There are many Christmas stories, and while the holiday itself is largely about how warm magic and kindness overcome darkness, some holiday stories, unfortunately, do not seem entirely joyful. More precisely, the general happy mood is sometimes overshadowed by some ‘fly in the ointment.’
For example, the user u/Kfcdeliveryguy12234, the author of this story in the AskUK community on Reddit, recently had a great time at a friend's Christmas party, but after it all ended, they were faced with the need to chip in on food and booze. A need that no one warned them about in advance...
More info: Reddit
The author of the post was invited by their friend to attend a Christmas party hosted by his buddies
Image credits: Fernando Mafra (not the actual photo)
The author thought a bit and then accepted the invitation happily
Image credits: u/Kfcdeliveryguy12234
Before the party, the author asked their friend whether guests should chip in - and the guy said no
Image credits: 401(K) 2012 (not the actual photo)
Image credits: u/Kfcdeliveryguy12234
The party went great - but the very next day, the author got a text from the hosts asking them to chip in anyway
Image credits: kaicho20 (not the actual photo)
Image credits: u/Kfcdeliveryguy12234
The author was confused and upset - especially since they had brought some chocolate to the party for nearly the same value
So, the Original Poster (OP) was just wondering who to celebrate Christmas with, and where, when a friend invited them to a party with his other friends. The author of the post was completely unfamiliar with them all, but their friend assured that they were very nice people, and they would be happy to see the OP at their place.
As proof, the friend showed a fragment of correspondence from their common WhatsApp group, where the hosts actually invited the original poster happily. Well, that’s not a bad option - that’s what the author probably thought, and accepted this invitation.
On the eve of the holiday, the original poster specifically asked if they should chip in for a treat, and the friend assured them that they shouldn’t. However, the author still decided that it was worth making their contribution to organizing the holiday, so they bought some chocolate (for £12 (~$15)) as a gesture of good will for the hosts.
The party went great and the original poster was very happy with everything. Right up to the point where they were asked to chip in for food and drinks, amounting to approximately £13.70 (around $17). It’s not that it was completely unaffordable money for the author - absolutely not, but an unpleasant aftertaste still remained in their soul.
The author tried to contact their friend, who assured them that participation in the party would be completely free, but two whole days passed after the holiday, and the guy still did not respond to any calls and texts. Perhaps he was ashamed. Perhaps he was just very busy with something. But the fact remains - “it’s a bit of a sour situation,” as the OP themselves admits.
Image credits: bluelightpictures (not the actual photo)
Of course, usually, when preparing a holiday party, if it is intended that participants should chip in money, this should be warned in advance. So perhaps the original poster's friend simply either forgot about it or chose to keep quiet, but then something went wrong.
"I specifically mean that if you send an invitation asking people to attend your fill-in-the-blank occasion, you are therefore the host of said celebration. And as host, the expectation is that the folks you are inviting do not pay for the privilege of being in your presence," Michelle Singletary, Deseret News contributor, claims in her dedicated column. “If you have a dinner party at your home, you wouldn’t hand the guests a bill for the groceries. Nor should they expect to chip in for the chips and dip. (Having a potluck dinner is totally different.)”
Well, most commenters on the original post also believe that this after-the-fact demand from the party hosts seems, at the very least, rude and impolite. “It’s fine to host and have everyone chip in if that’s what’s discussed at the time of the invitation,” one of the folks in the comments wrote. “Being asked to pay after is cheeky.”
Moreover, given that the original poster originally brought £12 worth of chocolate to the party, the demand to pay seems even more outrageous. Some commenters urge the author to be as petty as the hosts. “Transfer £1.70, and explain to them the chocolates cost £12 and you were paying the difference,” reads one witty and smart piece of advice. And what do you think about this situation?
People in the comments find this demand rude - and urge the author to be as petty as the hosts are
