Christmas guests

[Katjolo]

On average, how many people do you cater for on Christmas Day? Do guests bring dishes or do you provide all the food, drinks etc?

different people do it differently. some friends i know prepared all the food from scratch (for 16 people) by herself. another asked everyone to bring their favourite dish or drinks to share.

all the best

9 people (immediate family)
I provide the lot including all meals and drinks

Depends which side of the family is coming- if it’s my lot I cook everything. If it’s the in-laws there are a couple of special dishes that his dm brings. I make them for him on the other years but it’s a nice way to honor his dm and anyway, her version is better than mine.

Numbers have varied from 14 guests to 2, and I’ve only hosted a few times. I like my guests to come and relax, enjoy playing with the dc and keep them busy so I can hide in the kitchen and cook , eat, drink and be merry and eventually go home with a doggy bag of left overs. None of mine are big drinkers so I have no issues paying for what they do drink.

My ddad would always slip me some cash as a “contribution” towards the turkey, so I send him home with half of it because he loves his left overs.

But really it’s fine to do whatever works for you. When I’m not hosting I always bring a dish or two (after consulting with the cook of course) On one memorable occasion I brought the turkey but that was a very odd Christmas! In my experience anyone who has ever hosted Christmas is more than happy to bring a contribution for the table. Those that haven’t can be a bit thoughtless. Many people have a signature dish and can be very chuffed to be asked to bring it.

Alanamackree-
Your Christmas sounds very mellow. Our family might, just might, bring a box of After Eights.

We only cater for the 3 living in our house on Christmas Day. Or else, we bring what we are asked to for Christmas Lunch at ILs (usually 3 desserts please) and some wine and cheese to Christmas Dinner at DPs (DM doesn't want anything - she's a martyr who wants to do it all herself, but does now allow those already in the house to do the gruntwork - meanwhile we are doing our own penance at the ILs so get the washing up instead!).

On Boxing Day, whether at home or "visiting family" (we rent a cottage so can host ourselves), we have a gathering involving crisps, nuts, vegetable sticks and M&S Hummus, cooked M&S nibbles, cooked Superquinn cocktail sausages, probably cold turkey sandwiches, a birthday cake for DD, usually some mince pies or bought deserty bits (I may have got the energy to make cookies), lots of wine and beer (mulled wine if at home, it's less likely to be drunk if we're visiting) and soft drinks for littlies and drivers. We organize all of that ourselves.

I cater for two extra people (fil and bil) and the four of us.

I do all the prep and we pay for all the food.

I cook for 12-16 people.... my parents usually buy the 2 meats, I buy everything else. I also prepare and cook it all myself... DH peels all the spuds and carrots on xmas eve night. Whoever is coming will bring drink with them and usually some extra puddings. I love pottering around and doing it all on xmas day... as long as i have a bottle of champagne in the kitchen with me!

Great ideas. Hosting Christmas lunch for the first time this year. Newborn will be three months, so will guests I'm certain will be keen to bring a signature dish to help out. Not sure of iur exact numbers but hoping to keep the main lunch guests small and perhaps others who live nearby may pop in, in the evening.

Normally 10 here. My brother brings the crackers and devises a quiz. My DSis and BiL will bring some cheese or chip in on the turkey. DM and DF bring the wine. I do the rest. I’ve got it down to a fine art now and much prefer to have it all under control myself than try to co-ordinate contributions.

If anyone wanted to bring anything, though, I would graciously accept and appreciate the effort. I haven’t forgotten the year I made the Christmas pudding to take to MiLs and she and PiL looked physically pained and made a huge show of what a struggle it was to eat. There was nothing wrong with the pudding, btw, they just don’t like Christmas pudding. Very weird.

We usually have 8 or 10 for Christmas dinner, generally DH and I buy the meat (a turkey, a ham, pigs in blankets) and my mum will provide the vegetables, yorkshire puddings etc. PIL organise dessert. It works well for us