"1. "My MOM told my husband and me that the holidays were 'family time,' so if we wanted to visit, we should pick another time of the year." 2. "One Easter, we had an egg-shaped cake. After we ate half of it, my grandmother decided that she didn't like it and had my mother go back to return it. A HALF-EATEN CAKE. On Easter." -Anonymous"
"4. "I'm third-generation Irish with a large family that includes lawyers, judges, teachers, priests, and police officers. Every Christmas from the time I was young, my relatives have had drunken brawls on the lawn. I thought every family did this. One year, the police showed up early before the fight and said they were on standby. My grandmother had a wall of drunk mugshots made for my grandfather's office." - shaysmith3"
"8. "I was 12, and both Mom and Dad came down with horrible stomach flu. Since my two younger siblings were 7 and 5, it became my job to look after them and prepare for Christmas Day. Between nursing the parents, babysitting the brats, and trying my best to keep things together, I was run ragged. The worst part of that day was that, at 12, I wasn't quite ready to give up on the magic. I've never really liked Christmas ever since. Oh, and on Christmas Day? Mom and Dad were 100% better, the siblings were just fine, and I had the stomach flu. Nothing like vomiting throughout the day and being unable to enjoy""
Holiday gatherings can become harmful when relatives act selfishly, deceitfully, or violently. Examples include exclusionary demands that bar guests, returning partially eaten food, gifting used clothing as new items, and family members stealing presents. Chronic drunken brawls have led to police presence and even a display of drunk mugshots. Children can be forced into caregiving roles during parental illness, suffering both labor and illness themselves. These behaviors turn celebratory occasions into stressful, traumatic experiences rather than restful family time.
Read at BuzzFeed
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