Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve?

[ShellsandSand]

I'm sure this has been done before on a thread but wondered if anyone does or is planning on having their Christmas meal on Eve and having a buffet style lunch on Christmas Day? This idea really appeals to me as I always seem to spend hours in the kitchen Christmas day but obviously with tradition I would like to hear from others.

Some people must just have an easier time at it. I love cooking but as read by pp I am definitely a martyr to my Christmas Dinner. I do prep veg night before but it seems to still take up such a chunk of my day and then washing pots and what not. I'm gonna try it this way for a change. Think it would be personally different for me to do it Christmas Eve as we don't have anything else on other than mass so the kids age 4 and 7 can enjoy a meal with us and chat and talk about the year and then cosy film time, bed and up in the morning with nothing to do but play and go for our winter walk.

On Christmas Eve we have a takeaway And on Christmas Day we have a buffet.

We have our proper sit down Christmas lunch on Boxing Day.

That‘s what we (my family) have always done.

Big family Christmas celebration (nice supper, Christmas tree, singing, Christmas songs, gifts etc) on the evening of the 24th, a relaxed Christmas breakfast, the children playing with their gifts, a nice Christmas walk. The evening/afternoon of the 25th and 26th were then reserved for more distant family But that really was a very relaxed affair (mulled wine, biscuits etc).

(The „Christmas season“ officially ends on the 6th. So we throw away the tree etc on the 7th.)

But we‘re from „the continent“, so that‘s simply what feels normal and tradtitional to us. But there‘s imo absolutely no reason why the OP shouldn’t branch out! She should do what she liked and what works for her / her circumstances.

and up in the morning with nothing to do but play and go for our winter walk.

Yup, that‘s actually precisely what we still do on Christmas. (Well, it‘s the next generation that does most of the playing nowadays, but that‘s it...)

This is very common in mainland Europe. I'm not a fan and lived there for five years.

Two reasons, firstly you've still got to do all the work on Xmas eve. And then on Xmas day you've still got to turn out something special even if it is buffet. No ones wanting cheese on toast. So it ends up you have twice the work.

And one last one, eating it on Xmas Eve doesn't really feel like you're having Xmas dinner, you can pretend, but it doesn't really work.

On Xmas day the meal is an occasion, something to look forward to. Left over Turkey or some buffet bits doesn't cut it unless you go all out. Then you're back to the twice the workload crap.

And one last one, eating it on Xmas Eve doesn't really feel like you're having Xmas dinner, you can pretend, but it doesn't really work

Maybe to you but not to someone that has always had Christmas dinner on the 24th... And who knows, it may feel right to the OP as well. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yes us!! I posted similar a few weeks ago. Christmas Day is always so busy so I’ve decided I don’t want to be cooking a massive dinner and all the clean up then. I want more chill time. I also have ocd and after a roast dinner I take forever to clean up so it’s pristine again. I will have more time for that on Christmas Eve.

It’s more common than what you think. I was speaking to a parent at a birthday party recently. They are doing the same for similar reasons to us.

Make your own traditions.

My mum laughed when I told her but I am really looking forward to it.

We are having beef and not turkey just to break tradition a bit more.

We started this due to DH shifts starting at lunchtime Xmas day, I love it but almost always have Xmas eve off. This year I offered to have dinner on the day, but everyone wants it Xmas eve.

Scandi here. We celebrate Christmas on the 24th. I prepare all trimmings the days before and start cooking the ducks around 4 in the afternoon. Eat at 7ish. After dinner we dance and sing round the tree and hand out presents (one at a time, clearly optional) while drinking wine, coffee eating homemade bisquits and chocolate.

When dc were very young we stated dinner 5-6ish.

1&2nd Christmas day we have Christmas lunches. Traditionally these are biiig lunches with all the traditional food (mostly open sandwich style and some warm options, too).

Whatever works! I've eaten Christmas dinner once in my life and I'm 35
Had everything from pizza to McDonald's to Indian on Christmas Day

We do it but the 24th is our main celebration day so everything else gets done on that day too. But Finnish christmas food can be prepared in advance mostly so don't need to do too much on the actual day unless you want to cook it fresh on the day (which I prefer to do). Then presents are done after dinner. Then you don't have to do any cooking for the next few days because there's always lots of leftovers that can just be reheated as and when people want to eat.

When I was a child my parents did a mix between Finnish and British Christmas so we had our Christmas dinner on the 24th, then presents on the 25th, and a simpler but still fancier than usual dinner on the 25th and buffet on Boxing Day.

