Christmas at a community centre?

[Applescruffle]

I have a big family with five siblings, all with partners and four of us with kids. We alternate Christmases so one year we can spend it with our in-laws and the next with our own families. Now I know it's only April, but we've started talking about Christmas already mostly because one sister is planning to visit from Australia.
Mum downsized from a big house to a small, two bedroom flat three years ago. Not only is the flat quite small anyway, she likes a lot of furniture and a lot of stuff, think absolute opposite of miminalist. If theres an inch of spare space, she has to fill it. Needless to say, her flat is very claustrophobic.
However, even though mum chose to downsize and has a cramped space, she doesn't seem to get why family gatherings are never at her house anymore and wants to play host even though her kitchen is the size of a postage stamp. So this year she has said she wants to host Christmas at the local community centre for which she is a trustee and she manages "so we can all fit"
My question is WHHHYY do we need to have Christmas in a bloody community centre when me and my sister have large three bedroom houses, have hosted successful Christmases before and I am happy to do so again?
Just why am I going to take my kids out of ther home to sit on hard chairs in a bare hall on Christmas day?
Sister says we can make it cosy and Christmassy? I disagee.
Would you have your Christmas at a community centre when you have a perfectly adequate space at home everyone can come to?
I get that she wants to do it but if that's the case, she really shouldnt have moved, and no she didn't have to.
And I'm a better cook than her anyway

I cannot. I go to the in-laws on boxing day. We swap each year so DH's side get to see us too. Sister does the same with her in-laws so it works out nicely. Two days with my family isn't doable or fair.

I should probably be more clear on who is likely to come:
Mum, no Dad.
Me, my DH and our two kids
Sister, her partner and their one kid
Sister, her husband and their two kids, plus a possibility of three grown up kids, two of whom have partners
Sister, single parent, with one kid
Brother with partner and no kids.

So a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 21.

And I can fit them all in because I have done it many times before.

It comes down to the numbers. You and two sisters are against. Your brother is abstaining and your mum and one sister are for.
Is that right?
Democracy says - No to the village hall community Christmas craptacular.
<gavel> 👨‍⚖

You've got 16-21 proper dining chairs and a table that comfortably seats 16-21 in a 3 bed? That's pretty unusual!

Whose turn is it to host? You mum obviously still wants to host, and the community centre is a reasonable way of doing that (and would be a perfect comfortable space for 16-21, where everyone could comfortably sit at a table together to eat).

I don't think it's fair to insist that you always host. It's obviously what you prefer, but clearly not what your mum prefers, so mixing it up a bit is reasonable.

It's one Christmas. I'd say suck it up.
Big potluck Xmas Dinner buffet. You've all got plenty of time to work out who's bringing what.
Use the kitchen to heat up stuff.

Kids can tear around and enjoy each other's company.

I think everyone has up he in favour of it, otherwise it won't work. Since you and one other sibling doesn't want to do it, then I think it's fine to say no.
Some people are very good at making arrangements that other people then have to facilitate - if this is your mum, then it's okay to decline. You've offered to host and that's more than enough imo,

Me and two other sisters don't want to do it. Mum wants to and other sister is saying we should do it. Brother is neutral. So mum is outnumbered unfortunately

I can't imagine anything worse than spending Christmas Day in a community centre. Who wants a hard plastic chair after their Christmas dinner?

Why can't your mum cook at your home? We had one Christmas out of the house in a holiday home and it was so much work carting the food around and making sure we'd got all the bits and pieces, I wouldn't want to have Christmas in a hall for that reason.

A bustling community event with 10-20 families is not comparable to one family sitting alone in a community hall because one person bought a flat too small to fit everyone in but feels her wants to host are the priority and she can get a community centre through her work.

Does the dm want to cook or 'host'? I'd see them as 2 slightly different things!
Cooks the one doing the graft while the host floats about being all sparkly and maybe topping up drinks!

Watch Mr Christmas on Netflix and see him transform spaces then stop being such a bloody grinch and let your mum have her wish. It's just one year. You could decorate the hall brilliantly

Whys it on the OP to decorate the hall? If the dm wants to host it at the hall, should it not be on her to organise the set up?

My family do that all the time but not in a cold community centre, in a social club or sailing club is usual. Lage kitchen, plenty of crockery, chairs, etc and nice comfy sofas.

I'm sorry op but I really feel for you, this sounds like an awful idea. Can't your Mum host at your house. My parents started coming to us 3 years ago when we moved into a larger more rural house but they are hands down the better cooks. We buy the drink, nibbles and snacks and they buy, bring and cook the lunch at ours.

@Doone22 - Yeah, I am not sure why people are assuming all chairs are 'hard' in Community halls and that there is no heating

@MyGooseisTotallyLoose - I'm assuming the poster meant "you" in the plural, as in the 21 people all chipping in a bit. A quirk of the English language that the word can mean different things in the same sentence.

But, again, many Community Halls would have their own tree up anyway, so not sure what would need decorating.

We have a massive family and once hired the local village hall for our Xmas dinner. Everyone bought their contribution, we set up the tressle tables and made it as festive as we could and had a great meal.
Kids could run around, it was great BUT not cosy and a bit drafty.
Great if you need a big space though, we would do it again. ;)

@NewName24 I think the OP said it was just hard plastic seating in her first post (IIRC).

You couldn't pay me enough to spend Christmas Day in a community hall,a cold sore would be more fun.

Did similar with my family one year, though it wasn't actually Christmas day but the closest weekend we could all get together. I have 5 siblings and there were numerous partners and nieces and nephews. The kids had a blast as they had so much space to play together without being under anyones feet. No one got the dodgy picnic chair at dinner as there were plenty of tables and seats.
Everyone pitched in with food, nominated dishes for each person so the effort was spread.
Would do it again anytime.

You are shutting your mum down. She is not ready to be side lined. She wants to feel involved and do Christmas as she remembers. Obviously she is not ready to stand and watch. Think of a way of getting g her involved.

Why is the mum being sidelined and shut down if her wants arent being catered to?

How did this turn out? I found this thread as it popped up for some reason lol

This seems an ideal solution to be honest 21 people in a three bed house sounds awful