Who has Xmas dinner and who likes to go out/have a takeaway?

[User727]

Will be having Christmas with the in laws this year. They don’t have Christmas dinner, they usually get a takeaway curry. Me and DH have been married for 4 years, together for 7. We have never spend Christmas Day going over to his mums. We have hosted a few times and she’s come to us, but usually we go to my family’s as his mum isn’t really bothered and doesn’t do much on the day.

This year we asked if she is planning anything for Christmas and would she like to spend it with us? She said yes and asked if we can go to hers, which we agreed. She text me the other day saying she has booked a meal out (curry). Now it’s not a MASSIVE deal. I’m not crying, I’m not throwing a tantrum or thinking she’s ruined Christmas or anything daft like that. It’s just one year and I will get over it. However i do feel a bit disappointed.

I never realised not having a home cooked Christmas dinner was a big thing. However these days I do know more and more people who are doing it as it takes the pressure and stress of doing the dinner which I understand.

Would you say having a Christmas dinner is an important part of Christmas for you, or do you prefer to eat something else/go for a meal?

Plus then no hot turkey sandwiches for the days after!

Definitely important for us. Funnily enough we were discussing this the other day. Although I'm often tempted to book a (Christmas!) dinner out, I don't think I'd actually enjoy it.

I would love to go out for a Christmas lunch cooked by someone else (eg at a nice pub or restaurant). I wouldn't want to go to a curry house. I'd find it disappointing too but try to enjoy it as best you can. Can you do a roast on Xmas eve or Boxing Day instead? (If you're not staying overnight there )

I love a traditional Christmas dinner and usually host. However I do lots of prep in advance and put stuff in the freezer (sausage rolls, roast potatoes, parsnips, sponge for trifle, etc) and my family all chip in and help out so it's not stressful. Nobody needs to be waited on or anything. We usually have panettone for breakfast which involves leaving a box and stack of plates on the table for everyone to help themselves. Then supper is leftovers, again help yourself.

Always a dinner cooked at home. Unlike many, I don’t find 🎄dinner stressful, but then I do keep it fairly simple, not a mass of different veg/side dishes, and I do a lot of the prep in advance. Also we always have it at around 5-ish. far less of a rush for the cook, and everyone’s that much more ready for it.

I’d absolutely never want a takeaway, and 🎄dinner out is usually horribly expensive, and not as nice as what you can make at home.
Plus, no lovely leftovers for Boxing Day! (And the 27th too, in this house anyway.)

My DD14 says the best thing about Christmas is Christmas dinner! And I agree - too weird to have curry.

It's not Christmas to me without the dinner - we went abroad when I was younger and it was warm and no turkey. I felt like we just didn't have Christmas at all that year. I have twice been out to a posh restaurant for Christmas dinner but it's never as good, it's not relaxing, and no leftovers!
We tend to get a takeaway Christmas Eve though! I also do a nice roast for Boxing Day.

I'd go out for a Christmas dinner sometime before the Day or cook one at home and happily go out for a curry on Christmas Day. I'm looking forward to the day when we have few enough numbers at Christmas to all go out...at the moment it would cost a fortune.

We’ve been out for a curry on Christmas Day a few times and we’re doing it this year. None of us are really bothered with Christmas dinner, only one in our household eats meat and he doesn’t eat turkey.

When we have stayed home, we have sometimes had a Christmas dinner but other years we’ve just had party food or made something else we’ve fancied.

Definitely not a takeaway but near us there would be no chance of takeaway on Xmas day anyway... and eating out is astronomical on Xmas day.

I live Christmas dinner so yes I would be very disappointed at going for curry but would be open to going out for a traditional Christmas meal eg at a pub if not many people. I'm happy to do the cooking though, i cook it best

I will qualify my response though and say if i happen to be abroad at Christmas I'm happy to eat as locals do!

Having family Christmas dinner is important to me, but I'm not fussed what day it's on. I'd be happy to have curry on Christmas Day and do our roast a different day.

That said I'd be a bit uncomfortable being the reason other people have to work Christmas Day, whatever they are paid. You never really know how much choice they got in it. Maybe that's me overthinking, given I am happy for DH to cook for us!

