The holiday season can be a special, magical time. I have always been a huge fan of Christmas, myself, and usually, the whole month of December puts a smile on my face.
However, one of the reasons this time of year is so special is that we can often get together with family and celebrate all the good things that happened in the year. If your year has not been as good, or you can’t get together with certain family members for some reason, it may not be so special.
A lot of us found it hard to enjoy the holidays during the height of COVID since we weren’t allowed to see family and friends. This difficulty during the holidays extends to more than just pandemics, however.
Redditors have lots of stories about why Christmas Eve is already ruined for them this year.
Some of these stories are funny, and some are sad, but all of them are valid.
Curious to know more, Redditor Downtown_Put8673 asked:
“Is your Christmas Eve ruined already? If so, why?”
One Thing After Another
"My grandpa died two days ago. I was told to come into work today, office ended up being closed so went home. A brick fell off a truck and just broke my windshield on the way home. :("
– Harryson309
Yikes!
"Brother-in-law threated to shoot my wife"
– bandnerd210
"You may have topped my sh*tty Christmas Eve 🙌"
– Thin_Somewhere318
Worst Ever Wake Up Call
"Woke up at 2am to my mom falling, having a seizure. She fractured her back in the fall. We’ve been at the ER since 3am.. it’s currently after noon."
"**Edit: it’s currently after 9pm and we have been back home since 4pm."
"My mom can shuffle around the house but needs help getting into bed. I got her in bed about a half hour ago and can hear her snoring now."
"I’m laying down for the first time since this is started and finally hope to fall asleep. Staying close by on sofa in the living room so I can hear her better. Terrified something will happen."
"My mom lives with my husband and I- but I asked him to go still see his family tonight and tomorrow while I stay here. I’ll miss seeing them but glad my mom is here and feeling better."
– brunettejnas
Money Troubles
"I woke up, went to go buy bagels for the family, and found out my debit card info was stolen. Between last night and this morning they spent every dollar in my account on Uber, Uber Eats, and some f*cking jukebox somewhere. I had less than $300, now I have less than $2 and won’t get the credit back in my account until Monday and won’t get my new card until 10 business days from now. Good thing I already had my bus ticket, my girlfriend lent me $30 to cover the bagels then another $6 charge went through while I was on the phone with my bank."
"F*ckin scumbags, I know this sh*t happens all the time but TODAY? Really?"
– Deleted User
Big Hole!
"Some drunk b*stard reversed into my downstairs living room at 10 am, he then drove into the guys who lives opposite's kitchen, he got arrested then the fire brigade came and inspected the house to see if still stucturally fine so we had to evacuate and they just now got done putting in wooden boards in the hole he left in the front of the house. Now we will have to get insurance involved and find builders but everything is closed for now so big headache."
– Separate_Rip_8762
This Doesn't Sound Good
"Mother in law appears to be on a rampage. My MIL and SIL planned Christmas events for that side of the family to take place NYE weekend without telling us, and we had already made plans to go visit my family. We asked if they would be available to spend xmas eve/day all together instead and they all said no, so we changed our trip to be today and tomorrow. Two days ago we get a text asking if we want to spend xmas eve and day with them ON TOP of NYE weekend. We said we couldn't because we changed our trip to accommodate the NYE weekend and they told us they were all unavailable. My MIL had been calling repeatedly since then. I'm not picking but apparently she is sobbing and telling my husband we are ruining xmas. I will never understand why grown adults act this way."
– juniperdaisies
How Awful!
"My husband is suffering from sudden hearing loss and it's been getting worse. He couldn't hear me at the grocery store today and burst into tears. We made the decision to take a step back from hearing aids and learn ASL."
"It's been a rough day."
– iam_four_eels
Gifts Are So Hard
"Nothing has gone wrong YET. but my husband did say something along the lines of “I hope you don’t get me a ______ for Christmas” and it’s exactly what I got him soooooo…."
"Edit: if he is in anyway not stoked about his gift I’ll for sure be showing him this thread lol."
"Edit EDIT: HE LOVED IT. But for sure said no coat thinking it was an everyday one, not a functional work one. Christmas was a success ☺️"
– Deleted User
Christmas Spirit Is Lost Here
"My kids told me my presents were lame and that they were embarrassed by me and couldn’t wait to go to their dad’s house. I’m having surgery on Tuesday and won’t see them for three weeks. I know they’re just kids, but it broke my heart."
"ETA: I got them everything that was on their carefully curated Amazon wishlists. Dad tipped them off ahead of time that their paternal grandmother had gotten them an Oculus Rift and AirPods. They're usually really good kids and my ex and I coparent wonderfully along with my husband, so I don't think it was malicious on his part, but it just really kicked me in the gut."
