Christmas Eve.

I always work Christmas Eve so our little Christmas tradition is hot bath, pjs, takeaway Indian and watching Frozen!

Well that's a huge subject and it's largely a matter of experience and accumulated knowledge, but if you know little about good cheeses and wines etc, price is often a reasonable indication of quality. Also shop at the higher end places that offer a good gourmet range.

DD1 has requested a charcuterie board - DD2 will eat anything - dd 3 wants coli cheese

Absolutely right itsmyparty

Macaroni cheese and a winter slaw. This year I'll make enough red cabbage slaw so I've got some over for Boxing Day.

But for atheists only to turn up to church at Christmas is just taking the piss and keeping up appearances;

What utter nonsense 🙄

We buy pies and pasties from the local bakery, relax and watch TV with family in the evening

Fart soup. It's actually pea and ham soup (made with the stock from boiling the gammon) but for whatever reason one year it had a particular digestive effect

Midnight mass, walking back from church every single one of us was trump, trump, trump like Nellie the elephant

We are having our Christmas dinner (Mushroom Wellington), with all the trimmings and opening our presents afterwards.

We go for a curry at our local Indian.

Reindeer shaped pasta from ikea with cheese sauce and bacon lardons and chorizo.

Normally it’s an ‘alpine’ supper, fondue, raclette and pierrade in the conservatory so the dining room table can be laid ready for Christmas Day and smoke from the pierrade can go out of the roof vents.
But this year we have been invited to DS2 on Christmas Eve for the first time ever so no alpine festivity as his dining room lacks handy roof vents and he doesn’t have the required alpine ironmongery.
DGC are very upset as they love the usual set up, particularly when things have gone slightly wrong and there has been a small but exciting fire.
So, alpine activity will return to our house on 27th, grandchildren very relieved.
No idea what DS2 and his DP will be producing on Christmas Eve.

Funchal, Madeira, & translated from Portuguese.
I think it's suckling pig, & I'm guessing the hummus is an accompaniment.

There's "Bisque de Carabineiro" as a starter.

Policeman soup ?

Buffet including oven baked beige foods plus nachos
cheese, pate, salads and coleslaw
the leftovers plus Xmas day same keep us going till new year

Cheeseboard and a few buffet bits and board games for us this year.

TommyNever how do you identify fine cheese and good wine / port/ sherry please… i never know which is good in the shops? Thanks

I favour a fairly light selection of foods compared with the proper pigout the following day.

Grilled skewered prawns and scallops, usually with a spicy sauce or pesto, cold ham off the bone with an assortment of pickles, potato salad, green salad.

Maybe some small savoury tarts, pâté, smoked salmon, olives, fine cheeses etc. Mince pies, heated and served with custard. Christmas cake, shortbread (save the pudding for next day).

Selection of complementary table wines plus cocktails, good sherry, good scotch etc.

For lunch quails eggs with crab and gravad lax, for supper salmon wellington.

When I was little christmas eve was the best Chinese takeaway ( we'd always be running late on preparations and getting up early to get the last few bits) with relatives coming round who I only saw a few times a year but were great fun for children, together we'd " steal" a chocolate off the Christmas tree as the rule would be not to eat any Christmas food until the day. And we'd put out the Christmas food ( treats)

Now still have Chinese food and put out the food but unfortunately the relatives have died. We watch Christmas films and do a bit of baking and I've passed on the stealing a chocolate off the tree to my niece and nephew.

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea did no one introduce you to the magic that is duplicate stockings then they are stuffed ready hidden in our bedroom and in the excitement no one notices they are not identical! Christmas starts at 3pm Christmas Eve as that lone choirboy starts his goose pimpling rendition of once in royal David’s city. When the children were young it used to be off to a christingle service where you watch them toasting the fruits of the earth in the candle then salmon en cruet for the grown ups and a special midnight mass for me in a proper country barn. Time has moved on now and we’ll enjoy our daughter and son in law’s cooking on Christmas Eve and we’ll take a new generation to a crib service and for once I might not make it to midnight .

Raclette or Fondue or you’re doing it wrong

That sounds lovely x

Chinese takeaway and champagne

We tend to have a Beige Buffet of Sainsbury's finest, but this year I have floated the idea of going out for an Indian.

Standing in a garage doesn't make you a mechanic just as standing in a church doesn't make you a Christian. I say this as a strong atheist myself. I'm heavily involved in our village school and sometimes I'm required to attend activities they're having in church and despite my thoughts about religion I go based on my first sentence. Sometimes I actually even enjoy it!