Christmas cancelled

[SandSandy]

Feeling very sorry for myself! Had family coming over today for Christmas, I've spent ages preparing food, games, the usual - they've cancelled last minute as they're ill.

It can't be helped and I'm not upset with the family at all, just really disappointed to be spending Christmas alone 😔

Yeah but the whole family?? All at the same time. I just don't buy it. Not coupled with the 'but we can still eat your food' BS.

I agree. That's really cheeky. If they're too ill to come they're too ill to eat a big meal.

Cheeky fuckers.

Do you have plans tomorrow? Could postpone until then. They might be feeling better after 24 hours.

Do they have form for being grabby, entitled and expecting you to do the grunt work?

@pinkdelight in our office many of us came down at the same time yes

Flu nami going through UK, last year 700 people in hospital with flu this year we are at 3000 in hospital. Some medics are calling for masks etc. And headache and ache were my first symptoms

What-are you still cooking a Christmas dinner for them?!

• I did also feel nauseous however and definitely wouldn't have been able to face a large meal

I'm merely pointing out these people may not be lying and op actually maybe saving herself from feeling awful

I would pop your friend a message, explain you're home alone, can you pop in for a drink at a time convenient to them, not expecting them to get dressed or anything? That way you won't be alone all day but also not expecting them to be hosts.

We are having a quiet family Christmas but I would happily have a friend over in similar circumstances.

That's shit. So much illness this year.

Basically they can’t be bothered to change out of pjs etc and travel. They are well enough to eat a full Christmas dinner though.
They are happy for you to cook for them all day and be left by yourself.
It’s not great OP. I definitely wouldn’t be cooking and would be reevaluating any effort with them in the future!

We had to cancel plans to visit the in-laws today as DH and I have the flu, MIL insists she'll bring dinner over for us later which is hugely appreciated and thoughtful. We're so very sad to be missing out on Christmas with them (We're going to do a fake Christmas in January instead) but I would just absolutely hate for them to get sick right now. And yes, the flu started as headaches and feeling achy so 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm really sorry you're spending Christmas alone OP, especially when you are happy enough to still be around them when they are ill. Would they have to travel far to you? Maybe they aren't up to the journey? But at the same time, if BIL is happy enough to come and collect the food that you're cooking then surely he could pick you up for a couple of hours too? To exclude you from the day entirely does feel quite rude to be honest.

Holy shit! I'm so sorry.

We're the ill family who have just had to cancel family coming over. Noro by the looks of dp this morning. I feel like a bag of shit cancelling on my dad and step mom on Christmas morning.

I am sorry, not just for you but for those who are ill. Look on the positive side, SandSandy. You can please yourself. It will be a special day. Have nice things to eat, watch and listen to what you want, have a snooze. Before you know it, it will be Boxing Day. I wish you a happy day.

Have flu but typing on MN?

@Moonwalkies believe it or not, yes. I'm thankfully four days into it and having small moments of energy for things other than lying in bed, feeling utterly rotten.

I think the same.

If they're well enough to eat a Christmas dinner, they're well enough to drive to someone else's house and eat it there.

Will the food last for a couple more days?

You could try and rearrange it and redo Xmas in a couple of days time instead.

I’m sorry that you’re now alone.
And I’m sorry they’re feeling so poorly.

Quite!

In my experience, when illness spreads through a household, the onset is slightly staggered, so people go down with it one after another, not all at once.

Unless it's food poisoning of some sort, and they all had the same to eat.

I doubt this is the case.

It is likely a much easier Xmas for them to have it at someone else’s home.

I think it’s a bit cheeky coming to get the food but it would have still been easier for them to come for half a day and eat at OPs etc than collect it and eat it at their own home.

So sorry OP. Bugger them and MAKE SURE you do something lovely for you today! I'd rather be alone & self indulgent than pleasing a load of ungrateful people.

Cheeky buggers! I'd say it's all gone in the freezer so we can still have a meal together when you're better. I wouldn't be cooking it all for them as a meal delivery service! Think it's fantastically rude of them to assume you're ok with this. Unless you want to of course.

Agree with others on this, I’m afraid to say - if someone’s well enough to drive and pick up food, then he’s well enough to eat it at your house. And if you’re well enough to tuck into a Christmas dinner, then you’re well enough to pull yourself round for a few hours and go and eat it with the person who cooked it. Very rude and unkind of them.

Sorry but that’s not a good enough excuse. No way you should be cooking OP! Tell them you’ll do it another day, but you’re going for a long walk and to find a nice pub. Please please do not cook for them.

Also maybe tell them to get their boiler checked, all of them being ill at once is weird / worrying.

Agree. They're walking all over you on this.

I also agree. The fact they're all ill is believable as viruses spread quickly but be able to drive to pick up a filling Christmas meal and well enough to scoff it all down?

Yeah, I call BS.