Christmas dinner... On Christmas Eve??

[surreygirl1987]

Hi all. I've never 'done' Christmas myself - always been at my parents' or in-laws and just fallen in with them. But now we have a little family of our own and get to choose exactly how we want our Christmas to be - yay!

I'm not much of a cook and am intrigued by people who have had the traditional Xmas roast on Christmas Eve instead. That idea actually really appeals to me... I don't think I've ever finished a Christmas lunch on Christmas day as too much chocolate! If you do your main Christmas dinner or Christmas Eve instead, what do you do for food on Christmas day instead? I've read of some doing a buffet? And what are the pros and cons of doing it this way round? I'm on mat leave with my second child at the mo so getting ahead thinking about Christmas plans while I have loads of time! Thanks! :)

We used to do Christmas dinner on Christmas Day, then on Boxing Day we have what the husband calls Christmas dinner 2, which is basically exactly the same but reheated from the day before. We felt that we enjoyed the second dinner more because everything felt so much more relaxed. I do enjoy cooking Christmas dinner, but reheating leftovers obviously takes much less time!

Last year we experimented with doing the first serving on Christmas Eve and dinner 2 on Christmas Day. It meant we still got a dinner on Christmas Day but everything was much more relaxed and we even managed a pub visit! Doing it again this year.

We started this a few years ago and it’s the best tradition ever! We have a full Christmas dinner at about 5-6pm, play games, the kid set everything out ready for FC. Then we watch movies and finish wrapping presents.

The next morning is a breeze. Up with the kids, lovely breakfast and then full buffet of leftovers all warmed up and delicious at about 2-3pm. We get out and have a good walk which I never got to do as I was always in the kitchen. Then we relax into a contented nap after playing with the kids toys.

I can’t recommend it enough.

I've never even heard of doing this before but I'm completely sold on the idea! Spent years running around after extended family/having dinner when they want it etc, stuck in the kitchen most of the day.

Last year I put my foot down and had a blissful Christmas day, just me, DH and DCs.

This year I'm definitely going with this idea though. Chilled out Christmas bubble and squeak/buffet on Christmas day sounds bliss. And the excitement of a Christmas dinner before snuggling down to Muppets Christmas Carol and treats for Father Christmas /hanging stockings on Christmas eve sounds a fab idea.

Thanks guys

I wouldn’t want it on Christmas Eve.

We always have ours at around 5 pm on the day. Far less of a rush for the cook, time for a walk in the afternoon, and everybody’s that much more ready for it.

A big Christmas dinner at lunchtime is the last thing I’d ever want now. But the smell of the turkey cooking is an essential part of the day in this house.

MIL does this and I hate it!

When we're at home, we do the prep on the 24th and cook on the day itself. Works for us.

We’ve done it and absolutely loved it, wished we’d started it much sooner when the kids were smaller. We did a walk/trip out on Christmas Eve, with dinner in the evening. Christmas Day was then free for presents, breakfast, relaxing. Kids loved it, they felt they saw me more, we were more relaxed and chilled. We did food that could be left on table and picked at through day, cheese board, nibbles, meat platter, salads etc. Everybody was more than happy and we perhaps ate some of the Christmas nibbles that would normally get left behind!

Thanks @BiddyPop I thought the 24th was a day of abstinence (been atheist for years but my dad and brother are church goers) and that's why lots of other European countries have a fish on the 24th.

I remmeber the 24th in my house as a kid

Me and db: can we have x
Mum:no it's for Xmas
Me and db: can we have y
Mum:no it's for Xmas
Me and db: can we have z
Mum:no it's for Xmas
Me and db:What can we have?
Mum:There's a kitchen full of food

Great! Okay I think I'm sold on the idea. At least while the kids are young. I want to spend Xmas day with them, not worrying about the food! A grazing buffet on Xmas day with leftovers reheated and maybe some extra party packs sound ideal :) exciting! Thank you!

We also always try and get some nice bread for leftover sandwiches

Always Xmas eve. I do the veg prep the day before. Husband takes children out to see Santa or similar on Xmas Eve morning, and I start cooking. We start to eat at around 6 - starters, dinner, desserts, cheese. We often have friends and family to join us - Usually about 12, but I think the most we've had is about 22. The children love eating by candlelight, and they love all the company.

