Entertaining over Christmas

[CircassianLeyla]

We are spending Christmas Day at my parents, which we always do with a couple of extended family members. It is lovely and we are happy with this.

I wonder how much entertaining others do over the holiday period. We don't do any really but I would like to.

I am thinking of having two sets of friends round with their DC on Boxing Day - none of us are English by heritage so although we all do something on the Day we don't have lots of family to accommodate. This will be an easy buffet/picky thing.

New Year's Day I was thinking about having DH family round. They don't do Christmas at all and I would like to include them in our festivities but I think DH would have an issue with them coming round on Boxing Day to a Christmas shindig but the other side of my culture is one that really celebrates New Year. This is a bit of an introduce them to my world/our family type affair. This will be harder work in terms of food, but I thought I could make it fun by suggesting an everyone bring a dish type event - we have done this with my SILs before.

So how much entertaining do you do and what does it entail for you?

DPs are with us this year until just before New Year. Will have friends over a couple of times and will probably socialise in the local pub a couple of times.
New year we have tickets to the party at the pub as we have no friends to see All in all it's quite relaxed but I do plan well in advance :o

We entertain / are entertained pretty much every day over Christmas week.

Christmas Eve: Usually one or other of our friends hosts and we go round, and then my parents pop over to see the children before they go to bed.

Christmas Day: We go to my parents and they host. We stay overnight.

Boxing Day: Quiet day. We go home and and see no-one .

27th: DHs birthday. We host his parents during the day, and my parents host a party for him (with my grandparents there) in the evening.

28th - 30th: We host my parents one day when we go to the panto, and then they come back to ours for a curry. Plus the other two days we will either host some friends of ours, or we will go to theirs. We never have an evening at home alone during this week.

New Year's Eve: We host / go to friends.

Last weekend before we all go back to work: We host a party for the local mums and dads in the village.

We do lots of entertaining over the christmas period, and like the previous poster, are usually busy with it everyday.

Christmas Eve- Usually go ice skating as a family, then have friends and neighbours round for drinks in the evening.

Christmas Day- We or another of my siblings hosts. this year there will be 35 of us at my house. We have the traditional Christmas meal and spend the day together, often people stay over but not all.

Boxing Day- Go to or host ILs. Usually done as a buffet.

27th-30th- Spend more time with friends and family. 27th always have my best friends and her family round or go to hers, we slob about and eat up each others leftovers. It's my good friends birthday on the 28th so will go there for a party/dinner/drinks depending on the day it falls. 29th Will be travelling out to a large family get together at my cousins house, takes place every year. 30th is usually a day at home but I often organise friends to pop in for drinks.

NYE- We have or go to a party
New Years Day-Go to my parents for an afternoon/evening buffet.

First weekend after NYE, we go to my parents house for a chinese.

Blimey. Incredible socialising going on.