Being home for the holidays can be lovely, but it can also be ho-ho-horrible for some people.

Family dysfunction can boil over faster than hot apple cider.

In this story, a long-standing grudge comes to a head on Christmas.

Let’s see if this girl should be on the naughty list…

AITA for ruining my mom’s Christmas and refusing to talk to her since?

I (36f) was raised by my single mother (60F).

I love her very much, and I have forgiven many of her less than stellar moments knowing she did the best she could.

She, herself and her 6 elder siblings, were raised by an abusive woman.

As a child something traumatic happened that involved my aunt and her boyfriend.

My mom knew about it and did nothing.

Through the years I harbored a silent hatred for my aunt.

Sometimes forgiveness is just out of reach.

In my 30s I started therapy to work on my childhood trauma.

I brought up the traumatic event with my mom and she told me she didn’t remember and dismissed it.

At the same time, my aunt’s health started declining.

My mom kept calling me, telling me how hard it was to care for my aunt until one night when I got fed up and told her I was mad at her (my mom) for helping my aunt when she knew what happened to me.

My mom told me “she’s my sister” and she would keep taking care of her.

I told her I hated my aunt and would refuse any inheritance she may leave me.

My aunt passed away March 2021.

A death in the family doesn’t necessarily mean the death of a grudge.

Fast forward to July 2021 – the first time I get to see my mom since Dec 2019 because pandemic restrictions made it impossible to do so in my country.

My mom gave me a really cute pj set she had found and had thought it would be perfect for me.

In September, she came to visit me and, as a show of gratitude, I wore the pjs to bed.

The next morning, she asked me if I liked the pjs.

I told her I liked them a lot because they were soft and stretchy.

What could go wrong with a soft set of pajamas?

She then dropped the bomb that they belonged to my aunt and that “now I had something to remember her by.”

I instantly felt sick to my stomach and wanted to rip the pjs off my body.

I told my mom I didn’t want the pjs anymore but before I could say anything else my mom told me to stop making a scene, that it was just clothing and I should be grateful she thought of giving it to me.

I couldn’t talk back, too emotional to do so in a mature manner.

I went to change, washed the pjs a few days later, and placed them in a bag with the intention of giving them back next time we saw each other.

That next time happened to be Christmas.

Uh-oh. Is holiday cheer going to turn to holiday tears?

I waited until everyone had left after the celebration – not wanting to cause a scene – and gave the pjs back to her saying I didn’t want them and that she knew why.

She started crying and told me I was selfish for ruining her Christmas.

Sounds like this girl is getting nothing for Christmas except a big pile of guilt.

That, again, this was just fabric and I should be ashamed of myself.

I told her she knew how I felt about my aunt and that I was not selfish for standing up for myself.

I left the next morning and haven’t spoken to her since.

She tried reaching out a few times but I refused to answer her calls or text.

Anti-aunt sentiment is at an all-time high for this girl.

Now my family are pressuring me, telling me that “I only have one mom,” “I’m being a bad daughter,” “she only has me,” and that I should apologize for making her feel bad but they don’t know the whole story.

They are making me feel horrible for standing my ground and not being ready to forgive her.

AITA?

Some wounds are so deep, even time doesn’t heal them.

But for this girl, her beef with an aunt turned into beef with her mom.

Let’s see if Reddit thinks she ruined Christmas…

This commenter thinks the PJs were a weird regift.

Another person thinks the mom should be on the naughty list.

This person says it’s all Hollywood drama.

One commenter says the mom needs to shush up and give it time.

And finally, this commenter says this was a sneaky gift… and not the fun Santa kind.

I’d say this was the world’s worst Secret Santa gift.

What was her mother thinking?

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.