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?

Doesn't everyone just have chocolate orange for a starter ?

It's my opinion that you can never eat to much on Christmas day. But if you're cooking then you choose how many courses.

I sort of get that it could be done.

I just don't see the appeal, over having lovely smoked salmon for breakfast.

Also, prawn cocktail is a bit cold & slimy prior to a roast, surely?

As much as I love smoked salmon I'm the only one in the family who does. We're obviously common as muck because our Christmas breakfast is bacon butties and tea (mine is Earl Grey though . I sometimes crack open the cava or prosecco while cooking but, as I'm the only one drinking that i run the risk of ending up half cut and making a balls of everything.

No starters before Christmas dinner either.

We never drink champagne or bucks fizz with breakfast.

Bacon sarnies and maybe a slug of Baileys in my coffee.

Bacon rolls was our xmas lunch thrn straight to the roast at about 4..

Im thinking of doing lentil soup for lunch at about one or two pm ,which iv never made before but im not a terrible cook so should be fine.

Any dessert ideas? im not a fan of black forest gateau or xmas pudding.

Baileys and coffee is the top of my xmas supply list

We pass round canape type things before dinner. Fits more easily around present opening and cooking. A sit down starter seems awkward because the cook would have to eat their starter and then get up again to do a lot more last minute preparation. I've always been in charge of the canapes and done smoked salmon on blinis plus one other.

Actually, these days when I do dinner I as often as not have nice nibbly bits that can be eaten while people hover in the kitchen rather than a proper starter.

We used to do starters but for about 5 years we've done canapés with champagne about an hour before the main event. Everyone chips in making them- bilinis with various toppings- it's a bit like a production line and good fun.

It is most def the law to have a prawn cocktail starter on Xmas day. YABVU

We always have multiple courses for christmas dinner, definitely a starter and a few amuse-bouche... String it out for the day...
Traditions are important to your families culture, and especially at Christmas, hope you can find a way to work the two together so you are both happy.

No starter? You are being vvvvvv u! Christmas without prawn cocktail is not Christmas

We have a starter (prawn cocktail for dh and me, melon for the dds) AND a soup, then mains then trifle.

We've always had a starter with Christmas dinner but last year we just did some canapés with bubbly as we didn't know if 4 month old DS would give us peace for long enough to eat a starter as well as main and pudding.

It worked out perfectly and we're going to do the same thing again this year, as although DS is good at sitting at the table, I think 3 courses is pushing it.

And it meant we had room for cheese a bit later on too!

We have homemade soup, provably roast garlic and lentil, them home made pâté, main, selection of desserts, coffee and after eights.

It takes hours

We have soup and fish courses before the main. Then dessert, cheese and coffee/chocolates. Takes about 3 hours.

Soup and fish (prawns, salmon etc- prepared and plated 1st thing) are eaten whilst the turkey is standing. Soup isn't usually homemade.

Starters don't happen in this house. I refuse to deal with the grossness that is prawns, and pate is nearly as bad. By the time dinner's ready we've already consumed chocolate, pancakes, the majority of the M&S party food selection, and my mum and I are well into the 2nd bottle of champagne.

If you don't have starter you can have both mince pies, and some of the chocolate log the children insist on making.

No starters here. I don't even have breakfast in order to make as much room as possible for the main course

I forgot about needing brandy butter. I know it's ages away, but what if I'd still forgotten on Christmas day?

Definitely have a starter - how could you not??? Prawn cocktail is one of our favourites in the Chen household, but anything from the era the style forgot is acceptable - wedge of pate, breaded camembert, that type of thing.

I quite like having a starter on Xmas. Do not usually have one unless it's a salad bar and I think everyone stuffs their face at christmas. My oh and family like prawn cocktail but I do like having pate for a starter.

Not only do we not have starters, we don't have puddings either. Shockers.

Agree with you OP!

We once had friends for Christmas dinner and they offered to "bring the starter"

I was mightily pissed off because I love turkey, roasties and sprouts and I am not impressed by anything that gets between me and them and threatens to fill up my sprout-scoffing capacity. We couldn't refuse their kind offer but I had the smallest amount I possibly could.

I wouldn't do a starter myself for people coming round. I'd say: "No starter! More space for three types of pudding!"

Smoked salmon yes, but you have that for breakfast on xmas day, on a muffin. Not for a starter!

Def have a starter, I love my melon & prawn cocktail. Then the main show followed by dessert about 2hrs later when stomach allows for it. Yum.