To ask the worst behaviour at Christmas you’ve witnessed by an adult?

[SoniaFouler]

Mine is:

Drunk cousin (24 at the time) shouting and arguing with everyone for most of Boxing Day three years ago, then topped it off when someone told her to stop being stupid by standing up and scraping the entire contents of her dinner plate all over the table and made my aunt cry.

@Ddot

As a child, last of five, I realised very quickly that my father had very little time for me. Eg.. each child born was given a premium bond, their are 4 bonds 🤣 tins and tins of pictures of all the kids, one photo as a baby of me and that was a group shot. The list is endless, anyway one Christmas my sister and I ran down stairs to get our presents. The gifts were on armchairs, one chair each and had our names on them (apparently) but in the excitement we didnt look. I got hers she got mine, best Christmas ever 🤣🤣🤣

That is such a sad story. I’m sorry you had such a hard time as a child.

@NoraEphronsNeck

Why would your husband have his sister back in the house after what she did to your children?

I am open mouthed at some of these stories. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas this year. Xx

My brother sulks when he doesn't get what he wants, even now! One year when he was around 14, he wanted a plasma tv which was at the time like £2000 and he sulked cause he never got it! Every present he opened he completely disregarded just rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. You could see the hurt in my parents faces as they tried to put on a brave face. I made sure that I really emphasised my thanks to the presents I opened cause I felt bad for them.

My DCs step-Mum kicking them out of the house on boxing day because DS1 gave DS2 his stuffing balls (which he had told his dad he didn't like before they were dished up). She said she wasn't going to allow her DC to learn pathetic fussy eating from my DC and they should eat what they were given and be grateful for it. DS1 was banned from the house for over a year and his relationship with his Dad and Step Mum has never recovered.

And yes, their Dad is just as much to blame because he should (imo) have stood up for his DC.

@DysmalRadius

When I was about 22, my younger sister got a polaroid camera for Christmas a took a picture of me that wasn't particularly flattering. I laughed it off, but my dad said 'You've always been a funny looking thing. When you were younger I was always embarrassed as you looked like you had Down's Syndrome.' Just awful on every possible level.

Apparently he wonders why we are NC...

Wtaf??? What a dreadful thing to say. Big hugs to you. Well done for cutting him out of your life, you don't need that sort of negativity in your life xx

@ImNotWhoYouThinkIam

My DCs step-Mum kicking them out of the house on boxing day because DS1 gave DS2 his stuffing balls (which he had told his dad he didn't like before they were dished up). She said she wasn't going to allow her DC to learn pathetic fussy eating from my DC and they should eat what they were given and be grateful for it. DS1 was banned from the house for over a year and his relationship with his Dad and Step Mum has never recovered.

And yes, their Dad is just as much to blame because he should (imo) have stood up for his DC.

Oh wow that's appalling

@scoobydoo1971

A work colleague on a strict financial budget due to debt plan 'hired' Christmas presents and decorations for her kids by getting them a few days before the big day from High street stores. She had all the pictures on social media of her kids unwrapping the presents. Then she took them back on Boxing day for a refund. Impressions matter, apparently!

Omg, her poor kids! I can't even imagine doing that 🥺

@Longingforatikihut

When I was 14 my mother's drunk husband-to-be dragged me out the house by my hair and locked me out. I was an ungrateful c-word because I wasn't playing with the sticky second hand my little pony his octogenarian mother had gifted me.

They were so dirty, came wrapped in an equally scraggly Asda carrier bag, not paper, and I was 14 not 4. I wasn't mean about them, but apparently I should have played with them on the floor like a toddler.

Whole extended family was scared of him so I wasn't allowed back in so I just went and sat on the park until my friend had finished her family dinner and she could sneak me into her house.

🥺🎄💕

@sjxoxo

My younger brother, about 24 years old- came home from pub on Xmas eve, absolutely, totally pissed. Went for a wee in the downstairs loo, came out with no trousers or pants on, proceeded to march into the lounge where my parents, our 2 sets of elderly very proper Grandparents, some neighbours, and a couple of my parents friends, we’re all sat eating choccies and chit chatting. Brother didn’t seem to notice everyone at all; got a handful of choccies and spent 30 seconds looking in various plug sockets for his phone charger, bearing all!!!!!

