What's the most people you've had in one place at Xmas?

[guiltyofa]

There's going to be 18 of us at my parents' on Xmas Day. They invited everyone, expecting a few declines but everyone invited is going.

18 seems insane - what's the most amount of people you've had in one place on Xmas Day? Was it chaotic or great fun?

We're going to have six children, twelve adults and a dog 😂

If we go to my side for Christmas it is
6 siblings + 6 partners
Usually about 15 kids and now about 7 great-nieces and nephews.
In total about 20 adults.
Christmas day is a bit full on.

12 at MILs one year but her kitchen / diner is tiny so it was easier if you needed the loo to go out of the back door, round the house and back in the front door!!

We have a huge family Christmas - 26-30 staying with extras for lunch. One year 45 for lunch. Not my house but all the adults chip in.

Ohh I'm so jealous, there's just the 3 of us. Unsurprisingly there's not much of a party atmosphere!

These huge house fulls sound like bliss to me. Most we ever had was 15, and Ioved it. We will be six this year, and I hate knowing how quiet that will feel.

24 one Christmas Eve but usually it's more like 18, I do all the cooking myself and wrapped a hundred pigs in blankets that year and there wasn't a single one left!
It makes the twelve we have for Christmas Day a walk in the park though.

About 24-26? For those asking how:
The day before you prep and cook the veggies: roasted carrots and parsnips, red cabbage, and parboil your potatoes. On the day you roast the meat then when it’s done, wrap it in tin foil and heap tea towels over it to keep warm and put your already parboiled potatoes into the hot oven to roast while you make the gravy and cook any fresh green veg, and warm the pre-done veg in the microwave.

I'm the other way FenellaMaxwell
Gravy and almost roasted potatoes made the day before, everything else cooked fresh, roast potatoes reheated and gravy finished in the roasting tin on the day.

The most was probably 40. All squeezed into one home for a seated dinner.

Most years it’s 24.

I have never personally hosted a group bigger than 10.

Nooooooo you can’t repeat roast potatoes!!

Christmas Day - 14.

Weekend before Christmas - party around 70 people. Canapés only!

Christmas Day at my mum or sisters between 12-30 depends on who can come.

I always do Boxing Day as it’s dcs birthday- anything from 25-50 again depending on eco is in the country & who can come.

I’ve got 44 this year. I alternate yearly with a variety of casseroles/roast 2 types of potatoes, lots of roasted vegetables. If it’s roast there’s always stacks of Greek food as well.

It’s my SIL birthday as well so 2 birthday cakes & lots of different deserts. Good cheeseboard. Always fruit.

It’s stressful but I love it!

Growing up 13 wasn't uncommon
Last year it was 17 people it was v chaotic
This year it will be 3. Which will be very much the opposite

Not sure which I prefer tbh

Not many! Normally only 4 but one year, my sister, her DP and her DP's adult daughter came, so we had 7. I didn't cater any differently, we just didn't have leftovers. The DP and his DD surprised me by asking for mint sauce (with goose) but fortunately I had some in.

These huge house fulls sound like bliss to me. Most we ever had was 15, and Ioved it. We will be six this year, and I hate knowing how quiet that will feel.

After having 12 last year it will just be the 5 of us this year for the first time in a few years and I'm feeling quite sad about it. Been trying to get some of my family to come this year but no luck!

When I was growing up we used to go to my Nans for Christmas. The whole family would be there - aunts, uncles, cousins, friends in a TINY two bed terraced house. If you stood up for any reason you lost your seat, it was a struggle to get to the loo and there was never any room but Christ don’t I wish it was like that now. For me Christmas will always mean being surrounded by people and it’s not like that now. I miss it a lot.

The most I've had was 17. 11 adults and 6 children. All staying over as well.

Disaster struck on Christmas morning one of my showers exploded and starting leaking water through my dining room ceiling.

As well as wrecking the dining room we had to turn the water off.

We had to pack all the food in cars and relocate to my parents house.

But everyone pitched and we had a nice day in the end.

Usual numbers are 6-7 adults and 4-6 kids.

Although this year just 4 adults and 2 kids.

15 is usual.
I love catering for larger numbers.
Secret for me is to roast the Turkey and ham the day before. Then slice and put onto metal serving platters (with the Turkey covered in gravy). On the day just pop into the bottom of the oven to reheat.
I also make and freeze the pigs in blankets and giant Yorkshire puddings to reheat on the day (I know, I know...but the DC love em).
All veg prepped the night before but cooked fresh on the day.
Extremely fussy DBIL insists on mashed potatoes, which he mashes himself, as, if he found a lump he would surely die
Couple of vegetarians no problem.
Dreading the day I have to cater for vegans as I tend to throw butter and cheese around a lot.
Starters are smoked salmon salad or baked mushrooms with blue cheese.
Pudding this year is raspberry pavlova, sticky toffee pudding (practise runs for these going well) or Christmas pudding, which nobody ever eats.
I usually get the DC to whizz round with canapes on arrival.
DH retires next year and we would like to move to the coast but I'm worried people wouldn't want to drive a long way on Xmas day and we may not have the room for everyone to stay over. Upside is they may come and stay in the summer

We always had lots of people around the table for Christmas! Its my biggest and most special memory of Christmas! Every year hiding the knife and my dad standing over the Turkey looking for a knife and proclaiming 'do I have to tear it apart with my bare hands!' And someone always having to sit on the piano stall!
The most we ever had was 26 a few years ago! Epic!
Although it was the first big one for my DH and when we all atarted singing when the Christmas pudding was lit up, he couldn't believe it! Good times!

I had 10 come to us for Christmas Eve last year and I had a 3 month old baby and a dog!

Food prep consisted of ordering platters of sandwiches, desserts and pigs in blankets from Morrison, sending DH to the shop for nibbles and drinks and making a serve yourself station.

It was the most people we’d ever had over but luckily my baby distracted me so I didn’t have any time to stress about everything being perfect!

It was actually a great day and I’m sad I can’t repeat it this year as I’ll be working Christmas Eve.

most years we have 6-8. The most I've ever had for a sit down Christmas lunch is 14. Our house isnt big enough for any more.

This year there are only 4 of us which will feel strange as we've never had so few.

About 12 years ago when DS1 was 4 we spent Christmas at my Grandparents. All my aunts and uncles were there and several cousins. So in total about 18 of us. It was good fun but a lot of work for my Grandma! My DS loved it.

We had 13 (9 adults & 4 kids) for Christmas one year and DH and i cooked a 3 course lunch for everyone with the help of my MIL. We were both exhausted at the end of it.

I'm doing the food for DD's 18th soon and it'll be a buffet for around 50 people. Planning on making everything in advance to cater for veggie, vegan and multiple food allergies.

We’re 19 this year. The most is 22.

I don’t find it that stressful tbh because I do the turkey, pigs in blankets and gravy and everything else is done by visitors in their kitchens, then they all bring it to mine for dinner in the afternoon.

We all love it!

For a sit down Christmas lunch it used to regularly be 22-24 but fewer now. This year we’re only 14 at the moment, but we usually get friends of one of the children whose family is distant and they can’t get home because of work.
Boxing Day we always have people for drinks so 75 roughly but only for fizz and canapés with about 20 staying on for something more substantial afterwards.