On Xmas day we start with fizz, croissants, smoked salmon, sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs, beans and toast. My husband and son are in charge of that. We then do presents.

I do a buffet mid afternoon that lasts for the evening, and we play games, watch films and chill. I love it, and I'm not stuck in the kitchen, so don't miss out on all the fun.

Sounds lovely!! Though I don't want to miss out on Christmas Eve fun either 😂

Hi I have done xmas dinner on christmas eve for nearly 20 years now the reason why was when my eldest was born her day and her first christmas came along I found myself in and out of the kitchen ,prepping ,cooking ,cleaning and there was stuff to get out of boxes stickers to put on toys ect ,her dad was away on tour and I just made my mind up there and then it was my house and from hereon we would have the big dinner the day before and this freed me up to actually enjoy xmas day with the kids , this turned out to be ingenious when the other 3 came along we have spent many years now in our pjs playing all day with the big dinner done and dusted the day before , foodwise I'll make some bacon butties or bagels and stolen for breakkie and let them have a free for all on the chocolate and nibbles and then teatime we have a buffet with Turkey butties of course ,absolutely wouldnt change it x

Place marking because we will be having Christmas at home for the first time. I’m sure Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve would work for us as we will be trying to get over excited children to bed and present out.

We used to do this as my dad used to work Christmas day. It was lovely. We all got to be together for a proper Christmas meal at 6PM (so no cooking at 8am. I never understood why people do that to themselves), the next morning we opened presents before my dad went to work, and then we sat and watched all the great things on tv and played with our toys and my mom served leftovers for dinner. No stress. We also never visited anyone at Christmas so no panic getting dressed and into the car. It was just us in pjs. Now I have my own family, we dont leave the house on christmas day either, but luckily we dont have to work.

I’m from the continent, I always have Christmas Eve as ‘the day’. ExH was English we have a DD.

So Christmas Eve is like this: tidy in the morning (that’s a weird thing I have since childhood, since we had to make space for the tree, always bought on the 24th).
Then I start cooking, we meet friends for the crib service then everybody comes round to ours for an ‘eat on your lap’ buffet. We ignored the kids completely, they did whatever they wanted.
Because Santa comes on the 24th but we’re in England, I reached a compromise: DD always got new pyjamas and a book on Christmas Eve and all the presents from my family and from our European friends are opened on the 24th as well, in their presence.

And then on the 25th we’d go to his mum and have the painful waiting round till dinner was ready (2 ish), watch the Queen and open presents at 5 pm-ish etc, the English Christmas.

In effect DD grew up with 2 Christmases.

Which suits me fine now we alternate having DD at Christmas, in effect I always have her.

We have had our Christmas meal on Christmas Eve for the last few years.
We tried it because we found that we were too busy in the kitchen to sit with the DCs while they enjoyed their presents so one parent always missed out. Then later they just wanted to play and were distracted by all the toys so didn't want to sit at the table.
By doing the big meal on Christmas Eve, the kids sit nicely at the table, engage with us and will happily play a board game afterwards. After bath & bedtime, DH & I can watch Die Hard with a glass of wine, smug in the knowledge that the hard work is done and we have leftovers in the fridge for next day 😂 Then the next morning we can chill with a brew while the kids open presents & play. It's so much more relaxed, we spend more time with the kids on Christmas Day & nobody feels rushed because there's no timetable to follow.

We've done this for the past few years. Big 'posh' traditional dinner on Christmas Eve at around 5/6pm with lots of friends and family. Those not staying over have time to get home before public transport stops. We have time to clear up (and take turns to go to the pub). Then a relaxed Christmas day with leftovers and a few extra veg just cooked simply (boiled/steamed).

Though it helps to have a back-up for Christmas day, just in case you forget how many people you've invited underestimate how much people might want the night before.

We started doing it this way because I'm the only cook in the house and I wanted to have a relaxed 'day off' with the family. Before I just found myself getting stressed with timings and people not coming back from the pub in time on Christmas day, meaning the food was all slightly overdone and my efforts felt pointless

My brother lives in Germany with his girlfriend and their xmas day is basically xmas eve as a tradition, so they have the dinner etc then as far as I know they do leftovers and buffet stuff xmas day x