No one said a word, apart from my Grandad who is like an elderly version of Mr Carson from Downton Abbey: “I think we can all agree that women are by far the fairer sex. Men really are ugly beings.”

Haha!! X

This has proper made me giggle 😆😆

I used to work in an office years ago and there was a very quiet, polite lady who did the accounts, let's call her Jane. On the works Christmas do Jane got hammered and the song You Can Make Me Whole Again by Atomic Kitten was playing. Jane changed the lyrics to You Can Fill My Hole Again and sung her new improved version to all the blokes in the office.

Loved in a share house many years ago that had a horrible (terrifying) gas oven from the 1960’s. (You had to use a match to light it and it made a scary humming sound.) One of my flatmates hooked up with a new girlfriend, and they came home roaringly drunk. One of my other flatmates and I were seated around the table having a cup of tea when the new girlfriend stumbled into the kitchen, pulled the grilling section door down, pulled down her pants and started to climb onto the grill door. We shrieked and intervened, but there was pee on the floor. (We made him come out and clean it up immediately, and never, ever used that bloody grill!)

@DevonSunsets

While mild in comparison to some of the terrible Christmases mentioned in this thread.... My mother had a terrible upbringing so wants Christmas to be perfect. However, she is manifestly unable grasp the fact that she is the one ruins Christmas for everyone every single year. The cycle starts mid-November, planning and obsessing over every single detail. So, by the time Christmas week arrives, she is at fever pitch and wound herself so tight. One thing that doesn't go right and BOOM she explodes into temper, gets drunk, screams, has tantrums and makes the day hell for everyone. It doesn’t matter if its Christmas at hers or staying elsewhere being waited on hand and foot - we have tried every variation over the years to try to break this cycle. Only a few of her gems: She was so rude and drunk at the In Laws Christmas dinner that she has never been invited back and can’t understand why as she was ‘just a bit tipsy’. (Please note: We warned them but the In-laws insisted she come) The MILDEST thing she did that night was called my Fil the ‘N’ word conversationally because she thought he ‘would be down with that’ and asked about how big he was as she heard that ‘his kind’ were all huge. Asked newlywed guests when they were going to be having babies then scoffed and called them selfish when they said they were remaining child free – stood up and toasted the whole table at them as ‘the smug married selfish couple who were abject a failure in the eyes of every ancestor that ever came before them’ then assaulted the men that evicted her from the In Laws house to a taxi. She turned up late Christmas Eve at a family members house. While lulled into a false sense of security having very civilised tea and cake the family member excitedly mentioned the kids presents. She advised they were one of a kind super special with treasure hunt all planned as it was a lead in to a big ‘Christmas reveal’ where they were announcing to the kids they were moving abroad. My mother took this announcement personally and it ‘just ruined Christmas’ for her. While saying she was going to the loo decided to show the kids where the presents were hidden. The family member was inconsolable and my mother was smugly unrepentant exclaiming that she was a victim of a terrible misunderstanding and she thought the family member was ‘so worried’ about telling the kids – and she had been ‘trying to help’ by doing it for her. Turned up hammered and uninvited at a different family members Christmas works party (she thought it would be funny) and caused such a terrible scene the family member was formally disciplined because she was so shocking it just couldn’t go unmarked. My mother felt they were all just being fuddy-duddy’s and they all over reacted plus how they treated her ‘ruined her Christmas’. Drunk driven several times from friends or relatives’ houses, where she is staying over, after some imagined upset or slight that ‘ruins her Christmas’. She has got such a reputation for doing this no one will invite her anymore and have her be a risk to herself and others (they are not aware she has left to stop her - as she just takes affront and leaves without a word) Staying in a hotel for Christmas, so didn’t have her car. In fit of temper, after she felt another guest insulted her and ‘ruined her Christmas’, stole a friend of the family’s hire car who was visiting from abroad. Crashed it while drunk - ran away from the scene and denied everything. Lied through her teeth she was elsewhere and caused an administrative nightmare that lasted well over a year for the friend. She tried to start a physical fight with a neighbour over their decorations (she felt they were trying to show her up and ‘ruined her Christmas’) Got black out drunk to 'spite us' because we had all requested an alcohol-free Christmas and everyone (including her!) fully agreed. She lost her temper over nothing and drove to get wine then screamed at us that we were trying to control what she could and couldn’t do in her own home and ruined Christmas for her. Had a pudding not turn out the way she wanted on Christmas Eve, so started early with the temper tantrum and threw it at a wall. Started drinking much earlier than she normally would so had such a severe hangover she slept through Christmas day. We had a wonderful time that year and it was such an eye opener it was the last year she ever had a family Christmas because we realised what we were missing. Now she is so unhappy and so very lonely - so will tell anyone and everyone how shameful we all are because no one will spend Christmas with her, a poor old lady in her later years shunned by her uncaring unfeeling family. Her social worker called me once with a medical update (with my mother’s permission) and tried to hint that she's lonely round Christmas time and not going to family / family not coming to her was really getting her down. I had to explain quite firmly that most of the family refuse to speak to her because of past poor behaviour and now we refuse to be guilt tripped into playing happy families at the expense of having a peaceful/ calm Christmas. So, she can stay home on her own thank you very much.

