Christmas appetisers, starters, hors d'oeuvres - so confused

We don;t do starters. But we have Christmas Dinner in the evening.
We start the day with smoked salmon and scrambled egg bagels, fresh fruit salad and bucks fizz or freshly squeezed OJ and lots of coffee. Then have homemade soup at lunchtime with a cheeseboard, and traditional nibbles like mince pies, walnuts and clementines. Then at night, the main Christmas Dinner, and sometimes Christmas pudding too, although that often gets left until Boxing Day.

I sometimes make a pastry wreath for Boxing Day. They are very pretty.

I normally do salmon mousse and watercress blinis.
Your list is huge, like a buffet, nobody wants to fill stuffed before dinner.

In my opinion, having breakfast on Christmas Day is insanity, as is having a starter. I may have a few roasted and salted nuts to accompany the Christmas morning sherry but that’s quite enough.

I serve canapés instead of a starter.
Avoid anything with pastry as it’s so filling.
Mini prawn cocktails served in a shot glass, grilled hallumi with a square of melon on a cocktail stick.
Homemade soup in a an espresso cup, mini sausages, rounds of cucumber with blue cheese and a walnut,

We go out for lunch on Christmas Eve then just have bits like this for supper as we don’t need another proper meal.

On Christmas Day we have a light breakfast - croissants etc - and then some canapés around lunchtime to tide everyone over until we have roast turkey etc after the King’s speech.

Cheeses to pick at later in the evening plus Christmas cake.

I do a smoked salmon starter.
Just salom lemon and asparagus.
We have tried other variations over the years but I get too full.
That plate with a glass of fizz is one of my fave Xmas moment s

Breakfast at 10am and lunch at 2pm.

Why is there any need for more food?

Usually just do some rocket/ watercress and slivers of smoked salmon with a balsamic dress. Super easy and light but tasty

This is what we do. No breakfast, but we might have some crisps/nibbles with a bit of fizz late morning. Dinner at around 1.30ish (roast and pudding) then evening buffet/cheese board/cold turkey at about 7pm.

We often have 'party nibbles', pates, dips etc on Christmas Eve, then leftovers and more party nibbles on Boxing Day.

Generally we just buy in or make some Christmas food, and then eat it when the mood takes us over the Christmas period.

I would keep it really light and simple OP.
Tiny bite sized offerings and not too many of them. You don’t want people too full to enjoy the main meal of the day!

We never bother with breakfast maybe part of a selection box. We have dinner around 1 no starters then we have an evening buffet. There is always so much food and drink dont worry about filling every little gap with food

If someone else is making breakfast, are they likely to make a substantial one?
I wouldn’t bother with crisps or nuts (esp nuts as so filling), but would make a light starter eg bitter leaves (chicory or radicchio) with fruit eg blood orange or fig or pomegranate.

And you can pop a prawn on too!

Another one here who would want to eat between breakfast n lunch. However I'm old. 10 years ago, I'd have enjoyed smoked salmon on mini blinis, with a bit of cream cheese n lemon juice and a spring of dill. For a healthier option you can use sliced cucumber (pat first with kitchen roll to remove excess water) instead of blinis. It's nice to have something to nibble if you have drinks pre lunch. A few Pringles are always nice too?

If breakfast is at 10.30 and lunch at 2 you absolutely don’t need a starter or anything heavy. Just put some bowls of crisps / nuts out and some dips with crudités / breadsticks. No need to stress this one.

Breakfast at 1030 and a massive lunch at 2? I hope breakfast is light!

With those timings I would do three different canapes so each person gets one of each. I would include a prawn canape to please your mum, but up to you obviously. Probably one fish, one meat, one vegetable. I'd serve them an hour before lunch with fizz.

I would put out a couple of plates of nice bits, with some crisps and nuts, at about 1pm along with drinks, and tell everyone lunch will be about an hour. Save the cheese/charcuterie for evening and/or Boxing Day.

Are you making them yourself? Frozen shop bought party food (or a ‘wall of unidentifiable M&S beige’, as my OH describes it) would detract from a delicious home cooked Christmas feast. If you want to make canapés and have the time and energy then I think this would make for a nice pre-dinner appetizer. If not don’t bother.

My parents in law do a small platter of salmon bilini's with champagne about an hour before lunch. Then we have roast and pudding (3-4pm)

My parents do a roast at 1pm, then cheese board around 6pm!

What does your breakfast consist of? Because that will make a difference as 10:30 is very late and nearing canapé time. Like Peridot1 above we don’t have breakfast but have light canapés such as smoked salmon blinis, cooked prawns etc with champagne. Personally I wouldn’t put crisps out nor anything too heavily pastry based.

In your situation I would do (assuming you all like fish) smoked salmon blinis (can be made before and warmed), crab and avocado croustades or crab, avocado & siracha cucumber boats - in fact see Waitrose canapés for ideas

I would do 3 canapés or a seafood platter using minimal pastry, bread as it’s too filling. I would also aim to do things that just need to be assembled then that job can be delegated.

I’d cut the top off a few Camemberts, put some garlic cloves and rosemary inside, top back on and bake for 30mins. Serve with fresh crusty bread. Easy and delicious!

m and s frozen party food, served with drinks pre meal or during present opening is what we do. Keep it simple so choose 3 but have a few of them per person. So salmon on blinis, sausage rolls and brie bites for example. But choose what is easiest. We never do a starter.

That sounds way more food than a prawn cocktail. I’d much prefer to have some prawns and a bit of lettuce than all that carb heavy beige food.

I agree with others, just put out some crisps and nuts. People can have what they want without feeling any pressure to eat more than they want. That way everyone can enjoy dinner.