Hosting during the holidays can come with a lot of pressure. You’ll be expected to keep everyone happy while maintaining a smile and ensuring that nothing in the oven burns. That’s why some people just outright refuse to host their family members.
But when this couple got pressured into having everyone over for Christmas, they obliged. On the actual day, however, they were met with anything but gratitude for the feast they prepared. Apparently, even vegetarians are expected to serve meat during the holidays. Below, you’ll find the full story that was shared on Reddit, as well as some of the replies invested readers left the author.
This woman and her husband were pressured into hosting Christmas dinner
Image credits: DC Studio (Not the actual photo)
But her in-laws were anything but grateful when they realized that there wouldn’t be any meat on the table
Image credits: EyeEm (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Pepperosie_
40% of people admit that the holidays often come with arguments in their households
In theory, the holidays are all about spending time with loved ones, expressing gratitude, getting rest, and reflecting on the year behind you. In reality, however, these days aren’t always full of love and affection. In fact, plenty of families end up getting into intense arguments on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
According to a survey from Trust & Will, 40% of people admit that their holiday gatherings include some conflicts between family members. And one third of these arguments will actually escalate into issues that may affect family relationships all year round.
When it comes to the topics that are most likely to create tension, politics is definitely number one. But family dynamics and past grievances aren’t far behind, as well as relationships and finances. Even estate planning discussions might come up on Christmas just in time to ruin dinner.
Because conflicts are so common during the holidays, one would think that family members would go into these special days on their very best behavior. After all, nobody wants to leave a relative’s house sobbing on Christmas. But unfortunately, the guests in this story made it clear that they did not appreciate all of the effort their hosts put into planning the big day.
According to Changing America, Americans who identify as vegetarian or vegan now make up between 6% and 10% of the population. Many are choosing to keep meat off their plates to save animal lives, improve their health, minimize their environmental impact, or even save money.
Image credits: Nicole Michalou (not the actual photo)
It’s important to respect the views and dietary preferences of anyone who chooses to avoid meat
Making this change is often relatively simple and easy for individuals once they get the hang of it. But what makes it challenging is when others don’t respect their choices or refuse to accommodate them. While a dietary preference may not be the same as a food allergy, as it’s up to the individual to choose which foods they want to avoid, it is still something that others should acknowledge and accept.
Just like how certain cultures and religions have their own set of dietary rules to follow, those who choose to be vegetarian have created a set of rules that align with their own ethics and beliefs. Because of this, it can be incredibly disrespectful to ask or expect someone who doesn’t eat meat to prepare it.
Vegetarians and vegans typically stop seeing meat as food, so asking one to prepare a ham isn’t the same as asking your friend who chooses to avoid gluten to buy you a loaf of bread. Buying and preparing meat would go against their values, not to mention the fact that it would probably gross them out too.
If it’s really important to someone that they have meat on their table on Christmas, they probably shouldn’t pressure the only two vegetarians in the family to host. Haven’t they ever heard the saying “my house, my rules”? When someone is gracious enough to invite you into their home and prepare a feast for you to enjoy, the polite thing to do is say thank you and eat up without voicing any complaints.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. How would you have reacted if you were in this host’s shoes? Feel free to weigh in. Then, you can find another Bored Panda article discussing dietary preference drama right here.
Image credits: Nicole Michalou (not the actual photo)
Later, the author responded to several readers and provided more details about her situation
Readers overwhelmingly sided with the author, assuring her that she did nothing wrong and calling out her guests for being ungrateful
