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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask if there are people on here who've never cooked a Christmas dinner before?

257 replies

FortunesFave · 22/12/2020 08:57

And how old are you? I was really surprised when someone I know on FB posted that they were so sad not to be travelling to their parents with their family this year and that she's never cooked a Christmas dinner in her life.

She's 50!

Her parents are in their late 70s and early 80s!

Do these people not feel guilty or weird about going home like this every year?

I mean...going home is lovely...but surely you could muck in with the cooking if your parents are that elderly?

OP posts:
Lexilooo · 22/12/2020 12:39

41 and have never cooked Christmas Dinner.

I do cook from scratch pretty much everyday but rarely cook a roast dinner, and have never done whole roast chicken or turkey, once roasted a pheasant. Occasionally do a joint of beef or a chicken breast.

NuniaBeeswax · 22/12/2020 12:39

Has anyone said "but it's a LIFE SKILL!!!11" yet?

BarryTheKestrel · 22/12/2020 12:40

I'm 31, this is only my second Christmas at home in my life, the first I was about 12. I have never cooked a full Christmas dinner but always help out cooking at my grandparents and it's just a roast dinner with extra sides and I cook a roast weekly. I am not cooking Turkey because I don't really like it and therefore have never cooked it, why start now when I can do an amazing roast beef instead?

TheAirbender · 22/12/2020 12:40

41, never cooked one. We get a takeaway (full Xmas dinner) from a local hotel each year.

Fedup21 · 22/12/2020 12:41

If you have never made a roast dinner, do you do any other cooking?

Yep, I do pretty much all other cooking.

DH cooks Xmas dinner and does the roasts-in fact most Sunday dinners.

Abouttimemum · 22/12/2020 12:41

I’m 40 and I’ve never cooked a Christmas dinner. My DH does it if we stay at home. He does all the cooking round here, thank goodness.

Pbbananabagel · 22/12/2020 12:42

35- previously in charge of roast potatoes, braised cabbage and deserts but never the full thing.
Actually feeling quite excited but there’s a lot of logistics to organise to get all the trimmings done in time.

Tierrasfuente · 22/12/2020 12:42

If you have never made a roast dinner, do you do any other cooking? Or is it because you go to family?

I have made one roast and two christmas dinners, but in answer to your questions, yes and yes. I find it surprising that people find it so surprising that people don't want to or need to cook roasts. It's not a prerequisite of British residence!

FraggleShingleBellRock · 22/12/2020 12:44

Absolutely fascinating to see how we are all different, I love it. I also agree about curry being a staple, I make at least one a week and often do Thai as well as Indian.

Lexilooo · 22/12/2020 13:06

if you have never cooked a roast do you do any other cooking?

Yes lots. I cook from scratch most days, cottage pie, lasagne, curry, chilli, ratatouille, beef bourguignon, beef stroganoff, chicken casserole, risotto, lots of homemade pasta sauces, toad in the hole etc.

I could do a roast dinner if I wanted to but neither of us want one often and buying suitable sized joints/birds for two isn't easy, and they often don't cook as well as larger ones.

It is a treat if we only have a roast when visiting family for Christmas day, boxing day, new years day, or when eating out. It wouldn't be if we had one every Sunday.

BeanToCup · 22/12/2020 13:11

I actually find that having a roast once a week then leftovers used in various ways (yes, including curry!) is a fairly inexpensive way to provide family meals and as it mostly cooks itself once the initial prep is done it's also pretty easy so we tend to have them a lot in colder months. I never used to do this, but I have for the last few years and it's just easier in general for me now I've got in the swing of it.

A lot of people don't have a weekly roast though ime. In fact I think that most of my friends don't.

Gah81 · 22/12/2020 13:11

To clarify (the conversation seems to have evolved beyond the initial question about Christmas dinner specifically), I do do the odd roast but just never a turkey dinner. Roasts are fine but we prefer other meals tbh

ElfieElfington · 22/12/2020 13:12

My exMIL always Insisted on hosting Christmas Day, I cooked once at her house in a last minute emergency situation which was stressful when I hadn't bought the food and was in her very under equipped kitchen. I cooked at home for the first time at 47 post divorce. I'd cooked many roast dinners before so not a big deal really, I keep it fairly simple. It's often not through choice, some people just like to host.