Oh Devon, that was a hard read. I'm so glad you have managed to extricate yourselves from her

@hangrylady is it bad that I want to be Jane’s friend

[quote MaHBroon]@NoraEphronsNeck

Why would your husband have his sister back in the house after what she did to your children?[/quote]
I would imagine because it didn't affect his children, which is distressing enough.

I hope he doesn't treat his stepchildren any different than his own children?

[quote MaHBroon]@NoraEphronsNeck

Why would your husband have his sister back in the house after what she did to your children?[/quote]
Because she is his only family in the world other than his children as their own parents were both only children of only children.

He did speak to her about it afterwards but I wouldn't want something given begrudgingly anyway. And my children have an enormous amount of family so don't miss it. It was just the fact of doing it right in front of them....

@ThumbWitchesAbroad

No he treats my DC absolutely as if they were his own - better than their own father - and all DC are equal in our house.

She is the only fly in the ointment but as I don't see her from one year to the next it's not an issue.

@Double3xposure

We had two elderly ladies, Auntie Rosie and Auntie Eva, living next door to us growing up with similar scenario that no-one was quite sure what their relationship was.... until they asked my dad if he would mind helping them move some furniture as they were decorating upstairs when all became clear.

They were lovely, strong characters and were so kind to me and my siblings over the years so I was very sad when they passed away - Eva in the late 80s, Rosie a few years later.

@Double3xposure

A big shout out to all the Auntie Rosie's & Eva's out there . A shame they had to live their lives as ' friends '

[quote NoraEphronsNeck]**@Double3xposure

We had two elderly ladies, Auntie Rosie and Auntie Eva, living next door to us growing up with similar scenario that no-one was quite sure what their relationship was.... until they asked my dad if he would mind helping them move some furniture as they were decorating upstairs when all became clear.

They were lovely, strong characters and were so kind to me and my siblings over the years so I was very sad when they passed away - Eva in the late 80s, Rosie a few years later.[/quote]
Maybe you lived in our street ! 😀

@hangrylady

I used to work in an office years ago and there was a very quiet, polite lady who did the accounts, let's call her Jane. On the works Christmas do Jane got hammered and the song You Can Make Me Whole Again by Atomic Kitten was playing. Jane changed the lyrics to You Can Fill My Hole Again and sung her new improved version to all the blokes in the office.

I love this. Go Jane

[quote HollyChristmas]@Double3xposure

A big shout out to all the Auntie Rosie's & Eva's out there . A shame they had to live their lives as ' friends '[/quote]
Yes.

My own aunties kept their secret till my mum visited them abroad and they felt safe enough with her to not change their sleeping arrangements.

Not my story but a friends story. One year her DM and DF had a massive row when Christmas lunch was being served so he grabbed the Turkey and drove off with it in the car. Didn’t return until hours later.

@JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil hahaha I have the image in my head from friends when joey falls out with his sister when she visits to say she's pregnant and he storms out, then comes back in again and takes the meatball sub and storms back out again haha!!!

Every year without fail they buy me perfume I am allergic to, conveniently it’s SIL’s favourite and she takes it off my hands!

This year, thank her profusely and tell her you know someone who will absolutely LOVE it!

Refuse to give it to her, even if she screams , cries or threatens.

Alternatively say loudly "This muck!" and pour it down the sink