A young woman left her family Christmas gathering after a cruel prank left her feeling humiliated and overlooked.
While her family accused her of being “selfish” for leaving, many others are siding with her, calling out her relatives for their thoughtless behavior. .. Continue reading here ▶
The 21-year-old woman shared her story on Reddit, explaining how her family has a long-standing tradition of giving joke presents alongside heartfelt gifts during birthdays and holidays.
But this year, things took an ugly turn when she became the sole target of the jokes, receiving no real gifts while everyone else enjoyed thoughtful presents.
The “Joke” That Crossed the Line
“I have five siblings, aged 29 to 37, and we’ve all been pranked before, usually with one or two joke gifts,” she explained. “But this Christmas, I was the only one to get only joke gifts.”
She recounted unwrapping what appeared to be a MacBook from her brother, only to discover it was filled with chocolate she didn’t eat.
To make things worse, the actual MacBook was gifted to her sister. Another “gift” was a book she had specifically requested, but when she opened it, it was just a dictionary wrapped in the cover of her chosen book.
When she asked her mom about it, she learned the real book had been given to her sister-in-law.
“I went out of my way to get everyone gifts they’d like, and I didn’t get anything meaningful in return,” she said.
The Breaking Point
Feeling hurt, she retreated to the living room with her boyfriend while her family joyfully discussed their gifts at dinner.
When her dad asked why she wasn’t commenting on her own presents, she calmly explained that all her gifts had been jokes, unlike everyone else’s.
Her mom brushed it off, saying, “It’s no big deal; everyone got joke gifts.” But when she pointed out that everyone else also received real gifts alongside their pranks, her dad told her to “relax” and wait for next Christmas to get the items she wanted.
At that point, she decided she’d had enough.
Leaving the Drama Behind
Instead of staying, she left to spend the rest of Christmas with her boyfriend’s family. She turned off her phone during the drive but later found multiple missed calls and messages from her family, accusing her of being “ungrateful, sensitive, and childish.”
The situation escalated when her boyfriend’s mom gave her the book she had wanted. She posted a picture of it online, prompting her sister to share a screenshot in the family group chat. Her relatives were furious, accusing her of “ruining Christmas over some presents.”
The Internet Has Her Back
Many commenters on Reddit were quick to defend her.
One person wrote: “The family is only upset because their ‘jokes’ didn’t get the reaction they wanted. Who gives only joke gifts and expects the person to just laugh it off while still accepting thoughtful presents themselves? Sorry, OP, but your family sounds awful.”
Another added: “Your family are bullies. Whether the pranks were uncoordinated or planned, it’s clear they went too far. If I were you, I wouldn’t spend another holiday with them.”
For this woman, the cruel joke wasn’t just a one-off prank—it was a wake-up call. Sometimes, even during the holidays, standing up for yourself means walking away.
