Does anyone not bother with the full Xmas Dinner?

[Pebbledashery]

As much as I love Xmas Dinner.. This is the first Xmas as a single mother to my little girl.. Which I'm really looking forward to.. WIBU just not to bother will a full on dinner just for us two? Tbh.. Roast dinner isn't my DDs favourite.. She'd just be happy with a plate of roasties and Yorkshire puddings...or pasta!! Is it a bit killjoy not to do Xmas Dinner for 1.5 people? Is anyone else not bothering with a full on dinner?

I had plans to do a buffet of easy little things and cheeses etc ... then my 90 year old dad started saying " can we have turkey at the buffet?" " can we have Christmas pudding at the buffet" ? ... so now I'm cooking the whole big dinner again !!! ... but bless him .. he's just had his covid jab and second one not till 8th Jan .. so sensibly he's staying home ... and we will deliver the traditional dinner !!! ...

Since living in Australia the Christmas dinner is always oysters, giant prawns with ailoi, and potato salad. The pudding has varied but now settled down to raspberry sorbet.

The full roast, etc. is still incredibly popular here, but if Covid allows, I'll be hosting a Christmas in July traditional dinner.

OP, you go with what suits you.

@GrannieD I absolutely love that. If I do that will DD I'll bloody start crying because it's so cute 😍

Aww thank you. Have a lovely day whatever you decide x

If you enjoy a roast OP then you can make a small version for yourself. Buy your sides ready to go in the oven and a small piece of meat.

We are having a take away- always do.
Me and dc on our own completely this year, so we are already super excited for our food being delivered!

Doing a buffet/party food spread for me and kiddy. Really looking forward to it

Hassle free, chilled Christmas

Eat whatever makes you and your DD happiest - which almost certainly doesn't mean something that takes a lot of time and effort on your part.
It's just me and DH this year, student DD has stayed in her uni house with her BF. Neither of us is doing a full- on roast though maybe some roast spuds and parsnips.

But if the weather is nice enough we'll probably take a simple picnic out somewhere.

I know this is missing the point, but I love a roast dinner and would be really sad not to have one at Christmas! Absolutely do what works for you, but I love it. Can never be arsed to make one usually, so would do even a "cheat" version to be better than nothing.

I think I might do some roasties and yorkies and party food 😊😍

First Christmas with just me and DS (21). My DH (his dad) died in September and we're still reeling. We are going with the most minimal Christmas we can manage to try and avoid the worst emotional triggers. So no decorations or tree, and really simple dinner. Probably a nut roast and roast potatoes and some fairly random veg. Not sure about a pudding, but definitely not what we traditionally have (buche de noel).

We have the tradition in our house of all of us having our favourite meal. One kid often has pizza, another burger and chips we often choose steak. It's a faff but my DP cooks and it's the way we like to do it

@SchrodingersKitty that must be hard :( first of everything is always tough.. I remember the first Xmas without my mum.. I hope you have as peaceful day as you can xx hugs

@Handsoffstrikesagain thank you xx

We are getting a takeaway roast dinner from our local pub. I really can’t be bothered to cook a roast for me and my two teenagers. It has been an odd year so we are going to do something different on Xmas day.

We did buffet/snack foods when ours were little.

@Pebbledashery: thank you - and you too: I'm sure your day will be lovely.

My children now prefer buffet to roast when given the choice. The eldest ones are in their 20's!

I have found my people! We usually have fajitas or a ready-meal curry. This year my kids have requested a roast which will be chicken and all pre-made stuff. I suspect they will just eat 2 dozen pigs in blankets each while I eat all the veg... Have a fantastic day with your little girl.

I'm doing a roast chicken dinner with extra trimmings...for me and my dogs. They appreciate my cooking far more than any human ever has

@Blondiney hehe I love that 😊

I'm going to be literally alone on Xmas day. I simply cannot be arsed to spend the effort (and cash!) to make a full dinner just for me. I plan on making a favourite meal for myself, perhaps something Korean, which I'm very partial to at the moment, getting absolutely sloshed and watching what the hell I want on Netflix/Prime. Not looking forward to it at all tbh. Actually, I'm terrified. But it is what it is. Hope you have an amazing day

I love Christmas dinner, but know lots of people who don’t bother and eat Chinese or whatever.

Do what you like! Sounds like a new start for you and a great chance for you and your DD to make some traditions of your own.

DH and I really enjoy the full traditional Christmas dinner (well, as traditional as a vegetarian version gets). The DC aren’t bothered though, and neither of us can be arsed to make it on Christmas Day, so we always have it on Boxing Day. Christmas Day is about playing with the DC, and eating too much chocolate. We’ll be laying out picky stuff mid afternoon and grazing on that for the rest of the day. Christmas Day has been a lot more fun since we started doing it this way around, so I’d definitely say buffet plus roasties is the way to go. Hope you have a fantastic day!