Is it strange that I’ve never cooked a Christmas dinner at 36?

I think it’s a sign of privilege that you have 2 sets of parents to go to.

You should speak to them and see if they want a break.

I’ve been cooking Xmas dinner since I turned 30 & had a decent house.

It's a Roast - nothing fancy! Some weird pop up came up re a famous frozen food Supermarket who were marketing Christmas Dinner for Four people. I wouldn't ever consider trying to cram enormous box (no euphemism) into normal family sized freezer however, if you just simply unpacked and stored it should be fine. It was a Turkey (not whole Bird) roast and seemed to have loads of sides including stuffing and Gravy. It did seem very good value at £25. I haven't tried but perhaps a good avenue if you're that worried?
If you have to cater for loads more, I would ask any adults to provide food / sides / Pudding and make kids involved with setting table and clearing up. Unfortunately, it's usually the female of the species that tends to end up sweating in the kitchen so assign others to provide nibbles, ice, serve and mix Drinks and clean up as they go.

@Goinggreymammy some people are really territorial about their prep and cooking, so wouldn't allow help. I've been able to do a roast from around age 9, that wasn't uncommon were I grew up, in the 70's, especially when the factories/admin started offering overtime on a Sunday. I doubt I'll cook a roast again, because now we eat out. My middle DD can do a roast, but she's never had to do a Christmas dinner. If she found herself at home, she'd probably do tomahawk steaks and special sides.

I was 39 (nearly 40), when I cooked my first Christmas dinner. In fact it was also the first time I'd ever cooked a chicken.

Prior tho this I'd been a single mum and my DS and I always went to my parents.

I'd got married in the November, when I was 39, and we decided to eat alone, after visiting my parents. My DS decided to stay at my parents (he was 18).

We'll be having chicken with fresh asparagus, cherry tomatoes , bacon and fresh basil - no roasting. It's in the middle of our summer! My husband doesn't like turkey.

The first Christmas dinner I cooked was when I was 45 and husband had had major surgery. Before that we went to my parents or bother's every year. It was great having Christmas at home, so we've done it every year since.

No, I’m 44 and haven’t. I’ve helped out but either had it at home or then with DH since I met him. My dad is very a “the man of the house does the roast” sort of guy and DH enjoys it so I’ll help if he needs it but other than he’s happy pottering about in the kitchen doing it.

No. I'm 60 and I've never cooked a Christmas (or any roast) dinner, because it's not something I want to eat. On the few occasions we've had guests at Christmas, we've gone to a hotel - so the guests could have Xmas dinner, and we could have fish or something.

Just the one post from the OP ...

I've done it since I was mid 30s. And thanksgiving too. I like cooking.

I hate people in my kitchen "helping" me. Other than my now adult children who are great at doing exactly what I want so I'll call them if I need them. Otherwise stay out of the kitchen and enjoy a drink and appetiser in the living room. I'm not a collaborative cook.

The thing that annoys me most in the world is families where the mum puts dinner on the table every single day without much fanfare or thanks but the dad takes over for christmas and gets all the praise for that. Ditto barbeques.

43 and have never cooked one! I get given jobs of peeling, chopping and clearing up and have on occasion made cakes the day before but we mostly do Xmas at my mums who doesn’t like people doing things in the kitchen on Xmas day!

When we’ve done Xmas at my partner’s family’s house my partner has done most of the cooking while I made cake, did chopping and made bread sauce. I am pretty okay with being the assistant, when we eventually start hosting Xmas dinner I am pretty sure my partner will keep doing main courses (he is the better cook and more into it) while I potter about with sides and desert!

I've never done the whole meal but I have contributed, usually either doing some meat, veg or stuffing. In the years when we went to MIL I wasn't allowed to help but my Mum has always appreciated a hand in the kitchen. Some years even when I wouldn't see her on Christmas Day I would cook up a ham for my Mum on Christmas Eve so she'd have less work to do for the meal she hosted.

I worked Christmas Day from 18-22 (when I was at uni) in a restaurant so my dinner was usually ready for when I got home. Then moved abroad for a couple of years and my parents came to visit me for Christmas (we ate out as my kitchen was the size of a cupboard). Then I met DH, and he cooked. We host my parents every single year now though (DH cooking!) so it’s swings and roundabouts I guess. In fact I think we’ve now hosted them for more Christmas dinners than they cooked for me!

I’ve cooked Christmas dinner every year (except two years) since I was 20 which was 36 years ago.
I always do a practice one mid November to try out any new sides/dishes I want to try.

More fool you. I just chug the champagne and eat the canapés. As does everyone else surely….

I totally understand people getting invited to relatives, or their partner cooking Christmas dinner but....
I find it totally unreasonable that they didn't help their parent out / do most of the hard work of cooking Christmas dinner in their family home once they were late teens/early twenties? What fully able adult would let their parents work preparing a dinner for them on Christmas without doing most of the work? I was making stuffing and preparing the turkey by 17, cooking dinner by myself by the time i was 23, with my mother only giving advice.
The first year I was married I went to my in-laws for Christmas dinner in the afternoon. My 30-something SIL who had stayed with them Christmas eve so plenty of time to help, complained multiple times to her mother that she hadn't done roast potatoes. I nearly fell off my chair.

49, no partner and never cooked one. Don’t really cook. Always have one thohgh

I’m 56 and have cooked plenty of Christmas dinners over the years, with help from my DH and sometimes my DM or my MIL help. I have to admit that I sometimes quite enjoy the opportunity of hiding in the kitchen when both mums are with us, so I don’t always want much help. (Although I have less energy since I developed Long COVID, so things have changed somewhat now.)

I think I was mid-20s when I first cooked a Christmas dinner, atlhough only for 3 people so not a really huge affair! I have made them on and off over the years.

I’m 53 and never cooked one, we went to our parents alternative years when we were first married, but now we are older our parents come to us. DH always cooks Christmas dinner. I hate to say it but I don’t really like Christmas dinner especially turkey.

I cooked Christmas dinner every bloody year from age 19 into my 60s, sometimes for a few, sometimes for many.

I stopped when my sons had enough space to invite us and each other’s families and their in-laws and I don’t miss it one iota.

My sister’s nearly 68 and she’s never cooked a Xmas dinner.
this will be my 34th. One year we went to a restaurant. Two years I went to my BIL’s.

my first was at 21. I was already pissed by 11am and it did not go well. But I fondly remember that first Xmas in my little hovel of a flat in south London.

I’m 42 and I’ve never cooked one. When I was a kid my Grandparents did it and since I’ve been an adult I’ve realised that I don’t much like a turkey roast and DH isn’t British anyway so we have something decadent that we actually like on Christmas Day. Usually an expansive cheese board with charcuterie and a few bits from DH’s home country.

Same here and I'm 54. We sometimes go to relatives' for Christmas, but if we host dh cooks.

Not really weird, because lots of families just do the same thing for Christmas every year. My parents host, my dad has always cooked. I always do the washing up/table setting and whatever else needs doing. I could cook one if I needed to, but he's the kind of person who won't stop interfering if other people are trying to cook, so we tend to just leave him to it.. it's easier for everyone concerned!