I do on both days😂
I am from another country so have Christmas Eve as in there. Special dinner, presents and drinks.
And because I am integrated af I do British Christmas dinner on 25th and stockings in a morning.
Double Christmas![santa]

What happens Boxing Day if you’ve already had a buffet for Christmas Day? Twice running sounds dull.
Also it’s only a roast and it’s quite nice being in the kitchen with a glass of wine! Join the chaos when ready

Christmas Eve is for whatever everyone’s favourite meal is. Done everything from seafood to takeaway.
Christmas Day - yummy breakfast, massive lunch in tha afternoon with crackers, starters m pudding , Tea is bit of cake or chocolate log.
Boxing Day - cold buffet of hamm beef and left over turkey with pickles etc. All day long.
Day after - using up meals

Can’t think of anything worse than finishing work, the long drive to family or whatever and then cooking a roast in the few hours left.

DH is on a night shift, 23, 24, & 25th, so we’re having our Christmas on the 22nd

@Leflic good for you, but it works for a lot of people! Live and let live 🤗

I cook on Christmas day but I get it ready for 6 which is when we normally eat I have plenty of time for presents in the morning then cook in the afternoon when the family are often watching tv

I think this sounds amazing. You should definitely give it ago.

I do not like the sound of it at all!! Christmas dinner is the main event of the day. I bet the people who do this have their trees down on boxing day too!!!!
For us, not that we are perfect, I am generally working on Christmas eve. So the 24th it's get home, track santa, eat takeaway pizza, watch a Christmas movie, track santa some more, put the sacks out.
25th, presents, smoked salmon bagels and bucks fizz, bit of prep, turkey on, out for compulsory full family dog walk, Christmas lunch about 2pm. Possibly squeeze a turkey, stuffing sandwich in some time in the evening avec pickled onion, pringles and maybe a tiny smidge of yule log.
26th, light buffet lunch, salads with turkey and ham. Then evening DH's famous turkey pie with all the trimmings (inc more crackers and another bottle of Chablis).

After all this, I will be dreaming of healthy food, but no, it will continue until Jan 2nd …

@Snuffkindle that's a sweeping assumption! 😂👍🏼
Personally our Xmas dinner happens on Xmas eve because when I was younger my mum was either working Xmas day or I spent the day with my Dad. Definitely no Scrooge parents here, but you assume away! 😂

My Xmas lights are still up from last year. 😂

We do it, have done for the last 3 years now. We used to alternate Christmas dinner with my family/OH's family, but we would always have to still visit both sets of family on the same day. As you can imagine we spent the majority of the day carting things from one place to another & used to end up getting home at 9 or 10pm, knackered & not being able to do much together as a family on our own on Christmas Day.

So 3 years ago I suggested we have our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, just us, in our own home. We spend the day playing board games, listening to xmas music while cooking dinner & then after dinner we go to our local pub for an hour to see some friends (family friendly pub). Then we get home, open a few christmas eve presents (new pj's, a mug for hot chocolate & a book).

Then Christmas Day we still visit both sets of family but we don't have dinner with anybody, so we work our visits around what time they eat. My family do breakfast on xmas day (bacon sandwiches, sausage sandwiches etc) so they keep some for us to eat when we get there. They eat xmas dinner at 1pm so we leave just before they start serving it up.

OH's family have their xmas dinner at 6pm so we go to their house straight from my family's. They put a few nibbles out in the afternoon & we leave before they sit down for dinner.

It's been great. We're home by 6/7pm so get to enjoy a few hours together in our own home. We have cold meat etc for our evening meal & it's just so much more relaxed.

Oh and just to say, no I don't have my xmas decs down on boxing day. I actually love Christmas, which is why we do it this way because it feels like the celebration lasts longer. My decorations come down on 12th night.

I personally love cooking Christmas dinner on the day with a glass of bubbles but the other way around also sounds great. Do what works best for you.

And one last one, eating it on Xmas Eve doesn't really feel like you're having Xmas dinner, you can pretend, but it doesn't really work

Pretend about what though? I don't think anyone is "pretending" that Christmas Eve is Christmas Day, just having the Christmas Dinner then.

We are going to have to do it like this this year as my DH is working 8am till 8pm Christmas Day, he's in the care industry. So we are going to have a lovely family day on Christmas Eve followed by dinner at 4 when we usually have it. On Christmas morning get up a bit earlier than usual and let our boys open their presents before he goes to work. And then have a buffet for dinner when he gets back in at 8 30pm.

The whole of Xmas is pretend/made up anyway!!!!