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.

NeedAnExpert
Oh bore off ..

🤷🏻‍♀️

So you'll just spend hours in the kitchen on Christmas Eve instead?

@Leflic

That really depends on one‘s work structure and vacation arrangements.
I personally don‘t work on the afternoon of the 24th which is absolutely standard for us / where I live. And many people do decide to use half a vacation day to be free on the morning of the 24th as well.

I personally like that we won’t have to do any cooking on Christmas. The main preparation takes place before >>Christmas

Actually my tree will go up on the 3rd and remain up until after New Year. On the contrary, we are hoping to extend the Christmas festivities with our Children by doing this. Amazing Christmas Meal on the Eve followed by a relaxing evening watching movies. Bath, Christingle and bed. Up in the morning for present opening, winter walk and church service and back home to the warmth for the kids to play with their toys and enjoy yummy leftovers and buffet food. Boxing day may well be a meal out, visiting relatives or another buffet style. In certainly not gonna get bored of food I wish you all a Happy Christmas, however you choose to spend it.

And for all those saying there is no difference from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, of course there is. Christmas Day has the gift opening, game playing, best tv, laughter and excitement. I would miss way more on Christmad Day than I would on Christmas Eve should i be in the kitchen for a large portion of the day.

@ShellsandSand 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

Ooh I might do this actually. DD was complaining this morning that she didn't actually like the day of Christmas day and I couldn't get her to pinpoint what the problem was but I can imagine that having us in the kitchen half the morning is probably not that much fun. Also the kids much prefer buffet style to sit down meals. Hmm...

@toomuchtooold We discussed it with ours last night and they were so excited for it. Said they would help out in the kitchen on Christmas Eve and how nice it would be for us to do it differently. As I've said some people find cooking Xmas dinner a walk in the park but I definitely can't relax when I'm in n out of Kitchen all day and then the washing up. Just seems to be a massive distraction when my Children are so young. Hope you enjoy your Christmas

You too @ShellsandSand! I've just pulled out a Christmas cookbook to look for buffet food and DD has actually left it bookmarked at a picture of a buffet... of cakes, which doesn't surprise me at all Still if you can't live off of cake at Christmas, when can you?

I think it depends on the age of your children. Mine are trying to cling to my legs if I attempt to cook anything that takes more than 20min. They want me to be actively playing with them. They don’t want to sit for a long dinner that they don’t particularly enjoy.

Our solution is the opposite though - takeaway Xmas eve, quick and easy favourite dinner Xmas day (last year it was pasta for the kids and steak for us), then Xmas dinner on Boxing Day when family are over to distract them while I cook.

I hate the focus on food at Xmas. It’s all about playing with toys for me :-)

I'm planning this for our Christmas Eve. We usually have the big meal Christmas Day but I want to try it out to see how we like it. I plan to make plenty so can all be reheated on Christmas Day.

We do both!
I was born in Britain to Polish parents. We have a traditional Polish Christmas Eve with a big family dinner, and then a typical British turkey roast on Christmas Day.

We all gain plenty of festive plump in my family over the holiday period

We just skip the roast dinner totally! Christmas Eve just a normal dinner, Christmas Day, big cooked breakfast around 10.30, then buffet tea around 4pm. Lots of time to play/slob about/drink wine etc

It's common in Europe and some of the USA but I find it means that I have nothing to do on Christmas Day ... once your kids are grown Christmas morning actually is a bit boring, everyone is asleep until 5 mins before we leave for church apart from me and the dog.

I'm from the mainland so Christmas eve is the main day. We in general prepare everything beforehand so on the day nobody is slaving away in the kitchen.

I'd find it a bit weird! But then I don't end up slaving all day in the kitchen! Everything prepped over weeks before so it's a matter of timing that's all. I suppose for us having a lovely family roast is part of Christmas and then buffet on Boxing Day another tradition.

My children love helping with the veg on Christmas Eve so that's become part of our tradition.

People need to do what they want over the holiday period and whatever makes their life easier! I wouldn't do it to watch the tv though, isn't it always crap on Christmas Day?

We're doing Christmas dinner on the 24th fit the first time this year. DSS is with us until the morning and DD (a mental health nurse) is earlies Christmas Day. So we've decided to have Christmas dinner about 6 ish then me and DH will have a lovely chilled Christmas Day, walk to the pub and have a steak later.
I can't honestly wait!

My friend does this. Her and her family love doing it this way she says it frees up a lot of time on Christmas Day and they can enjoy it more