Festive Friction Unleashed As Lady’s Partner Rebels Against Meat-Free Christmas Dinner In Honor Of Her Ancestral Tradition
Our narrator (Original Poster) and her boyfriend lived far away from home— a whole other country, to be precise. They couldn’t fly back for Christmas, so the homesickness had really started to kick in.
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That’s when OP came up with a brilliant idea—why not recreate the traditional family festivities? OP’s boyfriend didn’t care much about Christmas, but it was her favorite holiday; he was on board nonetheless.
The makeshift home-away-from-home celebration was planned to the tee, incorporating the strict traditions OP’s family abided by. The most important one is no meaty dishes on Christmas Eve.
Of course, there was going to be a full spread of amazing and delicious selections. In fact, you’d hardly notice there wasn’t any meat in sight! However, things got a little awkward when her boyfriend insisted on having turkey for Christmas Eve.
He’d already agreed to let them celebrate Christmas according to her tradition, which she explicitly spelled out—so why was he suddenly hell-bent on ruining everything by having turkey?
The most annoying part was his request wasn’t linked to any sentiment or nostalgia; he wanted turkey simply because he felt like eating meat!
OP pointed out that he could always have it during Christmas or even at any point before Christmas Eve dinner, but he still wouldn’t budge.
It seemed like a jerk move to try and ruin this special celebration even after he agreed to the conditions. Was OP wrong for wanting things her way this one time?
The story in detail
A bit of background
In OP’s country, it’s traditional not to eat meat on Christmas eve. The problem is, OP’s boyfriend wants a meat-filled celebration
OP is adamant about celebrating the traditional way. But this difference in opinions could put their Christmas dinner in jeopardy
Important edit
Here’s how the Reddit community reacted to the story:
“NTA…Compromise is important in relationships, and so are traditions.”
“A meatless meal for 1 of 6 meals isn't the end of the world.”
“Tradition is lovely, and people that care about you and what you love/hold dear/appreciate should be able to respect that, and you.“
“Not eating meat for one meal isn’t torture and he is being petty.“
“I say NTA. Your traditional specifically involved not having meat on Christmas Eve. Adding meat to that would completely take away.”
“Anyway, I think NTA. You 2 could compromise and do your celebration on Christmas Eve and his on Christmas Day.”
“You're not asking him to do something actively harmful to him - just go without meat for a day.”
“NTA everyone is telling you to compromise, but why can’t he? It’s literally one meal without meat.”
Compromise is important in relationships, and Redditors unanimously agreed OP’s boyfriend failed the test.
It wasn’t even an entire day—it was just one meal! The fact he couldn’t let it go without arguments raised eyebrows.
A sprinkle of understanding makes the holiday season brighter for everyone involved. We’re crossing our fingers that OP’s boyfriend gets the message.
What do you think about this story? Let us know in the comments.