@ImNotNigel please expand on why this would be 'upsetting'
Certainly, I will try to do so.
In the uk, if you invite someone to be your guest and provide food for everyone except them , it’s considered to be very rude. It’s upsetting for that person and also for their family who are with them.
The person is hungry while your other guests are fed.
Imagine you and your husband come to my house for dinner. You told me in advance that you were vegetarian.
We sit at the table and I bring out fish and salad for starters. You politely have some salad.
Then for the main course I serve chicken curry. I offer you some and you decline, saying “It looks lovely but I don’t eat meat “. I look surprised and say
“ Oh really, my cousin is vegetarian and she eats chicken and fish. This isn’t red meat you know, it’s just chicken. Are you quite sure you won’t just try some? I didn’t make it spicy as I know not everyone likes that “.
“ I understand “ you say “ but I don’t eat any meat, it’s part of my religion. Sorry”
I purse my lips, looking offended and exchange a glance with my husband which indicates that I think you are being difficult. I then give you a plate of dry rice which you try to force down.
The other dinner guests look at you oddly and enthuse about my delicious curry and complement my cooking. Another guest asks pointedly about your religion and why you are vegetarian. You try to explain without offending anyone.
Someone else tells you that their colleague shares your religion but she isn’t “strict ” like you. Another pipes up about dietary restrictions being so fashionable now, all the celebrities are doing it. Everyone nods in agreement and adds how it’s so unhealthy.
Your stomach tightens with anxiety and embarrassment. You feel your face getting hot.
You do your best to eat your plate of boiled rice. Your husband sees you are struggling and sneaks a few spoonfuls off your plate to help you out. You wish you had a tissue so you could smuggle some into your pocket or handbag.
I then bring out a delicious jellied cake desert , which of course you cannot eat because it contains gelatine. I’ve obviously spent a lot of time making this. The other guests ohh and ahh in admiration.
Your heart sinks. Your husband looks at his plate because he knows what is coming.
You wonder if you should take some out of politeness and try to eat the fruit it contains without any of the jelly, but you feel sick at the thought.
Fortunately there is ice cream too so you eat some of that. You are very hungry after just some salad leaves and a spoonful or two of rice but you try not to take more than your fair share of ice cream.
Does that sound like a fun evening to you? Can you possibly imagine how this feels ?
Now imagine this is not just a dinner party of two or three hours, but a whole day event, like a wedding . You are given food which you cannot eat and the host and other guests ( just like people on this thread ) think you are being difficult, demanding and attention seeking.
You are hungry while everyone else is full. You feel tired and light headed. You worry about fainting in the hot function suite.
You are scared to have even one drink on an empty stomach.
Everyone else is having a great time. All you can think about is that it’s been 10 hours since you last ate and it’s another two before you can leave.
So , OP and SpanishWife, can you see why that might be upsetting for you and your husband and not a particularly fun or relaxing evening or event ?