Page 2 | Is this too many people for Christmas?

justlliloleme · 25/09/2024 20:03

Absolutely not too many. My husbands from a large Catholic family and talks really fondly of large family Christmas’s when he was growing up - they used to do 2 sittings. One for the kids & when they’re finished the adults would sit down & have theirs. I’d say go for it, the more the merrier at Christmas I say x

Yourcatisnotsorry · 25/09/2024 19:16

You don’t have space for Christmas dinner for that many. You need to get the kids fed lunch before 2.30 too. Make it clear you can’t accommodate a proper Christmas lunch but do party food buffet for tea/dinner instead.

Sunnycolours · 25/09/2024 19:09

😂 love your posts op! Well done for embracing the chaos. You’ll have a lovely time.

Don’t know if anyone else has suggested this… We had large dinner party recently and rented plates, cutlery, glasses from a cater hire company- they rent everything from tea spoons to tables and chairs if you want them. We just went for the dinner place settings. Best bit was no washing up.. we just put them back in the crates and they took the mess away!

MSLRT · 25/09/2024 19:06

Bankholidayhelp · 24/09/2024 09:19

I think it's too many!

If you do go ahead then ready prepped would be the way to go and also disposable plates.

Have a VERY limited menu.

Asign tasks to other for them to do/bring. NO adult gets waited on.

Get families to bring chairs with them.

Can you split it so that you do your half this time and then partners either following year or at new year or in between Christmas and New year?

I agree. Too many to be enjoyable.

MustWeDoThis · 25/09/2024 18:51

thebradybunch · 24/09/2024 09:11

We are hosting Christmas for the first time this year. Just us (family of 5, small child, toddler and newborn), our parents, siblings and their kids. However both our families are big and everyone has said they're coming.

This means we've got 18 adults, 10 children and 4 babies

For context we are all really close, and our families are all friends so that's not an issue. Also everyone will bring a dish so I won't be the only one cooking. I'm worried about how we will accommodate everyone and it not feel like chaos though.

I was planning on having them all come over at 2.30pm. Any tips on how to organise the day? I'm being massively thrown in the deep end here so need some advice from seasoned professionals!

Our house isn't huge but it isn't small either. Our kitchen table can sit 10 people at a squeeze.
We have a decent sized playroom for the kids with a big TV in it.
Living room sofas and chairs can probably sit 10 people.

Got a wallpaper paste table? Garden table? Been here! Massive family. It's more fun than chaotic. We've used a pasting table and garden tables and done them up with Christmas table cloth and decorations, asked everyone to bring a spare chair, or used garden chairs and popped some Christmas bows on it. It was nice having everyone over! I even asked if they were OK with Christmas paper plates for the kids so you can just bin those after.

You'll be OK

JustMeAndTheFish · 25/09/2024 18:40

I think it sounds wonderful! I’m desperate to have a Christmas at home with lots of family, but it will be me and my 95 year old father again in his retirement flat. I’m starting to dread Christmases.

Poodlemania · 25/09/2024 18:37

Maybe you could have some people coming a little earlier around 12pm , the ones that go home early , (old people) and then have a buffet lunch around 1.30 and actually have a list of what you want people to bring and then throw everyone out by 5 pm

BlueMum16 · 25/09/2024 18:28

thebradybunch · 24/09/2024 16:56

There are so many helpful suggestions here, thank you very much. I have space for 3 slow cookers as well as 2 ovens and an air fryer, however I think I could get away with just doing the turkey, roast potatoes and pigs in blankets. I can assign the other dishes to everyone else as there are so many people.

So I can do Roast potatoes - parboiled, covered in fat and frozen in advance, ready to stick in the oven. 2x turkeys cooked and carved the day before, and probably pre-made pigs in blankets from M&S... sounds like I'll actually be chilling all day before everyone arrives

Then if I assign someone canapés, someone veg, someone gravy and stuffing, someone gammon, someone desserts, we should be fine.

I don't know if I'm being overly optimistic but I think with the suggestions of hostess trollies to keep food warm, everyone pitching in to clean up, pasting tables and foldaway chairs, we should manage.

