Is this too many people for Christmas?

[thebradybunch]

We are hosting Christmas for the first time this year. Just us (family of 5, small child, toddler and newborn), our parents, siblings and their kids. However both our families are big and everyone has said they're coming.

This means we've got 18 adults, 10 children and 4 babies

For context we are all really close, and our families are all friends so that's not an issue. Also everyone will bring a dish so I won't be the only one cooking. I'm worried about how we will accommodate everyone and it not feel like chaos though.

I was planning on having them all come over at 2.30pm. Any tips on how to organise the day? I'm being massively thrown in the deep end here so need some advice from seasoned professionals!

• Our house isn't huge but it isn't small either. Our kitchen table can sit 10 people at a squeeze.
• We have a decent sized playroom for the kids with a big TV in it.
• Living room sofas and chairs can probably sit 10 people.

Get a folding table, ask everyone to bring a chair, kids on a picnic blanket on the floor. Chaos at Christmas is fun!

Is there any way you could rescind the invite, that seems a lot of people in a small space . If you do go ahead plan out what everyone can cook and bring with them and don't take it all on yourself. Could you borrow a folding table and a few extra chairs from someone

Sounds like hell at the best of times let alone with a small child, toddler AND a newborn.

buffet also sounds like the way to go to me too. I don’t see how you’d get everyone sat down for a full turkey dinner

That sounds far too many, but if everyone's happy to sit on the floor and muck in it might be fun! The kids will love it

It's doable if you can get a couple of wallpaper tables and have extra seating. Everyone bring a dish and drinks and have a list of what everyone is bringing so nobody doing a lion's share. Have a leave time too so nobody outstays their welcome. Communication is key. It will be exhausting but fun if you all get on and people respect each other. Good luck OP

Don't be so utterly ridiculous. They'll have to take it in turns one family at a time to come to yours they shouldn't be even entertaining the idea of them all coming round why are they doing this to you

Why did you invite EVERYONE
Is this your first Christmas hosting?

You have a small baby this is going to be hell

It will be a seating issue. I host Christmas and usually have 30ish people. I can seat them all in my dining room though so no problems. The food isn’t a problem as it’s just increasing sizes. I’d make sure you can seat all the adults as a minimum.

How many toilets do you have you may need a portaloo

Far too many for Christmas dinner - or even for hosting Xmas really, you don't have enough space even for people to sit and they will be there for hours?

Does everyone who is invited know how many are coming and what the set up will be like? If I had it sprung on me that there wasn't even a place to sit when I was expecting a nice family Christmas day I would be really annoyed!

Far too many for Christmas dinner - or even for hosting Xmas really, you don't have enough space even for people to sit and they will be there for hours?

Does everyone who is invited know how many are coming and what the set up will be like? If I had it sprung on me that there wasn't even a place to sit when I was expecting a nice family Christmas day I would be really annoyed!

my first thought to be honest! how big is your oven OP? 😂

If it was me, I would make it a christmas buffet no way a sit down.

This is absolute madness.

Especially if you don't have seating, crockery, cutlery etc for that many people. That's not dinner, it's a party. I'd look at booking out a church hall or something.

Do you live in a Manor House?!!!

Do you mean the newborn will be yours OP? Bloody hell, rather you than me! Surely someone else can host this year?

I would consider that many for a buffet style party, but not a sit down dinner

I like a big busy Christmas. But not as a sit down meal instead we have a buffet. Everyone brings a dish (host organises who brings what) and we all throw in money for drinks - usually £10 per head for those drinking and £5 per head for those not drinking. We aren’t huge drinkers - maybe a couple of glasses of wine, a glass of fizz and maybe a mixer but there is always plenty. And any left over is shared out/sent home with host keeping any open bottles.

You will need to make sure you have enough chairs (I rented from a local village hall - I think I put £30 in their fundraising account to borrow 20 chairs from 23rd Dec until 27th Dec (those dates were just what the key holder could do).

Good luck - hoping you enjoy it.

I think it's too much unless you are used to hosting this many people and the type or person that really enjoys it. Personally I would find this stressful.

We hosted 24 family members 2 years ago & I cooked the traditional Xmas dinner

We have foldaway table & chairs which can seat 16 & we used the kitchen table which seats 6 for the kids
It was a LOT of work but it was OK.
I won't do it again, at least not for a long time but I'm glad we did it & dc loved it

32 people!!

That's a whole school class worth of people that you're attempting to feed what's already the most stressful full-on meal of the year.

I don't think this can work for a Christmas dinner. More of a pot luck buffet thing and it will still be crowded / crazy.

It might be an idea to turn one of your bedrooms into a quiet room. Low lighting and soft music. That way children and adults alike can go and chill for a bit as and when they feel like it. It's good to have a bit of downtime.

Yup! Unless you have the room to seat everyone around the dinner table AND enough comfy seats in the living room at least for all the adults you won't enjoy it, no matter how well you all get on

And you are going to have a newborn yourself too? Recipe for disaster IMO and you are braver than I would be!!

😂. It’s a semi but I’ve a long kitchen diner that usually has one 6ft dining table in. I put another 3x6ft trestle tables in for Christmas. It’s quite cosy and the last table goes up once I’ve taken the turkey out as I can’t open the oven otherwise!

And definitely a buffet! No need to stick to what's perceived as traditional! All rules out the window!

You're going to need some emergency chairs lass!
😆