Surprising Family with a Vegan Christmas Feast: A Joyful Gesture or Deceptive Move?

AITA for serving a vegan Christmas dinner to my family without their knowledge, causing a mix of appreciation and tension?

Damjan

Published in Interesting
11 Dec 2025

Surprising Family with a Vegan Christmas Feast: A Joyful Gesture or Deceptive Move?

Christmas is often a time for tradition, especially when it comes to holiday meals. However, one Reddit user decided to shake things up by hosting a vegan Christmas feast for their family, all without letting them in on the secret.

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With a heart full of festive cheer and a desire to share her passion for plant-based cooking, she meticulously prepared a range of delectable vegan dishes, from roasted vegetables to a tofu turkey, aiming to introduce her loved ones to a new culinary experience. The dinner was a hit—everyone enjoyed the food, blissfully unaware that their plates were completely meat-free.

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But the atmosphere shifted dramatically when the big reveal came. While some family members appreciated the effort and creativity behind the meal, others felt misled and expressed their disappointment in not being informed beforehand.

This led to a divide within the family, with some siding with the host's intentions and others feeling their trust had been breached. As the conversation unfolds, questions of communication, respect for dietary preferences, and the balance between surprise and consent come to the forefront.

Was the host justified in her choice, or did she cross a line? Join us as we dive into this intriguing dilemma that many can relate to during the holiday season.

Original Post

So, I'm (28F) hosting Christmas dinner at my place for my family, and I decided to do something different this year. I wanted to surprise them with a full-on vegan feast.

My family has always been big on meat dishes during the holidays, but I've been a vegan for years now and wanted to share something I love with them. For background, I put a lot of effort into planning this Christmas dinner.

I made sure to research and prepare delicious vegan versions of classic holiday dishes like roasted vegetables, tofu turkey with stuffing, and dairy-free desserts. The dinner went really well, and everyone was enjoying the food without suspecting it was all plant-based.

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They were even complimenting me on how tasty everything was! However, after the meal, I decided to reveal that everything they just ate was vegan.

Well, let's just say they were shocked. Some of them were fine with it and appreciated the effort I put in, but a few family members were upset that I didn't tell them beforehand.

They felt deceived and like I was pushing my lifestyle onto them without consent. Now, there's tension in the family, with some supporting my choice to surprise them with a vegan meal and others feeling betrayed.

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I thought I was introducing them to something new and tasty, but now I'm questioning if I should've been upfront about the menu. So, AITA?