– Deleted User
Car Alarm Twist
"A man knocked on my door, yelling and shouting. I left a note on his car last week that his car alarm goes off all night. This is apparently worth trying to threaten me. Merry Christmas."
"Update: I saw him outside Christmas afternoon. I approached him, apologized for my note (because I do regret opening up this can of worms). He told me his 80 year old mom lives nearby. She’s getting older and sicker, so he tries to visit often but his car keeps getting broken into if he parks near her house, and my street is safer. We had a nice conversation."
"Two things: first, most people in this world are hurt or unwell. I often fail but I try to stop the cycle of inflicting anger, harm, even just a bad day on others. Hurt people hurt people."
"Second, you can be right or you can be happy. I’m absolutely right that his car alarm is annoying as f*ck. But what’s more important is that I’m happy living in my house and not afraid, not stressed out by life."
– dcblunted
Sad Goodbyes
"We had a call from the care home where my mother is staying, we went to say our goodbyes even though she's unconscious. The care home is currently under Covid lockdown, but they allowed us in, so we knew it was serious. The staff there have been fantastic."
"Update: Mum died just after midnight, She's at peace now. I just want to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you who sent me messages and comments of support and condolence, you are all so very kind."
– happycamperii
"Got that same call from my old man’s care home back in April, a day after my birthday. The nurse said he was asleep but she was kind enough to put the phone on speaker and let me talk to him about my fondest memories of childhood. I talked to him about my Optimus Prime toy I got for Christmas one year and orange slices at soccer practice and lots of good stuff."
"We didn’t have the easiest relationship when I got older b/c of my recognition of his diagnoses for his difficulties (hoarding/OCD/NPD/BPD) but the nurse said he was crying as he was sleeping. That hurt but helped, still haven’t worked out how to feel about that or what it means."
"Today would have been his 77th birthday. He was a complicated fella but he wasn’t all bad. That’s what I take away from this holiday. Love to you and your family, and anyone else who went through anything similar or really, anyone going through a tough time. I can promise you it gets better."
– Introverted_Extrovrt
Should've Seen It Coming
"Took bottle of gin out of the bag. Put bottle of gin on the kitchen counter. Go get bottle of tonic from the storage closet. Return to the kitchen just in time to see the cat pushing the bottle of gin onto the floor."
– UnoriginalUse
"Rookie mistake. Next time, pour some for the cat right away and the cat won't try to open the bottle on its own."
– Chasesrabbits
"Your cat might need an intervention."
– Youre_late_for_tea
I always knew cats were evil!
Do you have any similar stories to share where the Christmas spirit was dashed? Let us know in the comments below.
U.S. Bank Employee Fired After Giving Struggling Customer $20 Out Of Her Own Pocket On Christmas Eve
One bank's strict policy angered the dickens out of folks for this Christmas Carol's bitter ending.
Emily James, who worked as a senior banker at a US Bank call center in Portland, was fired for giving $20 of her own pocket money to a struggling customer before Christmas.
According to Oregon Live, Marc Eugenio was stranded at a gas station and was strapped for cash after a $1,000 paycheck from his new job had been placed on hold.
US Bank fires employee for a random act of kindness. New entry on my boycott list! https://t.co/XC7fPhtRkV— Kalani Koa (@Kalani Koa) 1579298321.0
Fortunately, reaching James at the call center proved to be Christmas miracle.
She briefly left her shift to personally hand him the cash he needed.
You can watch the KOIN 6 news clip, below.
When Eugenio initially contacted James, she instructed him to visit his local bank branch in Clackamas on Christmas Eve so that a bank manager could verify the funds from the issuing bank.
However, the bank manager was on vacation.
With the bank closing early for the holidays, there was nobody else at the branch with the authority available to lift the hold on his check.
After finding himself stranded at a gas station with no available funds in his bank account, a frustrated Eugenio managed to reach James again at the 800 number.
He recalled their conversation.
"I said, 'I wish I had just $20 bucks to get home.' And she said 'Wait, hold on.'"
Coincidentally, James, who handles calls from across the country, happened to be just a few miles away from the gas station where Eugenio was left high and dry.
She told him to stay at the location and informed him she would be there in 30 minutes.
Eugenio said:
"I didn't want her to do it. But I'm not proud to the point that I'm going to refuse help."
James said she got approval from her supervisor and drove the 14 mile distance to the 76 gas station at Southeast 122nd Avenue and Sunnyside Road.
"I handed him $20 in cash, said 'Merry Christmas' and went right back to work."
Eugenio was genuinely surprised.
"It was like, 'Wow, she really cares.' Most supervisors, maybe they would have tried, but nobody would have ever come out because I was stranded."
"She had a big heart. She believed what I was saying."
James returned to finish the rest of her shift that day and again on December 30.
That should have been the end of story, with 2019 wrapping up nicely with a ribbon.