For those asking - yes I am planning to do a proper dinner, but much more relaxed than a typical Christmas.

For those who think I'm crazy, wait until you hear that some of them are staying the night!

I think it sounds perfect. We had a large for us (about 18 in total) a couple of years ago and everyone loved it and mucked in.

I would consider doing the veg yourself and someone else doing a turkey or beef. It would be easier for them to cook and keep cool/covered and bring over on the day than you struggle.with fridge space and them bring boiling carrots or sprouts.

If someone lives close but you could leave desserts there and nip and.get them ready to serve last minute too.

Xmasdaft2023 · 25/09/2024 18:21

Does someone have a table that could be at yours Xmas eve-boxing day? Presumably they won’t be using it 😂. That’s what we do. We’ve used someone else’s table/chairs to accommodate. And we’d ask another house if they had one too if it’d help!

my parents table already extends, they have extra chairs so it’s just a case of an extra table and some extra chairs. I’ve used my in laws too 😊

Jumpers4goalposts · 25/09/2024 18:16

I usually do 12 adults and 4 children. We all eat together. Different families bring different dishes. DM always does turkey, DFiL the ham, DSis pigs in blankets and a few deserts. I do veggie main, potatoes, veg and yorkshires. We DSis brings chairs around Christmas Eve. We bring our garden table in and turn it into a dinning table. We set another smaller table for the children and then we just pass the plates around and help ourselves. The more the merrier I say.

Bellaboo01 · 25/09/2024 10:28

thebradybunch · 24/09/2024 09:11

We are hosting Christmas for the first time this year. Just us (family of 5, small child, toddler and newborn), our parents, siblings and their kids. However both our families are big and everyone has said they're coming.

This means we've got 18 adults, 10 children and 4 babies

For context we are all really close, and our families are all friends so that's not an issue. Also everyone will bring a dish so I won't be the only one cooking. I'm worried about how we will accommodate everyone and it not feel like chaos though.

I was planning on having them all come over at 2.30pm. Any tips on how to organise the day? I'm being massively thrown in the deep end here so need some advice from seasoned professionals!

Our house isn't huge but it isn't small either. Our kitchen table can sit 10 people at a squeeze.
We have a decent sized playroom for the kids with a big TV in it.
Living room sofas and chairs can probably sit 10 people.

I've done this before for 18 people and i decided to do a 'buffet style' roast dinner. It was different than a normal 'sit down' formal Christmas dinner. But, that year the emphasis was being together so the food and having a space at the table was secondary. It actually worked really well.

We then did party games/quiz's and watched whatever was on that year all together.

pestowithwalnuts · 25/09/2024 08:01

TherebytheGraceofGodgoI · 24/09/2024 16:30

Just to add, I’ve been doing this for ten years now since my Dad died and it’s a way of all the family being together. The numbers increase every year due to marriage and births. The first year was so stressful but now I just get on with it and prefer no one else in the kitchen getting in the way.
As long as you have all the seating etc, it’s just one big Sunday lunch. Get yourself some aga deep pan shelves, they slot into the grooves of my Neff oven and are amazing for roast potatoes, they also do more shallow ones which can be used for roast carrots and parsnips.
That first year, the young adults were looking for more food a few hours after their Christmas dinner and I had nothing to give them as I thought the dinner would be enough. (They are active and eat like horses). Lesson learnt and I provide a tea as well and spend the week baking which I have to admit, I enjoy planning.
I also make personalised crackers. They look forward to it every year (I was surprised at that) and I hope it gives them some lovely memories.

Sounds like you are well organized and enjoy it all.
I also do personalized crackers and they all love them.Its just a little thing but it makes such a difference and if course these can be done well in advance

Whatafustercluck · 25/09/2024 07:59

Sorry op, it sounds like my idea of hell. And I say this as someone who enjoys hosting generally, and the chaos of Christmas in particular. And who doesn't have a newborn! I think you're crazy. Your house sounds lovely though, can I come? 😂

Twinkletwinklelil · 25/09/2024 07:54

@Aydel just like my family. Nothing quite like it 😊

Aydel · 25/09/2024 07:48

And we used to have more coming in the evening! Those who stayed over brought sleeping bags. Double bed, five kids on the mattress on the floor and another five on the base. Everyone mucked in and helped. I miss those Christmases.

