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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

“Unexpected guests at Christmas”

26 replies

Torple · 16/12/2018 22:06

You know how on adverts and puff pieces at this time of year, there’s often talk of “stocking up on extras for those unexpected guests” - does that EVER happen? Does anyone ever just turn up at someone’s house at Christmas and expect to be fed?
Me and OH were discussing how in our combined 85 years on the planet, we had never opened the door to someone on Christmas Day that wasn’t invited.
(My aunt did once have to borrow a neighbour’s oven when hers packed up on Christmas morning and she was catering for 16 people, but she supplied the food).

Is this something people do, or just a marketing ploy?

OP posts:

Sooveritg · 16/12/2018 22:07

Ye, I've turned up uninvited a few times.

ChanklyBore · 16/12/2018 22:08

I get unexpected guests at Christmas

Christmas Eve is absolutely the worst day for it but it has been known Christmas Day, and new year has also featured unexpected folks round here.

squashyhat · 16/12/2018 22:08

Nope. All planned well in advance here

calamitycake · 16/12/2018 22:09

Who are the unexpected guests?

Sooveritg · 16/12/2018 22:10

Basically because my Dad usually invites me along to his sisters, without telling his sister (my aunt). So I rock up, thinking I'm invited, but I haven't been. Lol. And usually with a child in toe too. In fairness, we're not big eaters, but my aunt takes it in her stride. She's usually feeding an army anyway, so it's a case of squashing everyone's beautifully placed settings to squeeze in two more.

kelper · 16/12/2018 22:10

We get all sorts wandering in here all year round, christmas seems to be when all the waifs and strays appear! Except for last year when I had Flu and was not amused to find about 8 people trying to come in for "drinks".
They were sent on their way ;)

Sooveritg · 16/12/2018 22:14

Or same aunt, I'll just ring and say, we can come and visit this afternoon if you're at home? She'll say yes, and I'll walk into a crowd of 30 of my rellies thinking WTF? and aunt says, 'If I had told you we were having dinner, I knew you wouldn't have come, so come in, you're heartily welcome and you're counted in the cooking'.

MsMightyTitanAndHerTroubadours · 16/12/2018 22:22

i am usually the other way about...not as many as expected.

DD likes to offer hospitality to waifs and strays, student chums/colleagues ..."they'll be on their own otherwise mumma....." but things usually work out and they all end up at their own family home/on the last train to their grannies/ making up with the ex.

it's why we have sooooo many leftovers! :o

Isitme13 · 16/12/2018 22:24

I’ve regularly had last-minute (waaay past organising deadlines/turkey ordering/shopping limits) guests for Christmas.

Usually my step children. Worst year was when I had just had my third dc - he was 4 months old, and I had two older dc with severe SN to deal with. Christmas was supposed to be just us (me, exH, 3dc and my uncle who always stays).

A week before Christmas exH announces that my (adult) dsd is now coming to stay. Ok, whatever - a scramble(my problem, obvs, as exH faaaar too busy and important to sort out his own children), but just about doable.

Then 3 days before Christmas, exH casually drops in that my (also adult) dss is now coming along too. Oh, and he’s now vegetarian. And is bringing his coeliac vegetarian girlfriend along too.

3 days to totally reorganise the whole menu, sort presents and stockings (everyone who stays in my house over Christmas gets a stocking, and I’m bloody good at them so didn’t want a last-minute rush job being crap), with 2 dc with SN, so visiting actual shops a huge problem especially when busy, and a non-sleeping baby (ds woke every 45 minutes through the night - literally)

Not quite ringing the bell in Christmas Day, but not far off.

ImogenTubbs · 16/12/2018 22:33

Someone's invited themselves over on Boxing Day, but they have given me a couple of weeks notice so I can't claim they are unexpected, even though they are uninvited

superram · 16/12/2018 22:43

I have a party on Christmas Eve. I get unexpected but not uninvited guests. I get drunk in the run up to Christmas and invite many fandoms. Thankfully my husband doesn’t mind (too much) and it’s quite a laidback affair.