Unfortunately, her altruistic act came back to haunt her at the start of the new year.
When she arrived for her shift on New Year's Eve, the regional service manager was present and informed James she had been let go due to her "unauthorized interaction with a customer."
@Oregonian Wow. Some companies would highlight this as showing an employee going above and beyond. I.e… https://t.co/eRvZ0RcjTO— Paul Frazier (@Paul Frazier) 1579206114.0
It is really sad that a large bank like @usbank can act like scrooge during Christmas Eve and fire an employee for… https://t.co/uJlAluXH69— Duane Th3R0ck Johnson (@Duane Th3R0ck Johnson) 1579391198.0
@FOX13News A holes get rewarded and kind deeds get you fired. Why do we CHOOSE to live in a world like this— Joe 🇵🇷⚾️🥎🏈🥊🏋🏼♀️🎱 (@Joe 🇵🇷⚾️🥎🏈🥊🏋🏼♀️🎱) 1579312121.0
James explained:
"They were worried about my safety. He could have kidnapped me or shot me. But I wouldn't have left or even tried to ask if that was OK if I thought that this person would hurt me."
Oregon Live was unable to receive official confirmation, but James' supervisor who approved her break from the shift that day was also allegedly fired.
@Oregonian That’s why you don’t ask for permission! Just do the act of kindness quietly— Jose.V (@Jose.V) 1579206413.0
@Oregonian That is wrong.....note action in file of breaking rule but her immediate supervisor approved her action.… https://t.co/dwohKYTO96— Silver Sneekers (@Silver Sneekers) 1579206153.0
Why the banks are actually in trouble: One of the country’s largest banks fired a call center employee for doing w… https://t.co/Bxd3uOCBe9— Ryan Falvey (@Ryan Falvey) 1579385677.0
A spokesperson for US Bank issued a statement explaining that the company has strict policies and procedures to protect both employees and customers.
"Ms. James was terminated following an internal investigation into her interactions with a customer."
"During this review it was determined Ms. James did not use the available solutions to remedy the customer's situation and instead put herself and the bank at risk with her actions."
@Oregonian Yeah I wouldn't want to work for @usbank after that, and if I had an account with them I'd be pretty tem… https://t.co/cmioLnk9Ru— The Manic Geek (@The Manic Geek) 1579207379.0
@Oregonian As a life long banker, there are so many things wrong with the way @usbank employees treated this custom… https://t.co/BSrBknf04z— BCoggs (@BCoggs) 1579396792.0
@Oregonian I’m a proud retired employee of U.S. Bank. I can tell you lots of stories of good things the bank and it… https://t.co/j5YqRhiBjD— Peter Milliron (@Peter Milliron) 1579207514.0
James was baffled, adding:
"I just don't understand why you wouldn't help someone if you had the ability to."
"It's Christmas Eve, it's already a rough time for people, and you're going to leave someone stranded?"
"I couldn't in good conscience do that, knowing it was something I could fix, or at least get him home."
"Had I known then that I was going to be let go, I would have just removed the hold on the check, because that absolutely would have gotten me fired."
@Oregonian This is insane. I’m shocked really. @usbank— Janice Ordal (@Janice Ordal) 1579206998.0
#US_Bank apparently has fired employee who gave struggling bank client $20 out of her pocket. Never shall I do busi… https://t.co/ZyGxi0Qv8W— Carlos MJ Clavijo Jr (@Carlos MJ Clavijo Jr) 1579374789.0
Because Eugenio's check did not clear until several days after Christmas, his kids—ages 9 and 13—were given IOUs in lieu of presents to unwrap.
He said it was one of the saddest Christmases and was appalled about James losing her job.
"Promissory notes for Christmas gifts. And I can't believe (James) lost her job over it. The only one who seemed to care was Emily, and she got fired for that."
"I was a customer of U.S. Bank, I needed help, and she went above and beyond."
"I felt so bad. She was the only one helping me."
@Oregonian The only honest conclusion I can give is don’t bank there if you never have and tell anyone who is they… https://t.co/zynjcssyBF— Joseph Lemanski (@Joseph Lemanski) 1579313119.0
@Oregonian @usbank it’s not like, in Americana, we have a story of a revered character who did the very same thing… https://t.co/UFzhhs2DX3— Geoffrey Hearn (@Geoffrey Hearn) 1579407778.0
@KOINNews US Bank is turning really bad. Closing neighborhood branches in favor of IT doing jobs that should go to… https://t.co/guQ0bvONf2— Michelle (@Michelle) 1579246968.0
James has no plans to get her job back and has no regrets for her act of goodwill on Christmas Eve.
"I can't change the world but I can change the world for that one person."
"I would rather my morals align with someone who's more willing to support someone like that than someone who's willing to throw away two-and-a-half years and a lot of dedication."