Aydel · 25/09/2024 07:45

My Mum and Dad used to cater for Christmases this size. We used to squash 14 round the dining table, then bring in the garden furniture, set that up in the sitting room (adjoins the dining room) and had the teens/older kids in the kitchen. Babies on laps or napping.

Twinkletwinklelil · 25/09/2024 07:40

thebradybunch · 24/09/2024 16:56

There are so many helpful suggestions here, thank you very much. I have space for 3 slow cookers as well as 2 ovens and an air fryer, however I think I could get away with just doing the turkey, roast potatoes and pigs in blankets. I can assign the other dishes to everyone else as there are so many people.

So I can do Roast potatoes - parboiled, covered in fat and frozen in advance, ready to stick in the oven. 2x turkeys cooked and carved the day before, and probably pre-made pigs in blankets from M&S... sounds like I'll actually be chilling all day before everyone arrives

Then if I assign someone canapés, someone veg, someone gravy and stuffing, someone gammon, someone desserts, we should be fine.

I don't know if I'm being overly optimistic but I think with the suggestions of hostess trollies to keep food warm, everyone pitching in to clean up, pasting tables and foldaway chairs, we should manage.

For those asking - yes I am planning to do a proper dinner, but much more relaxed than a typical Christmas.

For those who think I'm crazy, wait until you hear that some of them are staying the night!

I honestly find this so wholesome and perfectly normal.

youre going to have a wonderful Christmas.

PurpleChrayn · 25/09/2024 00:46

Madness.

Lavenderandbrown · 24/09/2024 23:44

Op I’m working on reading the thread but this immediately came to mind…you have a newborn? An EBF newborn? Or bottle fed or both? I will tell you I have hosted parties with a newborn. I have the space and all the family helps in many different ways but me…well I was upstairs in the nursery rocking and nursing my baby who didn’t like the noise or the bottle and inexplicably became a hard to settle baby that day. Remote hosting.

mylittleitalianhome · 24/09/2024 19:28

Sounds great! And I LOVE overnight guests, especially at Christmas. It makes it even more magical for the kids too 🥹

BIWI · 24/09/2024 17:58

Have you got enough crockery and cutlery - as well as glassware? Might be worth considering hiring them. We had a party one year, and the company we used collected everything dirty as well, which was a great bonus!

Rubyandscarlett · 24/09/2024 17:53

Sounds awful!!
And l love a busy house at Christmas.

Sparklyhat · 24/09/2024 17:05

Sounds bonkers and chaotic but could be fun!! I would make a huge ton of roasties and also have a couple of relatives bring tons of roasties too! Same with pigs in blankets etc get everyone to bring some and also everyone to bring their air fryers?? So stuff can be chucked in those to reheat (pigs in blankets in one, roasted parsnips and carrots in another)

I think I'd do it buffet style, so the meats (cold?) roasties, veg , stuffing balls, all in big trays for people to serve themself , with hot plates and hot gravy? To counteract them potentially going cold before everyone's served

The more I think about it the more I think there just won't be enough space for 28 people worth of food if these trays even if you had 5 air fryers and 2 ovens . Tricky!!

Scrap the idea do a buffet instead!

Shinyandnew1 · 24/09/2024 17:05

I need to know, OP…how many potatoes will you be peeling to do roasties for 28?!!

ASGIRC · 24/09/2024 17:04

Bthebestucanb · 24/09/2024 14:08

There are large families who do this regularly & not just at Christmas. It keeps extended families together. People who promote this & if they also have space do the hosting, are very special people indeed. You will have a wonderful time 😁

Exactly! At my mom, she regularly hosts over 20 adults. And while we do it buffet style (ie one table has the food, people serve themselves and then sit down to eat), the food is warm and we all eat together, split over 2/3 tables plus the sofas.

My moms house can accomodate, comfortable, arouns 35 people. I wish I could accomodate more than 20 at mine! Id be super happy to host most fo our family gatherings!