Aibu to stop this multiple Christmas day madness?

Christmas Eve is fish and Boxing day leftovers.

That's always been the norm for me and Christmas Eve is my favourite so I'd resent missing out on it for the first of three massive roasts

And on every thread about childless people having to work over Christmas there are numerous responses about how adults can just have the celebration another day.

In my house if you were working (husband police inspector) we either had early or late lunch to fit with shifts or, if not, I had both sets of parents and did it on my own with daughter acting as waiter and he just missed it. I've a lovely photo of Mr TorroFerney eating his dinner after parents had gone, one year on his own wearing a party hat, bare table as the candles , napkins etc had been cleared. He would have Christmas meal at work, kebab or indian so arguably better than Christmas lunch!

What was slightly different with us is there's no one else who would host and we also never do anything on boxing day.

Difference as well from reading a lot of these posts was just that this was done with little fuss, both from him who had chosen a job with shifts and me who had married someone who worked them.

think of the vicar of dibley
i would definitely ring the changes though

This is literally peak mumsnet.

THIS!

I actually want a TV series like 'dont tell the bride' which goes into peoples homes and make them do Christmas differently rather than boring Christmas by numbers.

Just do "Christmas dinner" on Christmas eve with the relatives, Christmas day give your kids (I'm guessing younger than school age?) Whatever they normally eat, something easy and treaty, then Boxing Day do buffet/ deli food

Of course it isn't standard. Do you have Christmas Day three days in a row?

I think three occasions is ok, but three full christmas dinners consecutively is madness!

Christmas Eve naice dinner and fizz
Christmas Dinner (or not as it’s just you guys)
Boxing Day buffet (or dinner if you forego it on the 25th).

Or indeed full dinner on Christmas Eve, we often do this. But just one full roast!

As a mature adult without kids, I wouldn't mind this, but in your shoes I would hate it. You'll all be frazzled and exhausted.

Depending on work schedules (only me who has to work over Christmas period) we have Christmas day just us then head to family for Boxing Day. Boxing Day tends to be full on roast (even if they've also eaten it the day before); either that or we go to the local Indian restaurant which is amazing. For us at home though we don't do a full Christmas dinner. Can't remember exactly when it started, definitely when dc were very small, but we do 'party food', just wanging trays of things in the oven as and when we feel like it. Much more relaxed. Don't feel like I'm missing out when I have to go out for work in the same way I would if I had to get up and leave halfway through a big meal (plus I'm not too fat to bend over/too sleepy to drive!).
Actually first Christmas as parents dh & I had fish fingers, chips & beans

You do the whole works on one day (doesn't necessarily have to be Christmas day). You can do a Boxing Day meal which is not the whole works but is nice but not necessary. And you also have the glory of left overs day maybe with a zero faff beige buffet to pad it out.

Three Christmas Dinners. Ugh no thanks. Not only would I be waddling but it's actually not nice or fun.

Or you can go down the mad theme - why not have a Chinese day. Or a more 'boring' plain lasagne or Bolognese but do a murder mystery or something.

I swear most people just are totally lacking in imagination for Christmas and think until you don't tick certain boxes it not good enough!

Exactly this....especially when you know you're going to have one cooked for you on Christmas eve...

Boxing day is normally cold cuts and buffet foods.

Do the ones that work over Christmas do so every year, if not do they contribute to having a turn cooking a Christmas dinner or do they always expect others to do the cooking?

I’ve worked Christmas Day but I’ve hosted my Christmas dinner myself, don’t host if you don’t want to. If I was hosting I’d mix the menu up a bit too.

That is mental. I wouldn’t host anyone on Christmas Eve as I do a full on dinner for 12 on Christmas Day. Boxing Day is for left overs from the day before. For a few years we did one day at mine, next day at siblings, but tbh the kids got fed up of it as teenagers so it fizzled out. Now, I love a busy Christmas Day and a very peaceful, chilled Boxing Day.

I usually have at least 2 sometimes 3 Christmas dinners, think it’s pretty normal when there are other people to see over Christmas, especially when you have children. I wouldn’t host all 3 though.

I thought the point of Boxing Day tea is that you layout a buffet and family all arrive and eat what they want. Not Christmas dinner again, but cold cuts of turkey, a ham, salads, cheese, pickles etc. And trifle. No need to make Christmas Day dinner three times, surely.

We do this, but it's a different house/family hosting each day.
It's generally a different cuisine each day so normally Xmas Eve - Family 1's cultural food, Xmas Day - Roast dinner, Boxing Day - Family 2's cultural food. With some presents being opened on each day depending on who is or isn't there.

It's a lot nicer for anyone who has to work one of the days, because then they don't miss out on everything. It also slightly takes the pressure off for cooking because it doesn't have to such a huge meal because there's other big meals planned.

I think it's lovely that the working ones get a Christmas dinner and a great excuse to have a really relaxed day yourselves on Christmas day.
I would enjoy the meal and some presents Christmas eve, then do stockings and all the other nice Christmas treats on Christmas day, in pyjamas all day if you feel like it, then ideally a roast beef or ham for boxing day and some more presents.
I see what you mean about your own traditions -.my main tips would be don't get sucked into hosting every year and do tell people what you want to do. Different years can be different. It saves resentment.

We do this and the kids (now late teens) love it.

We do separate it out a bit though so not back to back days, but yes three full Christmas (although Santa only arrives on Christmas day)

I love it because it means I get Christmas day just as our family (although we don't do roast on that day) but still see our family.

Well no, I wouldn’t want to do Xmas another day for family members that are not around on actual Xmas day unless it was husband or kids. If my SIL couldn’t make Xmas day then il keep a plate to the side for her but we do different things on Xmas Eve and Boxing Day so I wouldn’t be changing them because an adult couldn’t make it.

Wouldn't do 3 Xmas dinners but the rest sounds normal. We do a buffet on boxing day and takeaway on Xmas eve.

On threads where people without children or grown up children are upset they're the only ones made to work year after year to accommodate people with small children, they're told to grow up, they can have Christmas another day. Now we know why they're so upset, their families don't want to have Christmas another day so they never get Christmas with their family.

Obviously you can't influence what MIL cooks on Christmas eve, but the other 2 days are in ypur hands.

I'd either do Christmas Dinner on Christmas day and then do a nice buffet incorporating leftovers on boxing day OR have a nice but easy meal on Christmas day and do a pared down Christmas meal on boxing day.
Presents happen on Christmas day with maybe a few on boxing day for/from thkse yiuvsee then.