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Are you hosting or guesting* this Christmas?

52 replies

GreatUserName · 04/12/2025 14:01

Or just spending it by yourselves?

*Heard it phrased like this on the radio!

We are going to host this year, between 12 - 17 of us 😬

OP posts:
MrsBennetsPoorNervesAreBack · 04/12/2025 14:03

Kind of something in between. We'll be at my dad's, so not exactly hosting, but doing most of the cooking and hosting anyway iyswim.

dontmalbeconme · 04/12/2025 14:06

Hosting family on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Being hosted by friends New Years Day.

shellyleppard · 04/12/2025 14:09

Just the usual suspects on Christmas Day.... myself, two sons and my ex (their dad). We co parent and hes around most Christmases. But he does all the washing up so can't complain 🤣

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TheatricalLife · 04/12/2025 14:09

Guest on Christmas Day, host on Boxing day

lingmerth · 04/12/2025 14:21

Hosting Christmas Eve, guesting On Christmas Day and slobbing out on Boxing Day!

Rainbow1901 · 04/12/2025 14:25

Guesting on Christmas Eve and hosting on Christmas Day for 9 People (plus an extra dinner for NDN who has refused to socialise but will have a Christmas Dinner - she's 86 and quite happy about Christmas Day her way!) ❄⛄

mondaytosunday · 04/12/2025 14:26

We were to be guesting at my sisters in another country but due to DS not getting the time off we are just us.

MannersAreAll · 04/12/2025 14:26

Hosting.

26 on Christmas Day. 12 staying Christmas Eve and Christmas night.

Either 28 or 30 for Boxing Day. One relative and his new partner appear to still be hedging their bets on a better offer so are a maybe 🙄

popcornandpotatoes · 04/12/2025 14:27

At home just us! Will see my family for a bit in the morning. Don't know what the plan is with DH family but it won't be on Xmas day

YellowCherry · 04/12/2025 14:27

We host every other year, this year we are guesting.

JudgeBread · 04/12/2025 14:27

Guesting Christmas eve at my big family bash (glad I'm not fucking hosting there's 30 odd going at last count), just us Christmas day, hosting husband's family boxing day.

PaulineMush · 04/12/2025 14:28

Just the two of us this year.

Had Christmas at home with the children, their partners and the grandchildren last year and have plans for a full-on family week next year in a big rented house.

DappledThings · 04/12/2025 14:31

Guests but working guests. At my parents. SIL and DH doing all the cooking, DB and I will do all the washing-up etc.

HansHolbein · 04/12/2025 14:33

Hosting Christmas Eve & Christmas Day - for the first time! Soooo excited.

Guesting on Boxing Day.

BrunchBarBandit · 04/12/2025 14:34

Hosting: 5 days for 5 people and 2 of those days an additional 2. There are 4 of us in this house already. It’s a lot of prep and cooking but DH is good with equal share and everyone is so happy be be together (as 4 of these live at the other end of the country). I like the sense and satisfaction of making this happen.

I lie down for 24 hours after they’ve all gone and the kids deliver snacks to my room!

We’re being guests for 2 nights at New Year which I am very much looking forward to. Our friends are excellent hosts and given our Xmas experience I think we learn how to be good guests 😌

LoudPlumDog · 04/12/2025 14:34

Flying on Christmas Day

Blueuggboots · 04/12/2025 14:41

Hosting but working as well!!
next year I’m booking an Airbnb and sitting in my pants. Everyone can FOTTFSOF!!

annonymousse · 04/12/2025 14:42

Hosting 10-12 all over Xmas. My daughters have coordinated their Christmas with in-laws so that we have a big family Christmas at my house every second year. DH and I will cook and plan the food and they and their DH's will clean up afterwards. This will probably be the last year that the grandkids will believe so I'm very pleased it's our year.

LadyMacbethssweetArabianhand · 04/12/2025 14:51

I'm being a guest at my daughter's house and probably hosting my son on Christmas Eve. His plans are still vague. I'm making the bread sauce for Christmas dinner though as my son in law has asked. If my son does stay, it'll be poached eggs with avocado on sourdough toast for breakfast. He's a vegetarian. I made Christmas dinner and New Year day's dinner for years and I'm perfectly happy that dd has assumed the mantle 😂

YorkieTheRabbit · 04/12/2025 15:00

Just the two of us plus our dogs Grin
We stopped hosting two years ago, it was always expected of us, never once in the twenty two years we’ve been together, has anyone offered to host us.

Hedgesgalore · 04/12/2025 15:01

Hosting for 8 (might go up to 10) for Christmas Day, our dcs are coming home for extra days too so lots to prep around the house as well.

Done this every year for various relatives for the last 30 years, I do enjoy feeding people and 8 is an easy number. I prep and cook, dcs help me put out the hot food, they clear away to kitchen, I load dishwasher multiple times 😂 dcs serve dessert and clear away, dd makes the desserts.

One year I hope to be guesting.

GreatUserName · 04/12/2025 15:03

Lots of lovely plans!
So over the Christmas period we will be guests at my in-laws over the weekend before Christmas.
They'll come up and stay with us over Christmas.
Boxing Day has always been another big (my side of the family) get together at my parent's house, but as a few of you have said, we'll all pitch in and cook/wash up/whatever as necessary - that's the law!
In the in-between period, we'll just be us at home, recovering relaxing, and then on NYE, we are going to my sister's.
It will be mad and busy, but a nice festive kind of busy.
We all look forward to it and it's usually just at this time we get to see some faces we don't normally see throughout the working year.

OP posts:
snoopythebeagle · 04/12/2025 15:06

We're seeing my parents before Christmas and DH's dad on Boxing Day. We spend actual Christmas Day just the two of us, plus all the pets Grin

ArcticGrass · 04/12/2025 15:08

Guesting Christmas Eve and hosting on Christmas Day. And long dog walking on Boxing Day and eating leftovers (bonus of being the host - the leftovers).

soocool · 04/12/2025 15:11

Just us two, abroad as usual for three weeks. Very enjoyable, and very lucky to be able to do it.