I have a take away one day and christmas dinner another...best of both worlds!

It wouldn’t be Christmas for me without the traditional roast and all the trimmings. And the leftovers. Nearly the most important bit!

Even when we lived in Asia we managed a traditional Christmas turkey roast.

I find Christmas roast dinners out are never the same if you have one at a function or something so wouldn’t be keen on going out for Christmas lunch full stop.

But if I had to I think actually going to a nice Indian restaurant would be better than being rushed through in a pub.

I love a christmas dinner! I dont find it stressful though so I enjoy doing it and feeding everyone (I do lots of scout camp catering - last time for 170 people so xmas dinner for 12 is easy in comparison!)

We have at times over the years done something different

• extended family gone out for Christmas lunch. DS3 was a few weeks old so I didnt want to cook but it just felt wrong, wasnt quite as nice as mine and hard to keep the little kids entertained (rather than athome where they can get down whilst adults are chatting and play with toys/nap/watch TV etc
• had a christmas in Laos where we didnt even acknowledge xmas - we were back packing
• a christmas when the kids were junior age and it was just the 5 of us - we did a buffet instead but it wasnt the same and we all missed the cermony of the sit down lunch plus picking at leftovers!

We usually stay at home or go to family for a roast of some sort, not always turkey. I love this. One year we spent Christmas with my Dad’s side of the family and went out for a roast in a restaurant and it was very expensive and not nearly as nice as a home cooked meal. Also as we were a big party a couple of people had to drive since no one gave a thought about taxis so no alcohol for them. But our local Indian restaurant do a Christmas lunch and me and DH really want to try it one year. It’ll have to be when his parents aren’t with us as they’d never agree to it. I reckon mine would though.

We used to go to a local Israeli cafe for lunch. It was in a park so the kids could run around and then we'd have falafel and chips followed by apple cake and ice cream. Gutted when they stopped opening on 25th Dec.
We've had a few years at our local Indian buffet but last couple of years, now that the kids have grown up, we've just stayed home and eaten normal food. I love a roast but cba to cook one.

I hate being home for Christmas and usually spend it away either abroad or somewhere in the uk, or worse case we go to a local hotel and have their Christmas Day buffet or brunch however since covid I had to cook for Christmas ( which I hated not because I don’t like to cook, I actually love cooking I just hate Christmas cooking) and even though all is back to normal last year I ordered the family platter from the local Turkish restaurant, and had it at home lol. We were supposed to eat in but we couldn’t be bothered to get dressed up 😅

I still got a turkey but I tend to freeze it for either New years or Easter where there is less pressure to go all out with the amount of courses served.

This year I’m going back to not cooking at home and having it at a hotel with the kids.

Homemade Christmas dinner is the only way for me. We do often have beef rather than turkey, but for me the smell of a roast and all the time spent in the kitchen with family is a massive part of the day for me. I have never eaten a good roast out, always a disappointment, so it has to be made at home. I couldn't imagine having curry on Christmas day. Yes on boxing day or Christmas eve, but not Christmas day.

We are getting an Indian delivered this year and doing our Christmas lunch on boxing day when things are a bit calmer re kids and toys and general chaos

Traditional Christmas dinner at home always. Indian is a takeaway for us . Also the dogs have a full roast dinner and they don't eat curry .

We've done all sorts of things over the years, but our favourite (and what we are doing this year) is all day party food after starting with trifle for breakfast. No pressure, no timings, everyone gets to have picked their favourite things, just lovely and relaxing.

The idea of going out for Christmas dinner, or getting a takeaway is utterly alien to me. Are there even any restaurants or takeaways open on Christmas day in the UK? I've never heard of this and can't imagine anyone I know doing it.

Before I had a kid I never cooked Xmas dinner- I ordered food I fancied on the fancier of every day side. Even when I was with an infant I ordered take away. I made an effort the last couple of yrs but I feel it’s not worth the effort especially since no one minds - I’m rested and enjoy the holidays too instead of spending the day in the kitchen. Next year we hope we travel over the holidays so hopefully all the cooking / decorating etc days are over and I can enjoy a cocktail under the sun somewhere