Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Does anyone else not feel obliged to cook a traditional dinner?

63 replies

Magenta46 · 25/12/2018 22:55

For the past few years I have not cooke what you would consider a tradition Christmas meal. I cannot abide the lingering smell or the fact that we have to eat leftovers for the next week or so.
About 5 years ago I decided to make a celebratory meal that everyone would actually enjoy.
So far we have had Jamaican, Thai, Indian and Tex Mex cuisine. Always well received and a lot less hassle and more affordable.
Not sure it should be posted in AIBU, but just wondering why so many of us stick to tradition ?

OP posts:
tittietinsel · 25/12/2018 23:19

Have whatever you want, I'm not sure how any of the meals in your OP leave less of a smell than a turkey though

shaggedthruahedgebackwards · 25/12/2018 23:19

I bloody love Christmas dinner and living on the leftovers for a few days is my idea of heaven but if you don't feel the same then YANBU to cook something you prefer to eat

Pizza on Christmas day would feel completely wrong to me

ReadWriteDraw · 25/12/2018 23:19

We did the Jamie Oliver nut roast (delicious) with loads of veggies, roast potatoes and gravy. So good and not much work

HomeMadeMadness · 25/12/2018 23:20

I actually love going OTT for the Christmas meal (we definitely don't do a Sunday roast every week so it's a one off) but if that's not what any of you actually want I don't see why you shouldn't build your own traditions?

topcat2014 · 25/12/2018 23:21

We had lasagne

Original poster
Magenta46 · 25/12/2018 23:22

I don't see anything wrong in cooking a traditional dinner. I didn't know where else to post for traffic. I only know of one other person who makes an alternative meal on Christmas day.

OP posts:
Original poster
Magenta46 · 25/12/2018 23:26

So glad to hear that I'm not the only person cooking what they like. I think a special meal should take into consideration what people really like to eat, We are not constrained by choice in the same way we were say 100 years ago.

OP posts:
Hohummumbum · 25/12/2018 23:27

I too decided to stop cooking a roast, nobody in my family was too bothered, last year I did Chinese, today I made a turkey, cranberry and Brie pie, it was delicious 😋

Argonauts · 25/12/2018 23:28

Gosh, we never do, even though we were hosting my parents PILs and siblings this year.

AgentCooper · 25/12/2018 23:29

We've never had the traditional Christmas dinner in my family because none of us like turkey. Today we had ham in Coke and a shitload of wee party food items. It was great!

toomuchtooold · 25/12/2018 23:31

I did the traditional this year and it was so much work for so little reward, really. I think next year I'm going to make all our favourite meals over the Christmas period and bugger the roast.

Georgiepeorgiepuddingandpie · 26/12/2018 04:47

I haven't had a roast at Christmas for years. None of us like a roast that much so what's the point. I do like watching everyone else panicking about theirs though. Makes me feel unbearably smug Grin

knittedjest · 26/12/2018 05:05

We don't because I'm Australian so it wasn't really the done thing when I was young and partly because we have so many people in and out over Christmas we are better off doing casual grazing plates of deli meats, breads, cheeses, fruits and different cakes etc.

We also do a traditional roast dinner every Sunday so never really feels special.

AutoFilled · 26/12/2018 05:26

No one likes a roast here let alone turkey. We had chicken with a soy honey sauce, rice and Brussels in a fish sauce vinaigrette. I cook whatever I like. I don’t see why we need a traditional Christmas lunch just because it’s traditional.

Daisychainsandglitter · 26/12/2018 05:36

We did a buffet here and helped ourself all day.
Eldest DD has asd and has an extremely limited diet. DD2 is too young to understand and DH and I don't especially like roast dinners. Buffet was much easier and required little effort. Had a lovely day!

TheLittleDogLaughed · 26/12/2018 05:44

It’s just me, dh and dd (16) on Christmas Day so we eat what we fancy. Today was salmon fishcakes. Last year I made a curry. We have friends over tomorrow so will do a roast all together.

QueenOnAPlate · 26/12/2018 05:49

We had fried chicken, as they do in Japan apparently. I used a Hamie Oliver recipe and it was incredible ( soaked in brine, buttermilk etc). We had Christmas dinner on Sunday, which worked really well too.

Lwmommy · 26/12/2018 06:50

We never cook turkey, its not the most flavourful of meats and there are only 3 of us so a full turkey is too big and a crown is all white meat which doesnt suit all of us.

We did.a leg of pork with crackling, the left over pork will be soaked in a sauce and stirfried with noodles and veg tonight.

swimmerforlife · 26/12/2018 07:07

I really do not enjoy Turkey, its so dry (I can eat it but much prefer to eat anything else), in-laws always so I had to suffer turkey this Christmas

I grew up in NZ, and we would have a BBQ (kebabs, sausages etc) and a ham, some veg and salad. I had never had turkey until I met DH, my in laws were flabbergasted.

Next year I really want to do a buffet...

troubleswillbeoutofsight · 26/12/2018 07:20

We eat goose. It's not the actual meal that is cooked imo, it's the fact that's it's a special, celebratory meal. So, in our family we cook a meal we wouldn't ordinarily have to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. For us, an Indian takeaway or sausage and mash wouldn't be a celebratory meal but an every day meal.
One year I was on safari in Africa and we had goat, it was wonderful and a true celebration

daisychain01 · 26/12/2018 07:40

We had chilli con carne and a separate veggie version both of which had fresh green and red finger chilli (finely chopped) and fresh ginger (cut into tiny chunks), with mixed beans (kidney, pinto, borlotti).

All served on a bed of mixed wild and basmati rice.

Some left overs which are easy to freeze.

MsVestibule · 26/12/2018 08:00

I love a roast dinner and anything else wouldn't feel right on Christmas Day. I don't stress over it and it doesn't take a massive amount of time to cook. I like following traditions (I still have tinsel, despite it becoming deeply unfashionable) although that perhaps says a lot about my psyche.

I don't much care what other people eat on Christmas Day, as long as it's not done in a 'Look at us, we're just wild and crazy! We're different, us, we don't follow the crowd!' kinda way.

Knittink · 26/12/2018 08:10

but just wondering why so many of us stick to tradition ?

Personally I don't feel obliged to do anything at Christmas. I do all the traditional stuff because I love it! I like the fact that the Christmas meal is something we only ever have on Christmas Day. There are always a few people who maybe aren't keen on sprouts or Christmas pudding, but I don't know anyone who doesn't like the whole meal. We had goose yesterday - it was delicious!

NeedAUsernameGenerator · 26/12/2018 08:18

I love it but I'm thinking about doing something different next year so we can spend more time together. My kids only ate the pigs in blankets, stuffing and carrots anyway so maybe we'll just have that!

WatchingTheWheels85 · 26/12/2018 08:28

Family of vegans here with no family or friends we never have a traditional dinner with a meat alternative. We have homemade pasties and all different vegan party food.