AIBU to think it’s not me who’s ‘odd’

[NotOdd]

Apparently (according to bf) I’m odd, out of touch and not like “most people” because I think Sunday roast lunch as a regular standard default family event is normal and that about now is the time to start firming up Christmas plans in terms of guests etc.

Bf says he knows no one who regularly has a Sunday roast lunch or anyone who thinks about Christmas “this early”. He thinks this is because I come from a “backward” part of the country 🙄

I am genuinely confused because literally everyone I know (bf and his family aside) would have a roast Sunday lunch (not set in stone, other things may happen instead ie days out, bbq in the summer etc) and everyone I know either has, or nearly has, their Christmas plans settled. When I say ‘everyone’ I mean my whole family, my EXH whole family (going by knowing them for 20 years) and all my friends.

AIBU for thinking it’s not me who’s the ‘odd’ one?

We have a roast dinner probably 1 week in 3. It's actually quite a 'useful' meal to us, in that the leftover meat tends to form Monday's and sometimes Tuesday's dinners too.

The other weeks we are either out, or we have something alternative but still eat together with family.

We have thought about Christmas, but that's because we are considering trying to go on holiday at that time. Normally we would never.

@NC10101 Your attitude is gross. It says everything about you, and nothing about me.

@BluebellsGreenbells

Nope - Christmas starts in December. I have no invites and haven’t invited as yet. And no plans to do so anytime soon.

Sunday lunch is a chore and should be a day of rest!! Who needs that much prep and clearing when you have so little time off work

I agree about Sunday roast. Preparing, cooking, eating and clearing away takes a huge chunk out of the day which could be spent doing something relaxing.

Agree about Christmas too though must admit that I’m just back from a short city break, went into a souvenir shop where they had some lovely Christmas tree ornaments on sale. Bought a few but have put them away and won’t be seeing them again until Christmas!

Hello OP's boyfriend - you sound like a bit of rude dick, to be honest.

We have a roast most Sundays. And I don't start thinking about Christmas until October/ November.

My mum religiously cooks a Sunday Roast and always has. I cook a roast if we have nothing planned. However, often on a Sunday we will go out for the day, or the weather is nice and we are busy enjoying the garden, etc. so I'll cook something quicker or we might have a bbq. We tend to cook more traditional roasts in the winter when it's cold outside but probably not more than once or twice a month. Often I'll do more traditional meals on a Sunday like chops, or a shepherds pie, or a fish pie- but less so in the summer.

We always have a “proper” Sunday dinner (in the evening). Usually a roast, but if we’ve more time then something that takes a bit more effort/ feels more special. During the day we’re out, but it’s lovely to have the evening hanging out in the kitchen together then eating something lovely.

Ironically, given some posts on here, as a kid I always thought that it was “a bit lower class” not to haul out the nicer crockery and have a fancier meal on a Sunday!

I’ve not got Christmas plans yet, but Dad is in care home so we’re not juggling two sets of grandparents, and I’d not choose to have Christmas Day meal in a restaurant, so no need for advance booking.

I'm astonished that anyone is making Christmas plans this far in advance with covid still an issue.

We occasionally have a roast if we fancy it but it's for dinner rather than a big lunch, unless we go to the pub. I think it's quite old fashioned to have one every week.

We didn't really do it growing up but then again my mum isn't English and we grew up vegetarian. However DP's (Irish) mum will always do one if family are coming over etc. She's very into the meat and two veg style dinners.

As for Christmas, I absolutely have not thought about it.

I'll think about Christmas day around the end of November.

I've started Christmas shopping (big family, need to spread the cost, and lots of good stuff in the 'reopening' sales).

If it's Sunday and people are over I'll do a roast. If it's just me and the dog, we don't often bother, although I will sometimes roast a Mumsnet chicken, as it will provide me with meals for the week.

I tend to do a roast dinner mid week in the colder weather. Sunday is my husbands only day off work, so we like to get out and about, or just have a quick and easy dinner if we have a day at home.

My dad has always insisted on having a roast dinner every Sunday even in a heatwave. I remember having to eat boiled potatoes and cabbage and gravy in 90 degree heat and it putting me right off roast dinners for years.

They're nice as an occasional thing. I don't think your weird though.

I have had a few Xmas thoughts pop into my head and nearly bought a few stocking fillers the other day.

Outside of Covid, we have a Sunday wider family lunch around once a month, taking it in turns to host. Depending on weather, this could be roast or barbecue or anything in between. We start discussing Christmas plans after October half term but it’s all pretty vague and fluid. I thought we were early.

We have a roast most weeks (sometimes twice in a week) but can be any day.

Me and DH love cooking and don't find it a faff to cook a roast. We are vegetarian so will make something like nut roast, caramelized red onion and goats cheese tarts, mushroom wellington. With it we make roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, roast parsnips, mashed parsnips, stuffing and 4 other veg.

Too early to think about Christmas although as we do the same thing every year it doesn't require much thinking about except what we will cook.

