A woman has revealed that her boyfriend was "embarrassed" by how much food she ate this Christmas.
The woman explained that as a child, her mum taught her that whenever she was invited to someone's house, she should eat all of the food they made her as it would be "rude" not to.
This is a rule that she's followed growing up.
So when her boyfriend said he was "embarrassed" by how much food she ate at his parent's house this Christmas, she was mortified.
Writing anonymously on a Reddit post, she said: "My boyfriend of 7 months invited me to his family Christmas dinner. I've met his parents very briefly but nothing too formal.
"Anyway, we get to the food and I was pretty hungry and everything looked really amazing. I made sure to fill my plate (but not overfill, just equal amounts of everything on the table).
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"I ate it all and to be honest was pretty stuffed. His mother then asked me if I wanted seconds (there was still a lot of food on the table) I took her up on the offer and put a bit more of the pasta salad.
"My boyfriend did give me a strange look but I thought nothing of it at the time."
After enjoying a slice of cheesecake for pudding and drinking coffee while exchanging funny stories with the family, they left.
"After everything, I was honestly so happy," she said. "I was worried about dinner and meeting his parents, but I thought that everything went well. We left his parents house in separate cars as I came directly from my parents' house to him."
But when they arrived back at her house, he was furious.
She said: "I asked him what was wrong and he just blew up in my face that I had no manners. Telling me that he had never seen me eat as much as I did at his parents' house and that it was so embarrassing.
"After further prying, he said that in his culture when you eat a lot at a person's house it is disrespectful because you should never go to a house on an empty stomach. He said it makes a person look desperate. There is a language barrier between me and him and he said in a way fat... but not fat (honestly I did not understand)."
He also said that his mum was talking about how "embarrassing" and "unmannered" she was to eat so much.
"I told him that she told me to put seconds and he said that's done to be a good hostess but a guest should never take up on that offer. He said it would have been fine if I had declined dessert but because I had not down that I looked even more 'fat'."
When she tried to explain her reasoning, he shut her down and called it "bulls**t."
The woman said she felt "terrible," and that if she'd been told beforehand she wouldn't have eaten so much.
She continued: "It's been two days and neither of us will really talk until the other apologises. I know it's petty to not apologise but I sincerely don't think I did anything wrong."
Reddit users were quick to assure her she wasn't being disrespectful, and that her boyfriend was in the wrong for not telling her.
One person said: "That’s so toxic. You didn’t even know about these 'cultural' rules.
"I hate saying break up with him but BREAK UP WITH HIM. You were just trying to be nice and you enjoyed the food."
Another added: "On top of that, he uses his culture as an excuse but then disrespects what she learned growing up and thought was proper etiquette.
"He really should have told her beforehand, what a weird thing to assume, that she would automatically know to eat only a little."
A third added: "Lmao in my family the person who invites for dinner and cooks would be delighted of guests overeat and take double because they like the food so much."
While someone else asked: "What is that culture where you get invited for a dinner but aren't supposed to eat?"
"As an Arab, I can confirm no one really cares if you eat a lot at their home," added another user.
They added: "In fact, I’m confused because (if anything) Arabs will offer you A LOT of food in their homes and expect you to eat A LOT.
"Therefore, I can conclude that the bf is lying and probably has other issues he’s scapegoating onto his culture."
After receiving a lot of comments about his culture, she said: "I do not want to put any disrespect on his culture or receive offence comments from where he is from.
"But I have been receiving a lot of comments so his whole family is Arab (I am Mexican). But I am not saying all Arabs follow this rule (really I do not know) so please refrain from anything hateful."
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