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!

Xmas dinner is whatever you want it to be whenever you want it to be. We are adults with agency and our own tastes, we don't have to be beholden to tradition.

It makes sense for a holiday meal to be something a bit luxurious (so not bloody turkey). DP and I have done goose but ultimately we prefer fish to meat and what better excuse to splash out on a really fancy fish... though this year we're going away as I decided that what I like even more than fish is being warm.

We have chicken, Yorkshire puddings, and mushy peas because we like them. One year we had onion rings because we fancied them. Another year we had crispy chilli beef and salt and pepper chicken. My MIL has a whole rehearsed speech about Yorkshire puddings, amongst other things, that she recites every year. Nobody needs the negativity, especially on Christmas Day. It's exhausting.

I don't care what meat you have. But people who have Yorkshire puddings with turkey/chicken on christmas dinner need locking up! Its an absolute crime.

Bread sauce. Liquid bread. I'll just leave that thought there.

Sounds delicious and so much less work than all the roast turkey faff.

I think this is an example of what the OP is saying😂

When the kids were small - we had their favourite meal - tomato pasta! They were thrilled and we were unburdened. We had turkey one year - I had suggested chicken but dh and the kids had come back with a turkey. Never again. Last year it was pork and cracking with apple sauce.
This year it’s rib of beef, we invite people to Xmas dinner but we always warn them - our tradition is that we don’t do tradition. And they are free to decline the offer but don’t be expecting turkey - it just won’t be happening!

To those who insist that you can only have Yorkshire Pudding with roast beef, I’ll say just one thing - Toad in the Hole.

I expect you’re all feeling rather foolish now.

Christmas dinner at late lunchtime, beef and lamb this year with plenty of Yorkshire Puddings...I've not eaten turkey at Christmas for years. Surely it's about the company and having a good time, the dinner is what you want it to be

Cold Chinese takeaway (ordered Christmas Eve) is our family favourite 💃

This year we're doing something different. Prepare yourselves because you hate this phrase.

This year we're doing......PICKY BITS.

We've got a gang of visitors from the States this Christmas. I love cooking and have promised them a proper traditional Christmas meal. Reading this with interest as I finalise plans. I think Boxing Day will probably be the event that really blows their mind. I'm deliberately over-catering so that they can enjoy all the cold meats, cold stuffing balls, pickles etc - with a generous side order of fish n chip shop chips that I've brought in advance and frozen to air fry. 😅

We are in Greece for Christmas and last night were discussing our Christmas Day meal, which will be at home with friends and family (at least 12 people, I think, unless Covid hits). Apparently there will be spit-roast kid, pork stewed with celery (traditional from the area our friends come from) and Mushroom Wellington for the vegetarians, to be enjoyed by all. The British contingent will be adding crisp roast potatoes (Greek ones are soft and lemony, also delicious) and possibly red cabbage, we’ll see. My late mother-in-law (Greek) came from a different tradition than our friends, and would roast a turkey with the most delicious ground beef stuffing which was better than the turkey itself Embrace the differences say I (who hates turkey anyway!)
I see no police

My family insist on roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, roasted parsnips and carrots, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets and roast potatoes.

After that its whatever takes the cooks fancy. We've had many different roasts over the years. We've also done steak pie and such. Nobody really cares as long as the essentials are there.

There has been discussion around an Indian banquet and the roast potatoes would go well with that but I'm struggling with the idea of yorkshire puddings!

But yorkshires are needed to hold the gravy!!! You put the gravy in the Yorkshire then send your potatoes in for a little bath!

My son hates potatoes and we all love yorkshires so we have them with roast chicken, and with Xmas lunch. Surely it makes sense to eat things you like on a celebration rather than eating stuff just because it's traditional??

I eat around 4pm is that lunch or dinner or even lunner?

Depends how you prepare it though. A really nice stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy are definitely needed. And don't cook it until its dry like an old boot.

That’s when we often have lunch here (in Greece).

Dear god this is exactly what I mean. We can do “Christmas sides” AND the things we enjoy and let’s be honest Yorkshires are the best part of a roast.

I fell asleep rather quickly after starting this thread, must’ve needed to get it off my chest 🤣

From my very big fat Oxford dictionary, “dinner - noun - main meal of the day, taken either around midday or in the evening.”

And if the big 🎄roast isn’t a main meal, I don’t know what is.

Traditionally, Yorkshire puddings, made with cheap filling ingredients, were served before a meal to fill you up so you didn't as much of the expensive meat or seasonal vegetables

Start saying "Uuuugh! You don't have lamb at Easter?! Oh it's not Easter without a lamb on your plate! You people are odd."
Or something.

My DH isn’t particularly keen on turkey, but since he’s even less keen on cooking, he eats what he’s given. I make at least 4 types of stuffing and chipolatas because I loathe pigs in blankets. Bread sauce I make for dh - we never had it growing up as my mother hates it. She also hates gravy so we never had that, but now I make proper gravy with the giblets and port. But my favourite meal is my Boxing Day sandwich of crusty white bread with turkey, stuffing, chipolatas, cranberry and bread sauce and maybe something green as a nod to the health police, eaten at the beach and followed by a hunk of boozy Christmas cake. I look forward to that sandwich all year.

Why the ...does it bother you what other people put on their plate? This is exactly what op is talking about, "the christmas dinner police".
Despite what you would like, there is no law that says you can't have Yorkshire pudding with turkey or with jelly and custard for that matter.
You do you and i will be having Yorkshire pudding with my turkey this year, because thats what I like.