tickets, we then proceeded to break up a few days before end of term, but he felt bad and said I should still come and spend Xmas with his family, as a friend.

We could hardly stand each other by the time the plane took off.

He then proceeded to get pneumonia while he was there and spent a week in bed.

It turned out his dad had been in the nazi youth and was massively racist.

Christmas delicacy was jellied tongue, and lard from a jar.

I could go on and on, it was like being in a hostage situation.

I have never been happier to get back home (ie to my student digs) than at the end of those two weeks.

I have a few to choose from.

The one that is more light hearted I will share as the others are a little depressing.

When I was 6 I was Mary in the nativity play at school and also Mary in sunday school play. I had a little belly and was panic stricken that I was going to give birth to Jesus on Christmas day, I went to bed on christmas eve with several pairs of knickers on (had an older sister so knew how babies are born) and was so scared I was going to give birth I thought the baby wouldnt be able to get out with the extra knickers.

The next day my parents noticed I wasnt my normal happy self on this special day. I finally told them what I thought was about to happen and they reassured me I wasnt the real Mary and mother of Jesus.

About 4 years ago I flew to Barcelona to visit a good friend...we went to Lisbon for 5 days and flew back to Barcelona on the 24th [ xmas dinner over there is on the 24th]....stopped at the gross cafe at Sants station for a coffee....its always been filthy....got back to house in afternoon....suddenly both of us were projectile vomitting in her kitchen and then ran to the bathrooms...lucky she had 2....down with norovirus for 4 days....awful....!!

Lived with boyfriend, no kids, went out Christmas Eve separately but in the same town and were going to meet up before midnight.
He didn’t arrive and I knew something was wrong. Walked up the street to see him come out of pub holding hands with a girl.

We had an argument, he pushed me up against a wall with his hands round my neck. I had to cook Christmas Day for family with him badly hungover and trying not to be sick. There wasn’t another Christmas with him.

There was the one where my sister refused to lift a finger and expected to be waited on hand and foot. I had spent three days cooking for 25 people that my mum was hosting, while jet lagged with two toddlers who were up all night.

It would have been nice if she’d offered to, I don’t know, put her own plate in the dishwasher. But no. I had to do everything for her while she sat there like a queen.

F

Jenasaurus that is AMAZING 🤣🤣

@nerve oh I totally sympathise, gallstone attacks are horrific, I'm surprised you didn't just crawl into bed and call it quits!

My mum had MS. Her birthday was also on Christmas Day. Christmas was always a sad state of affairs. I wish I had had those christmasses you see on the adverts ☹️

There was my dad’s last Christmas which I missed because I had a placental abruption. I was told I couldn’t fly and had a high chance of a still birth.

My dad was in the final stages of cancer and died a few months later. Thankfully my baby survived, was born prematurely but is now 9 years old and healthy.

I remember sobbing on a hospital bench when I was told I couldn’t fly. I was heartbroken.

As a teenager I was expected to "entertain" my father over the Christmas period to pay him back for how hard he worked all year to pay for it

My FIL decided he'd carry our very large and heavy cooked turkey in its roasting tin by tucking a carving knife and sharpener under the handles of the tin at either end. Funnily enough, the tin did a perfect 180 degree rotation and tipped the turkey and all the cooking fat all over my kitchen floor. Just as my other guests arrived.

Last but not least, my mum died on Christmas Day two years ago.

Despite all this, I bloody love Christmas and so do my DCs.

BiL committed suicide a few days before Christmas.

Sisters' MiL insisted on visiting - complete PiTA; yes she was grieving, but constant sniping at my sister didn't help things, plus gave every indication that she was taking up residence & never going home.

One year Christmas started with my sister throwing up everywhere. We were kids and had been told not to wake up parents til 7, but as an 8yo I wasn't equipped to deal with so much vomit and I braved walking them up early (which was fine btw, they were lovely just didn't want to be up opening presents at 3am). Then by about 10 my brother and I were ill as well. Then at 2pm we had a power cut, so we played board games by candlelight in between bouts of sickness. As a child, I didn't even think it was that bad, I quite enjoyed it other than the being sick. I don't remember eating Christmas dinner at all that year, as we'd normally have gone to Grandma's, but obviously didn't because of the illness. The power cut lasted all afternoon/evening as well. It must have been horrific for my parents dealing with 3 ill children without being able to see properly or even start washing some of the clothes/bedding that needed it.

As a child a couple of times friends of my parents joined us for Xmas at our holiday place. Two of them broke up over the Xmas break as the husband in both cases had been cheating. They thought they’d have one last Xmas as a family with us but it all went to shit partway through the holiday. Awkward.