To think serving a starter with Christmas dinner is unnecessary. And weird.

[Kavalier]

Am hosting DH's family for Xmas dinner for the first time this year. MIL always does a prawn cocktail starter and they will miss a starter if I don't serve one, so I will. I think it's very odd though. AIBU?

Same here usual - they are only ever used for prawn cocktail and were inherited from my grandmother who only ever used them for prawn cocktail too.

My very posh friend says that I am very common because we eat prawns with pink sauce.

Prawn cocktail or blinis for us

Hang on a mo, back up a few posts..... When did we get Christmas smilies?

Christmas lunch is a family affair here so no one poor person does everything. My brother's a butcher so does all meat. I do starters (three) and pudding (one diabetic, one normal), my Mum does trimmings/sides and everybody else chips in and/or does clean up afterwards. I would never expect one person to do everything.

i have just remembered though one friend who has a thick root veg based soup for a starter, which i always thought was bonkers because you're about to get most of the same veg again but roasted

That sounds nice Showy. How lovely that you have a large family who can all chip in.

'So, you're just about to eat an enormous main course which it has taken some poor soul hours to cook, followed by compulsory pudding, and no doubt preceded by endless nibbles like twiglets and cheese footballs ... and still you want a starter?'

Who says anyone is going to have compulsory pudding? The only thing compulsory is a starter. Pudding is usually for supper or later on in the day. What strange behaviour to have it after a full on delicious Christmas dinner!

Mushroom soup and garlic bread.

I'd be far too full with a starter!

Smoked salmon eggs benedict with Prosecco for breakfast, main Christmas meal about 3, with pudding. Cheese in the evening, drink all day.

It is nice Mintyy

Just illustrating that having lots of starters and puddings and fripperies is possible because we all chip in. If it was just me doing it, the guests could bugger orf if they were hoping for a zillion starters and diabetic options and likewise, I wouldn't expect anything like that level of stuff from one person. In fact I wouldn't expect anything anyway.

YABU. I'd rather have a starter than a pudding.

We always have a starter. Actual dish varies depending on what we are having for the main. Often, homemade soup, but have also had baked brie, pate, lobster in the past. Last year we had a melon and strawberry cocktail as I made a Wellington for the main.
Pudding is always traditional and homemade, though we have it at tea time. -while watching Dr Who-

I want prawn cocktail now

Starter, main course, pudding AND cheese at ours!

I love Christmas dinner. I don't want to be too full before I've even started because I've had a starter.

We've had starters in the past. Everyone was of the same opinion that they are not necessary and just extra washing up.

Mind you, we've always had a Christmas Lunch rather than a dinner as my parents cook it to be ready for 1pm.

Then we have nibbles and something light for tea time about 7pm.

My dds bf has informed me that he usually has prawn cocktail with a quails egg for starters.
He is posh, we aren't so any advice on placement of said quails egg
Should I just balance it on top!

Those of you who don't have starters for Christmas DINNER? When DO you indulge?

I mean, do you normally have starters and reserve Christmas dinner for a special non-starter experience? Or do you simply deny yourself and your family the luxury and indulgence of probably the best thing about any mean, for your whole lives?

No pudding here generally either, we offer it in the evening but it is rarely taken up, usually ends up with my parents taking most of it home with them (DH is the only one here who likes Christmas pudding).

Surely it's the law to have a starter?

We have a choice of smoked salmon/prawns/melon/salad/pate and toast.

Christmas dinner can last a good few hours in our house though.

Have never had one. More room for the main event.

I wouldn't. It's all about the main. My mum makes so much I can't even manage desert let alone a starter !

YABVU - smoked salmon based starter is compulsory.

YANBU OP I don't do a starter

and if I was served Prawn Cocktail I'd puke on the turkey - prawns are the work of Satan