Hadn’t seen my family in 4 years and we hadn’t had Christmas together as a family for a good 15 years. My B got very drunk, he was always a lightweight but suspect there were other things being consumed. We manage to wrap the day up with out much incident other than him being a bit letchy, loud and obnoxious. About half an hour later there is loud shouting, B is back with his DP, they had left their car keys behind so my parents could drop the car off the next day, even if they were fit to drive the car was snowed in. The house keys were on the same key ring. Anyway B is pissed off as they had forgotten his DP had given me her house keys Xmas Eve when I stayed at their house. I locked up and posted them through the letter box, as requested. So they couldn’t get in. B is also pissed because he’d tipped the original taxi driver all his cash (this is pre taxis taking cards). We paid the taxi as B didn’t want to go back in the same taxi. B started kicking off throws his keys somewhere in ridiculously thick snow and storms off, not before telling our DF he hoped he died and having a go and the rest of us, so now no one has keys to his house. Eventually we find them and his DP wants to go home, cue new taxi and cash given to her.
A short while later the DP is on the phone crying B has kicked their front door in and smashed everything including her 4yos Christmas presents (her 4yo was with his dad so not there). So now we have to go get her. Only sober people are the women, myself, SIL & mother, the only car not snowed in is SILs, nice sports car that DB says no chance mother driving and no chance his wife’s going without him. I can’t drive manual, So the 3 of them go to get DP, police are called as B is in street screaming with a knife and making threats, house is trashed but police won’t do anything as it’s Bs house and Bs not stupid he got rid of the knife as soon as he knew they were coming and denied he had it. After DB tries pushing police to do something they threaten to arrest him so he walks away and the 4 of them come back. I open front door to DP covered in blood. My DF was so quiet after everyone calms down he just asks if my B hit her, she looks at my DF and says hit me, no he fucking hit me but I fucking beat the shit out of the bastard when I saw what he did to my home and kids presents. Very calmly my DF said, so let me get this right you’ve been beating my son. It dosnt sound it but the way he did it we all just burst out laughing as it broke all the tension.
This was 18 years ago, I’ve only spent 1 Christmas Day with the lot of them once since then and that was only because my DF died just before Xmas so we spent it together. I made sure to leave early.