Christmas dinner police

[Namechangesecretsignature]

Can’t sleep and endlessly reading MN. Oh how I loathe the Christmas dinner police. Policing what “should” be on a Christmas dinner, calling it Christmas lunch (urgh), all the formalities and “musts”. Reminds me of my ex DP who was aghast for about 4 years straight that no one in my family liked turkey so we had beef for Xmas. His mother called my mother to clarify it was true (after a drink) and I’d go round to theirs over the Christmas period and the whole (large) family would be saying things like “I can’t believe you don’t have turkey on Christmas dinner.” “It’s not Christmas dinner without” “without turkey it’s tasteless” (????) “you must buy a turkey and a ham for Xmas even if it doesn’t get ate its tradtition” from the same people who buy 3 turkeys (Xmas day, New Year’s Day redo, then another on Easter(!!!!))

anyway I digress, I loathe it!

I’ve never had a school dinner no. I had school lunch.

I’m not quite sure why you’re being so dogmatic - there are many different variations - your world isn’t everyone’s world.

I’m from the south (London) and in my world everyone says breakfast, lunch and supper. Dinner refers to a formal evening meal, nothing else.

It’s a thread about the Christmas police.

They’re not English winter vegetables thus not part of a traditional Christmas meal.

I always think of Hyacinth Bucket and her legendary Candlelit Suppers!

It’s not a thread about how to be the Christmas police, though…

PP said her MIL was the roast police & had strong views on vegetables, I happened to share. If that’s a problem call 101 or honk on Rudolph’s red nose.

I'm not being dogmatic. I'm giving the correct definition of dinner - as given in the dictionary. Which applies to everyone 's world, not just mine.

OED

So you’re confusing definition and usage and not factoring in regional and social class variation.

In my world, and that of others on the thread, dinner is a formal evening meal.

I accept you’ve never come across it and that’s fine.

Quite right. I'm from the south and on weekdays we had breakfast/lunch/dinner bc our main meal was in the evening, but on Sunday we had breakfast/dinner/tea bc the main meal was in the afternoon. That is the correct use of the terminology.

It’s correct in your world and not in others, I don’t know why this is so hard to grasp.

We too had breakfast/lunch/dinner and a Sunday tea. Oddly would say "what's for supper?" . To me supper is a late small meal. And I had school dinner ladies making our lunch. However, my Northern relatives said breakfast/dinner/tea. Both are 'correct'/'incorrect' depending on where you and how you were 'brung' up. On this thread there are variations probably town to town or family to family.

All schools had 'dinner ladies' back in the day- end of

There is no 'correct' definition. It very much depends on where you're from.

It's school dinner in Scotland - always was when I was was at school. And as someone else said schools had dinner ladies. It's completely fine to call a school lunch a school dinner or vice versa depending on where you are in the country. Oddly enough if someone took their own meal into school when I was at school it would be called a packed lunch

In my world an evening meal can be dinner or tea and we don't really use supper at all.

Dinner is just an ordinary evening meal where I live - West of Scotland

Obviously going to be differences depending on where you live in the UK

I personally say breakfast lunch dinner or tea with dinner and tea being interchangeable - just the way it is where I live

I agree

Xmas day I cook a turkey crown and either a beef or a pork. Then NY day I have more coming so I do a carvery, a turkey crown, a beef and a pork. DH cooks Sarah Brown lentil loaf for any vegetarians. I make a stew and a curry with any leftovers.

Umm, I am northern, born in Stockport. And I have never said 'dinner' for lunchtime!

We had “pink ladies”, because they wore nylon pink overalls/coat type thing. 80s, Manchester. Wish we’d had dinner ladies as when I have ever talked about “pink ladies”, people have always not had a clue what I mean.

I said upthread, I and DC had school dinner ladies serving lunch. I think dinner ladies sounds better which is why it's commonly used and is a term in it's own right, not, as a couple of posters have tried to infer, that it means that's always the right term for a midday meal.

I think 'pink ladies' sounds cool, but I would assume you were talking about the film Grease!

Love it when posters use 'end of' as the absolute and final say in the matter, as if anyone is going to to take any notice (I know it's often tongue in cheek)

If you are from Yorkshire you have them as a starter, with beef or onion gravy. And if there are any left over with jam or syrup for pudding. Plus, Yorkshires are not those tiny little efforts, go big or go home. We have one giant one which we split between us. So there.

I am now back from the shops and did think of this thread whilst shopping. (sad I know 😅)

We cannot get turkey anymore (not for a few years now) so the go to if having a roast here, is lamb and/or gammon.

The lamb is now in the fridge.
And I might even attempt some Yorkshires
With Cauliflower cheese
Glazed carrots
Roast potatoes
Gravy of course

We don't get Brussel sprouts either. We'll not now as they are a winter veg and it's not winter here.

I don't miss turkey by the way. Nor does anyone I know. I am sure it was only being bought for tradition purposes.

I'm from the same place as you. My mum called it "dinner" if we were having a meat and 2 veg thing and "tea" if we were having something with chips eg. "We're just having a tea night, not a proper dinner"

As soon as I hear or see the words, you should or you must my brain shuts down, I glaze over and walk away - no one has the power to tell you what to do, you are letting them do this. By the way, I like turkey but loath turkey and ham, (I like ham cold separately) - are you in Ireland per chance as this is what is served here, (not in my house) and also with the obligatory mash. A roast here, when one goes out does not see a roast potato or a Yorkshire pud!! Last year we had lamb, this year its turkey, it might be beef next year! You do you.

I usually assume that when British people say everyone 'should..' relating to food or drink, their tongue is firmly in their cheek. It's a national pastime to comment about how things should be done properly with, I'd assumed, a small smile. I always say you 'should' put jam on before cream, but frankly I don't really care how other people take their cream teas. Generally people do what they want

Sorry haven’t read whole thread. But made me think of this Royal Family episode…

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/CzBrHLjLkdE

Not where I come from. It's Christmas dinner no matter the time of day it's eaten.