Thimbleberries · 22/12/2020 13:21

I don't cook much else, either. It is hard when you live alone. I do quite like roast dinners, but it always seems too much effort for one, though I'd like the leftovers too. But I don't really know how to do it all. I look it up the few times I have had one, and would never be very sure how it would turn out, how to carve it, what exactly to buy/do with it etc. I sometimes buy those mini-joints that come ready to cook in the tinfoil trays, and just put them in the oven for the time it says - it does about 2-3 meals, and has the garlic and herbs and whatever on it. But then no roast veg with it, so I just microwave a bag of those, as I get the right amount for one or two. And as a result, I have no instinct for how long veg take, what to do with them, when to put them in, what goes with which meat, etc. Have never made a Yorkshire pudding in my life.

So it's not just christmas dinner, but roast dinners generally.

LakieLady · 22/12/2020 13:35

I cooked my first Christmas dinner in 1975, when I was 20. We had a bloody massive capon (don't know if you can still buy capons, I haven't seen one for sale for years).

I've have cooked the vast majority of years since, for numbers ranging from 2 -18 people. I had a lot of help when I cooked for 18 though!

Not doing it this year. Now I'm on my own, it really doesn't seem worth it and I'm going to my SIL's instead.

Lockheart · 22/12/2020 13:38

I don't know why some people are shocked that others don't cook roasts. Some people are vegetarian, some don't have the time, some don't like them.

I do roasts rarely. I CAN cook them (and if I may say I'm a wizard with a joint of beef and no-one can beat my Yorkshire puddings) but they're a lot of effort to do when you live on your own, and as much as I like a Sunday roast there are many other equally delicious things I can cook for one which don't take as long and don't require as much effort for just one meal.

I haven't ever cooked a full Christmas meal solo because I spend Christmas with my parents, and my mum and I share the work.

If I lived with a partner or husband or had children then I think I'd do them more often but given its just me I can't be arsed to make the effort.

iwishiwasatcentralperk · 22/12/2020 13:45

I am 48 and have never cooked Christmas dinner. I cook a mean roast, so am capable, but have just never needed to. My parents business used to mean that they preferred to be at home on Christmas Day as they all had to work each end of the day, so it was just easier for them if we always went there. XMIL did not cook Christmas dinner, so they came to my parents as well for a couple of years prior to the divorce.

Since it has been just DD and me, I still go to my parents/DB. I also have the smallest house, and would struggle to fit in 11 people.

Dinner is now cooked between DB + SIL and my Mum, as they live next door to each other, and I help with all the veg prep on Christmas Eve and contribute heavily towards the day with Prosecco, wine, chocs, Christmas pudding, crackers etc.

Scbchl · 22/12/2020 13:50

I havent. We alternated for years between parents then put our foot down ant stayed home a couple of years ago and my husband done it and hes doing it this year. I'm 35. Il assist if he needs a hand but he runs the show.

Duanphen · 22/12/2020 13:54

I never have and I frankly never intended to. I don't mind doing a roast dinner, but I find you can be more flexible with that. I cook the other 364 bloody days so it'd be nice to have a day off.

Anyway, doing it this year, but next year we'll hopefully be with extended family or will be taking a mini-break and ordering food in.

lurker101 · 22/12/2020 14:01

Mid 20s first Christmas not at home home, so upset, but will make the best of it and will roast a fabulous duck

MrsMomoa · 22/12/2020 14:11

Me. I'm 42.
Never even made a Yorkshire, nevermind a Christmas dinner!

StickTheKettleOnAlice · 22/12/2020 14:37

'Thing is, quite often, when you don't have children, you just don't host Christmas dinner.'

I'm sorry I don't agree with that. I cooked christmas dinner without children from 19 for years for my parents and now have children, a house and still doing it. Alot of those years were from a small flat too! I wish I had a big cosy house to go to where somebody else cooks it, must be great! Also must be nice to proclaim you're not doing it, maybe I should have been harder pre children but then would have left people alone who couldn't/wouldn't cook!

eurochick · 22/12/2020 14:50

I'm 44 and never have. In our house, my husband does savoury cooking and I do sweet stuff. I luck out at Christmas as we don't do elaborate puddings as there is so much sweet stuff around in general. I usually just do my homemade cranberry sauce as my contribution but we couldn't get fresh cranberries this year so I won't even be doing that.

MarciaMarciaMarcia · 22/12/2020 14:53

49 and never cooked a traditional Christmas dinner. Been living overseas for the past 20 something years and have loads of delicious alternatives.

Notadramallama · 22/12/2020 14:54

43, vegetarian and have never cooked a roast meal.