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Christmas

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Original poster

Too much food on Christmas day

128 replies

SpacePug · 01/09/2021 09:06

Does anyone skip Christmas dinner on Christmas day? Maybe have it on Christmas Eve instead 🤔

Just discussing how we are never hungry enough for the buffet on the night, and end up serving it all and then only having a couple of nibbles each. There will be 6 adults and 2 kids.

I'm thinking maybe the buffet should be the star of the day, make it a little bit more special and ensure everyone will be hungry enough to enjoy it by not having a huge Christmas dinner the same day. Anyone else do something similar?

OP posts:

CarolinaWeeper · 01/09/2021 10:24

We've never had a buffet on Christmas Day, that would be for Boxing Day or New Year's Eve.

On Christmas Day we have

Breakfast (bacon sandwich/smoked salmon bagels something like that)

The full turkey roast around 1pm

Christmas pudding around 5pm

A turkey sandwich or some cheese and crackers around 8pm

Datsandcogs · 01/09/2021 10:28

The Christmas lunch is one of the things that makes it Christmas for us. We sit down for a full roast Turkey and lots of veg at 1pm. Usually too full for pudding, then the dishwasher goes on, watch the Queen’s speech and then pressies! After pressies we usually have pudding and then there’s cold bits to pick over for supper - Turkey sandwiches, smoked salmon, cheese and nibbles, or not!

ChickenSchnitzel · 01/09/2021 10:28

Never heard of a Christmas Day buffet. We've had dinner around 5pm for years. Used to be 7/8pm when I was growing up to allow for a long walk.

Do whatever you want, there's no rules.

Hoppinggreen · 01/09/2021 10:29

@Pootles34

Friends of ours do Christmas dinner on Christmas eve - I think it's a German tradition that a lot of military families have. It makes total sense to me - spreads out the specialness so you have big dinner one day, then presents the next, and the leftover turkey forms part of the buffet on the big day. The main attraction to me is being able to enjoy Christmas day without the big meal taking over everything.

I haven't managed to persuade DP yet.

Yes, in Germany Christmas Eve is the main event DH is German and we have our big meal then and open 1 present each. Christmas Day we usually invite my Mum for Breakfast around 10 and then go out for a curry around 3. Boxing Day is eat whatever you can find in the fridge

StiffyByng · 01/09/2021 10:30

It doesn't really matter what other people do! Which event is more special for you? Do other family members join you for the buffet? In which case, prioritise that and eat a 'Christmas lunch' another time. If everyone is there for everything, what do they think? Are there people visiting you who care about eating the formal lunch and wouldn't eat it anywhere else who would rather just not bother with a buffet?

I couldn't possibly eat a massive lunch and then any sort of nice buffet, and based on this thread, I'm not alone in that, so choosing one looks like the best option!

NavigatingAdolescence · 01/09/2021 10:31

We only eat once (we designate a day for Xmas - not 25th Dec).

Breakfast is a waste of tummy space (for the adults). So are starters.

Big main course at around 3pm and pudding at around 7:30-8pm works for us.

Couldn’t imagine wanting a buffet as well. Seems completely unnecessary.

TheOpportuneMoment · 01/09/2021 10:33

We have a nice breakfast, Christmas dinner around 3pm and then sandwiches with cold meat (leftovers and we've usually done a ham on Christmas Eve) and pudding in the evening if we're hungry again.

rookiemere · 01/09/2021 10:33

As others have said skip the CD buffet.

We have a light breakfast and the big roast dinner around 1.30-2 - we started doing it this early when DS was young and we all prefer having a big lunch at lunchtime rather than middle of the afternoon.

We tend to leave dessert until after we have been for a walk, so have it around 3/4 and then people have cold turkey sandwiches or whatever they fancy grazing on in the evening.

I'd be disappointed to come for Christmas dinner and get a buffet instead, but equally wouldn't expect two proper meals on one day.

languagelover96 · 01/09/2021 10:34

Ooh this is nice. I love the idea of a cheese platter. I think I will have sandwiches, fruit, turkey, sausage rolls, Christmas cake, cold cuts of meat and sweets. Mince pies and biscuits sound tasty too. Dips are required as well.

NavigatingAdolescence · 01/09/2021 10:45

@MrsPumpkinSeed

We tend to have a very light breakfast (one crumpet or a croissant and juice)

Also I don't make more than I would on an average Sunday. So if we have a starter maybe melon and usually turkey ham and veg and toasties etc. about 1pm

We rarely have Sunday lunch. If there aren’t enough leftovers from Xmas to last a whole week, I’ve failed.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 01/09/2021 10:47

Buffet? I don't know anyone who has dinner AND a buffet we have breakfast, early Xmas lunch/dinner and leftovers if we're peckish at about 9pm.

Alarae · 01/09/2021 10:54

I've rarely had Christmas Dinner on Christmas day, but that's mainly because we are doing the rounds and miss it wherever we go!

My mum makes a fabulous Boxing Day spread though. Normally a full on roast but also sometimes as Asian feast (which is much better anyway).

