What do you have for Christmas tea?

[Sparklyblue]

We always have Christmas dinner at around 5-6ish, so have never needed Christmas Tea. But this year I am thinking about having dinner at 1.00 p.m.
This will mean we need something later on around 7-8ish.
Please give me some ideas and inspiration.
Thanks

We go to the pub on Christmas Day too and eat in the late afternoon. They are teens now, but it has never been an issue and the pub is full of other families, not just old men drinking!

combust22 Mon 13-Oct-14 08:51:54

Maybe pubs round your way are unsuitable for children but round my way they are not.

I would love to have a buzzy pub to pop to on xmas day with my children but most of them are closed.

trisis- no we don't have any nice pubs in Edinburgh

well maybe your attitude to pubs and drinking is different then. and your projecting

So...if we're with my family we would have a bacon butty at around 8am, lunch at 1pm ish and then M&S snack food type buffet stuff on the go from around 6:30pm.

If we're with DH's family anything could happen. One year he phoned me at 5pm and his Mum had just headed into the kitchen to make dinner. They'd been given a croissant at 11am. Last time we were there we had breakfast at 8am (croissants I think), then lunch at about 2pm and cheese board and random buffet stuff from about 8pm. DD was fed more or less every 6 minutes all day.

The thing is, even if you don't eat Christmas lunch until afternoon/eve then you're still at a loss what to have for breakfast and lunch? And you wouldn't want to spoil your Christmas lunch!

When the children were little, we'd eat at around 1:30pm (they were usually so full of chocolates and satsumas they wouldn't be hungry much before that anyway. Now they're older, we generally sit down at around 3:00(-ish) depending upon the level of my wine bottle and whether one of the ovens has packed up again. (That shouldn't happen this year, hopefully, 'cos it's been repaired, finally)!

For supper, I just put out nibbly things - salad, dips, meat & cheeseboard, pickles, olives. What doesn't get eaten then comes out again on Boxing Day.

My Mum and Nanna always used to do another big roast on Boxing Day. I don't - that's my relaxing day, we just nibble and play games.

Just crackers and cheese and the pudding that we were too full for after dinner. Mince pies, chocolates. Anything except cold turkey really.

Talking of which, when are the m&s Xmas brochures due out??

Numpty, it came out last Thursday. It's online too.

No, combust, I don't take any young goats to the pub with me.

My son comes slong though, why do you ask?

*along

Ooh, are there hard copies in the shops? I've just been in local m&s and the guy had no idea what I was on about!

Who would have thought a discussion about Christmas tea could turn bad??!

Combust, think you need to stop being so judgmental about other peoples lives. Just because something doesn't suit you, it may suit others.

Yes. It is a4 size with a turkey on the front saying food and hampers to order.

Plenty of beautiful pubs in edinburgh that I would take DS at Christmas. The dome in particular.

Christmas Dinner is around 1 pm for us. Dessert & coffee around 4 pm because we stuff ourselves disgustingly at dinner & usually everyone falls asleep watching 'A Christmas Story' on DVD afterwards. Anyone who is hungry after that is welcome to graze through the kitchen cupboards!

Christmas 'tea' for me would be that excellent bottle of wine I stash away in the kitchen since I'm usually doing clean up on my own. This year I have a new DiL who is planning to 'share' that part of the day with me. Hmmmm, will need another bottle of wine!

Combust I own a bar and have lots of kids in with families on the day. We are only open 12 till 3 but we do get a fair few in. They love it. They all get free christmas juice and goodies, then run around like loons in the garden, weather permitting. Not all pubs are dirty, smelly and seedy. Mine is a nice little seaside bar with large garden. And surely it's good for children to be out in the fresh air and mingling with others ?

Christmas Dinner sandwiches (turkey, cranberry, stuffing, a blob of cold gravy on white bread) and maybe a mince pie or a bit of Christmas cake.

Cravey that sounds like the pub we go to . Lots of families, meeting with friends, a free sherry and mince pie on arrival and a lovely, happy, friendly atmosphere! Not at all seedy.

Free sherry for the adults, obviously not the kids

Why do you want to move your Christmas dinner sooner?

We always have it as an evening meal.

If I was eating again in the evening , I would maybe do smoked salmon.

Oh I used to love going to the pub on Xmas day as a kid. Half the village would be there, they'd be sure to give you a pound or two for christmas and it was such a wonderful atmosphere. It was only open for a couple of hours so not like people were shitfaced.

We still sometimes go on Xmas day for a game of doms, if we're not cooking at home.

I'm in the chocolate for tea camp, btw. Eat at around three here.

We eat main meal after dark. Generally no starter and no pudding. May have something sweet later in the evening if anyone is still hungry.

For the record, Combust, it's a fairly small pub, I live in a tiny village and most families pop in at some point or another, kids are there showing off new toys to each other and friends and neighbours have a drink or two
together. I really don't see what's wrong with it at all, nor do I see how it can be described as selfish to do something everybody in the family can enjoy. My parents took me to that pub when I was 6 months old on Christmas
day, we have been as a family every year since, now I'm in my twenties with a 5 year old and it's just part of our day, it's nice to get dressed up, have a walk in the fresh air and finish it off with a drink or two, DS plays with
the other children who are there and we get to enjoy some time with family and friends. It's not some piss up in a dive with the "kids" shoved in a corner bored all day. It's a couple of hours out of the house and it breaks up the day.

main meal 1pm. turkey sandwiches at 7. Wine and choc consumed all day!