CakeNinja · 16/12/2018 23:00

We’ve never had an unexpected guest turn up on Christmas Day.
We usually have my family round for dinner and then in the evening our friends who live nearby and our lovely neighbours join us for drinks and cold cuts/cheeseboard and general merriment. Neighbours have 4 children, 3 similar ages to our dc and then an older son.
Last year he brought his girlfriend along but beforehand our neighbour called to check if that would be okay. Having enough food and drink to feed and water the entire street for 2045 days, that was fine by us. And I suppose she wasn’t unexpected because we had heard about it before she turned up.
But that’s as close as I think we’ve come!!

AlwaysPottering · 16/12/2018 23:18

Not on Christmas Day for dinner but definitely guests calling in before Christmas and the days afterwards. I live in Ireland ‘nuff said. Don’t really bat an eyelid at unexpected visitors here

RoseMartha · 16/12/2018 23:19

Yes we once had an unexpected guest on Christmas day, when I was still at home, a boy who fancied my sister, but my mum sent him home, lol.

CakeNinja · 16/12/2018 23:21

I would like to add that we have unexpected visitors almost every other day of the year and they are usually fed

Huntlybyelection · 16/12/2018 23:22

My SIL did. Group of about 15 at her house for Christmas dinner. We had all just say down for the starter and someone knocked at the door. He said he knew one member of the group was leaving early (they hadn't informed SIL of this!) So he thought he'd take her place at the table. But she hadnt left by that point...

Incomer didn't think it was a problem and ended up staying quite late.

I was gobsmacked.

NanooCov · 16/12/2018 23:24

Not at Christmas but when I was a child growing up in Scotland it was par for the course at Hogmanay.

HollowTalk · 16/12/2018 23:29

I've only had one guy turn up on Christmas Day. It was our baby's first Christmas. We'd timed everything around lunch - it was just us and the baby and we knew she'd sleep at about 2 pm. Everything was ready - it was probably the first meal we'd had together that was still hot since she was born. The doorbell went and a guy we used to see down the pub was there. He came in and talked to us for hours. We didn't feel we could eat our dinner. Then he said he'd have some dinner (big of him.) Then it turned out his mum was expecting him at 2 pm so he hadn't just ruined our lunch, he'd ruined hers, too.

BertrandRussell · 16/12/2018 23:29

I've had a couple of unexpected guests in the past- stranded travellers, people who's oven exploded, for example. But I often invite people at very short notice-I love a houseful so am happy to collect waifs and strays. I think we'll be just us this Christmas for the first time in 20 years. I must go out and invite some people!

QuantumWeatherButterfly · 16/12/2018 23:34

Never in my family. But DH has a family member who has form for just randomly turning up uninvited and unannounced. It always amazes me.

TeeBee · 17/12/2018 03:56

Yeah, I've had one turn up unexpectedly on Christmas Day. DH's brother who was supposed to be at work but managed to wangle a few hours off. Not an issue, you just add an extra place at the table. There's always a mountain of food at Christmas.

Alanamackree · 17/12/2018 06:03

My in-laws have form for this. One will drop in, then another will phone the first who’ll say “we’re at Alana’s” and before I know it there’ll be 16 to feed. Now they’d be perfectly happy with a cup of tea, but it’s been bred into me to feed visitors. I don’t feel I’ve been a proper host if guests don’t leave my house full and groaning.
My freezer is organized specifically with this kind of thing in mind.
I’ve never had anyone turn up unexpectedly on Christmas Day though.

CarrotVan · 17/12/2018 06:06

My brother turned up with his wife, SIL, 4 kids and another brother on the evening of Christmas Day. I heard this was happening from my SIL in a ‘looking forward to seeing you tomorrow’ text. Apparently my brother had meant to let me know...

QueenOnAPlate · 17/12/2018 06:09

I’m a foster carer, I’ve been on Emergency list for the past 10 christmases. We very often have an unexpected guest or two, (sadly) and then the Social worker, police or whoever’s accompanied sometimes stays for a while too. I’m not religious but I think it’s more important to be welcoming than to have everything ‘perfect’. An extra person at dinner isn’t a big deal.

exLtEveDallas · 17/12/2018 06:17

I used to do Xmas dinner at MILs. Up about a week beforehand I'd know how many people I was catering for. We'd get there a couple of days in advance and the number would have risen - fine. She'd then go out for a beer and the number would rise again. The best (worst?) Xmas I went from catering for 12 to 21 in a couple of days!

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