Sunshineshow · 01/09/2021 10:55

This reminds me of that thread yonks ago when people were asking how not to gain weight over Christmas. The conclusion was that thinner people tend to overindulge in one special meal usually the Xmas dinner, and then eat as they usually would. Still celebrating just doing other things than food. They also wouldn’t buy every single festive food item in the supermarket, just choose a few things. Fat people would make a mountain over every meal time for days, buy everything and just keep going and going….

starfishmummy · 01/09/2021 10:57

Christmas eve we cook a small gammon joint and have a roast gammon meal for dinner. Not a huge meal though. Christmas day is a light brinch/lunch. I usually have smoked salmon and scrambled egg. Christmas Dinner is in the evening and a nice regular sized roast (never turkey!!) with trimmings. No starter and rarely a pudding although if wanted there's cheese and biscuits, sweet biscuits, mince pies etc for later on, or even leftovers.

Our buffet is for boxing day.

Anoisagusaris · 01/09/2021 11:00

Breakfast, smoked salmon/champagne as an early appetiser, dinner at about 5pm, dessert at about 7pm and some Roses later on. No chance could we manage a buffet on top of a large dinner.

rainbowandglitter · 01/09/2021 11:00

Never have a buffet the same day as the Xmas Dinner. Buffet is for boxing day

StevieNix · 01/09/2021 11:10

On Christmas Day we have big breakfast quite early, it’s usually either pastries and fruit, homemade sausage McMuffins, or sausage and bacon sandwiches, or eggs benedict etc
And then we have Christmas dinner (just the main course) at about 5pm.
We then have pudding in the evening for anyone who wants it.
We then do a proper party buffet and leftover meats and jacket potatoes etc on Boxing Day and just pick at it all day really.

idontlikealdi · 01/09/2021 11:16

She family always do what they call 'Christmas tea' which is basically a fuck ton of food that no one can eat. It is such a waste as it often doesn't get put away that night and there is just too much anyway.

Last year under the restrictions we just had the buffet food and skipped the main meal. We basically grazed all day, the kids loved it so may well do the same again otherwise I'm thinking of doing a curry.

ApolloandDaphne · 01/09/2021 11:25

You are going wrong by serving a buffet on Christmas Day. We have a late breakfast then dinner around 3. In the evening people can have crisps/nuts or cheese and biscuits if they are peckish.

Xiaoxiong · 01/09/2021 11:27

We do the same as you @StevieNix when we are at home - extended brunch with smoked salmon, bagels, croissants, boiled eggs, cold meats, yoghurt and honey, feta and tomatoes and cucumber and many pots of coffee while presents are opened - long walk while the turkey is in the oven - eat at 5pm, and as the evening wears on we have dessert, then cheese and biscuits and port.

Boxing Day we have leftovers - Christmas Eve we have seafood 🦞

thelegohooverer · 01/09/2021 11:31

Definitely have the buffet and big dinner on different days. In our house we cook a huge gammon on Christmas Eve and steal slices of it for hot sandwiches at supper.

Christmas Day is the big meal - with a light breakfast if it’s going to be early or a fry if dinner will be later. No one can ever manage dessert straight after so that tends to be eaten as the later meal.

Then the day after is all the left overs - best meal of all, and the consolation that Christmas is over.

turtledovelove · 01/09/2021 11:37

@SpacePug

Does anyone skip Christmas dinner on Christmas day? Maybe have it on Christmas Eve instead 🤔

Just discussing how we are never hungry enough for the buffet on the night, and end up serving it all and then only having a couple of nibbles each. There will be 6 adults and 2 kids.

As a family we have done this a few times now and it has worked brilliantly! Would highly recommend it.

Full Christmas dinner with all the trimmings on Christmas Eve and a selection of our favourite buffet bits on Christmas Day. Takes so much stress out of the cooking and being tied up in the kitchen most of the day.

As I say it's worked perfectly for us and we will most than certainly don't again this year.

BeenAsFarAsMercyAndGrand · 01/09/2021 11:41

Why do you have a buffet?

Late breakfast of salmon on toast with fizz
Xmas dinner at around 3pm
Cheese / crackers / leftovers / Xmas cake /mince pies in the evening

No buffet is needed.

BeenAsFarAsMercyAndGrand · 01/09/2021 11:45

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

Buffet? I don't know anyone who has dinner AND a buffet

we have breakfast, early Xmas lunch/dinner and leftovers if we're peckish at about 9pm.

Me neither - this thread is the first time I've heard about someone doing it.

Every day's a school day!

JohnStonesMissus · 01/09/2021 12:04

@UserOfManyNames

Do people really do a buffet on Christmas Day after a Christmas Dinner

We have a special pancake breakfast at around 9/10 am, dinner at around 4, Christmas pud a few hours later, then leftover Turkey sandwiches/cheese board and fruit much later in the evening as we feel like it.

My family used to do a traditional Boxing Day buffet but I only do one on New Years Eve.

Yes we have Christmas lunch at about 2pm and then a light buffet at about 7pm, it's only food like ham, cheeses, chutneys and pickles ,it's laid out in the dining room and everyone helps themselves if they want it.

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