A porcelain doll in a box | Source: Midjourney
Every Christmas, Lina would give me a porcelain doll. At first, I thought it was a sweet but slightly strange gesture. The dolls were beautiful, delicate, and looked like they belonged in an antique shop.

“This is beautiful, Lina,” I gushed when she gave me the first one. “The detail is stunning!”

“I thought you’d like it, Monica,” she said in a low voice. “I thought that we could start our own little tradition, you know?”

A woman giving her daughter-in-law a gift | Source: Midjourney
I mean, it seemed intimate—that my mother-in-law wanted something special between us. Right?

Not quite.

So, I should have known that something was wrong when Lina always gave them to me in private, away from the rest of the family. She never explained why, and I never asked, assuming it was just something personal, like maybe she was passing down family heirlooms.

A beautiful smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
I tried to appreciate them, but to be honest, dolls have never been my thing. Like clowns, they were spooky little things.

And honestly, have you seen their eerie little eyes?

So, I did what I thought was best. I tucked them away in the back of my closet. Over the years, five dolls stayed there, gathering dust. I couldn’t bring myself to throw them out, but I had no idea what to do with them either.

Porcelain dolls in a box | Source: Midjourney
“Out of sight is out of mind,” I muttered to myself as I threw a shawl over them in my closet.

This Christmas, things took a turn I never expected.

Andy had promised me a new custom closet as a gift, so in the weeks leading up to the holidays, we started clearing out my old one.

Plans for a custom closet | Source: Midjourney
As I was packing my clothes, I realized two things:

One, I had way too many black items of clothing.

Two, what on earth was I going to do with those dolls?

I pulled them out and set them on the bed, not thinking much of it. But when Andy saw them, his reaction was immediate.

A shocked man | Source: Midjourney
Immediate and alarming.

My husband’s face went pale, and his entire demeanor shifted. He looked at the dolls like they were something… dangerous.

“Where did you get those?” he asked, his voice tight.

“The dolls?” I asked, wanting to be sure that his reaction was because of them.

A woman sitting on her bed | Source: Midjourney
“Monica! The dolls. Where did you get them?”

“From your mom,” I replied, confused. “She’s been giving me one every Christmas for the past five years.”

“For five years?” he repeated, sounding horrified. “Monica, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t think it was a big deal,” I said, shrugging. “I think they’re a bit strange, but I mean, they’re nice gifts.”

A shocked man | Source: Midjourney
Andy didn’t say anything for a moment.

Instead, he walked over to the bed, where I had left the dolls, holding one gingerly, as if it might break.

Or bite.

Then, without any warning, Andy scooped up the dolls and hurried out of the room.

A man holding porcelain dolls | Source: Midjourney
“Andy, where are you going?” I called after him, but he didn’t answer.

I followed him to the living room, my heart pounding. I had no idea what was going on, but I’d never seen him this rattled. He walked straight to the fireplace, threw the dolls inside, and lit a fire.

I watched in shock as the flames consumed the porcelain, cracking their delicate faces and burning away the frilly dresses.

Porcelain dolls in a fire | Source: Midjourney
“What are you doing? Andy? Why did you just burn those?” I asked.

Andy turned to me, his face serious.

“Mon, you know our families come from different cultures, right?”

I nodded.

A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
“Of course, I know that. But what does that have to do with burning the dolls?”

He sat down beside me, taking a deep breath.

“Those dolls… they aren’t just any collectibles. Or for decoration. In my culture, they’re used to cleanse a home. They’re meant to absorb negative energy and protect the people living there.”

Porcelain dolls in a fire | Source: Midjourney
I stared at him, trying to process what he was saying.

“So, they’re good luck charms?”

“Not exactly,” he said. “They absorb the bad energy, but once they’re full, they start to release it back. And when that happens, the energy becomes toxic. They can start poisoning the air around them. That’s why I burned them. As far as I know, it’s the only way to stop them from doing more harm.”

A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.

What the heck?

“Toxic? Andy, those dolls have been in our house for years.”

“I know, Mon,” he said quietly. “That’s why I didn’t want to take any chances. The fire is supposed to cleanse the energy they’ve absorbed. Normally, you’d burn them outside with incense and flowers as part of a ritual. But I didn’t think we should wait.”

Incense and flowers on a table | Source: Midjourney
I sat there in silence, trying to wrap my head around everything he had just told me. It sounded like something out of a horror movie.

But Andy’s face was dead serious.

I believed him, even though every part of me wanted to laugh it off as a weird superstition.

“Why didn’t your mom tell me this when she gave them to me?” I asked, feeling a sudden surge of anger. “She just handed them to me like they were regular gifts. I had no idea they were supposed to protect the house.”

A frowning woman sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
Andy shook his head.

“I don’t know. Maybe she thought you already knew. Or maybe she thought it was something that you’d figure out by yourself? But she should have explained it.”

Later that night, after Andy had carefully gathered the ashes and taken them to a nearby park to dispose of them, I decided that it was time to call Lina.

A pensive man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
I needed answers.

Why hadn’t she told me? Why let me unknowingly keep them in our home for all these years without explaining their purpose?

When Lina picked up the phone, I didn’t waste any time. I told her what had happened, expecting her to be shocked or apologetic. But instead, she was calm.

Almost indifferent.

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
“It’s your responsibility, Monica,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “You’re part of this family now. You need to learn our traditions, especially if you and Andy plan to have children. Don’t accept gifts without understanding what they’re for.”

Wow. Nice mother-in-law, huh?

I knew she was right in some ways, but I couldn’t help feeling hurt. It wasn’t fair for her to give me something with such significance without explaining it.

A frowning woman sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
Honestly, how was I supposed to know?

“You know, I thought I was doing the right thing by just accepting the dolls,” I said when Andy and I were eating ice cream together. “I didn’t want to offend your mom. But now I feel like I’ve been clueless this whole time.”

Andy sighed and took my hand.

“You weren’t clueless. You just didn’t know. I should’ve explained more about our traditions. I forget sometimes that we don’t come from the same background.”

A couple sitting on a couch together | Source: Midjourney
“I want to understand,” I said. “I want to know more about your family’s culture. I just didn’t realize how much there was to learn.”

He smiled at me, his eyes softening.

“Yeah, but I think we’re done with the dolls, Mon. How about we start some traditions of our own?”

I smiled, feeling the tension lift from our home.

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney
“I’d like that,” I said.

But one thing has come from this:

If you’re in a relationship with someone from a different culture, make sure you ask questions and learn as much as you can!

Especially if porcelain dolls are involved.

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?