There are always 16 for Christmas lunch but I doubt that will happen this year as I can't see the rules being relaxed that much. If anything I think they will be tightened again come winter

FWIW I'm in Scotland and I don't think Sunday Roast is such a big thing up here, I actually don't know anyone who does that here.

I’m Scottish too. Until I moved to England ‘Sunday roasts’ just weren’t something I was really aware of as A Thing.

I also just don’t think they’re that interesting really. I mean, an English style Sunday roast occasionally is nice enough. But it’s not particularly exciting food really. I find it hard to imagine wanting to eat it every week.

Sunday roast happens here at least three times a month.

We also start discussing Chrsitmas plans about now. Nothing too detailed, just to know who is planning to be where over Christmas. We find that means any elements of the family that might not be graced with visitors can make different plans, if that's what they want to do.

Love a roast, don't do one every week but it's something I want to do with my family. DS is in the fussy toddler stage and doesn't like them though so it's slipped the last couple of years.

I've had 2 people ask about my Christmas plans and have already started shopping. I am due a baby in November though so want everything done and wrapped by October and people are curious as to where the new baby will be for Christmas!

Even in more normal years I start thinking about Christmas by the end of summer and we've normally checked with the rest of the family about where we will be for the day. Don't decorate or anything until around the 11th of December ish I'm not obsessive about it and I dont drag it out but if I start shopping early I have time to spend less money on more thoughtful gifts.

All the meat and potatoes get shoved in the oven together and veg goes on 20 minutes before serving then instant gravy and frozen Yorkshires. It takes about ten minutes of prep and ten minutes to dish up, how is this hard?

This does not sound like a nice meal 😣

Don't even know who will be eating dinner in my house tonight nevermind Sunday or Christmas. Yes you are odd.

LittleBearPad

I’m perplexed as to what is the acceptable Sunday lunch/dinner?

Don't ask me, I'm far too low class to know the answer to that .

i dont think its particularly unusual to do sunday roasts. Thats quite a big tradition for many families, although we dont do it often, loads of people do.
Very early for xmas plans imo, but cultures vary even in same country and town.
I dont think either of you are odd, but he seems to want to put you down

I like getting in there early with Christmas plans but July is too early even for me. I think September is the earliest to reasonably open that conversation up, unless overseas travel or other unusual things are relevant. But equally if you've got an established rota then no problem bringing it up briefly earlier in the year, either to confirm or to give notice or a change request

As for Sunday lunch every week? No, old fashioned and not relevant to modern life IMO. We like days out on Sunday, weekends away, a light sandwich lunch takes no time and gives us our day back. A Sunday roast is practically an event in itself! As an occasional treat sure, but not every week.

We did one on Saturday just gone, a Saturday roast! Hope that doesn't blow your mind too much

I think the "Sunday roast" is an old fashioned tradition rather than odd. I grew up in a house where we had a roast every Sunday in the autumn/winter. In summer it would be a picnic on the beach or a BBQ (same applies in my house now) but at the GP's house it was a Sunday roast 52 weeks of the year. DP's family have a roast every Sunday most weeks.

I usually start thinking about Christmas from the beginning of August but don't take it seriously until October.

I think that your boyfriend's choice of word "odd" is insulting. You're not odd, you just do things differently to what he's been bought up with. There's no right or wrong here.

Having a roast every Sunday does seem very old fashioned but each to their own.

Far far too early to start planning Christmas. It’s crazy how much it is overhyped. It’s one meal - it does not need 6 months of planning.

I think it's a bit early for Christmas, but I love a roast and am continuously angling for it to become a regular weekly thing on Sundays in our house - DP resists as he thinks it would get boring! (mad, what is boring about delicious meat and all the trimmings??).

I think your boyfriend sounds like a bit of a snob and a rude dickhead. You do what you like, make your plans and eat your roast. He can sort his own off the cuff quinoa salad

All the meat and potatoes get shoved in the oven together and veg goes on 20 minutes before serving then instant gravy and frozen Yorkshires. It takes about ten minutes of prep and ten minutes to dish up, how is this hard?

I think it's clear from the thread that some people do roasts differently from others. I would never put my meat and potatoes in all together and at the same time as we like crunchy roast potatoes not soggy pale ones (like MIL's!) which means putting them in at a higher temp to the meat at a different time. Ialso don't like overdone meat so meat definitely has to be a lower temp than the spuds for that reason too. Roasts are turned occasionally so they're golden brown all over. I baste my meat regularly so it's not just throw it in and forget it. I also never do instant gravy as it's not that nice and seems to give me a rash on my face, so my meat goes on top of some chopped onions, garlic, carrots, herbs etc..and then DH makes the gravy at the end while the meat is resting. Veggies go in the steamer as healthier and tastier that way (and not as soggy) and that's not much faff admittedly apart from the peeling except some of us like different veg from others so a bit of a pain doing a few types. Home made yorkshires are much nicer but to be honest I can't be arsed a lot of the time so Aunt Bessies will do.

To me, bunging meat and potatoes in the oven all at the same temp and time is just that really. Cooked meat and potatoes, and some boiled veg.