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Christmas

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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:
LadyofMisrule · 01/09/2021 17:32

We have Xmas dinner on Xmas eve. With twinkly lights and candles, and usually invite a variety of friends.

On Xmas day we have a big breakfast at around 10, then a buffet late afternoon.

yellowdigsaur · 01/09/2021 17:41

Depends of the definition of a buffet!

We have tea and toast for breakfast and then nothing until 1pm when we have a smoked salmon starter, full turkey dinner and a pudding.

By about 8/9pm - will often fancy a nibble on something and there's usually so many of us that everyone wants a nibble on something different - so the contents of the fridge come out - cheese board, prawns, bread, olives etc. A buffet that's not really a buffet.

We have a full scale official buffet on Boxing Day.

I love Christmas.

KihoBebiluPute · 01/09/2021 17:41

Our preference is a big brunch around 10am and a big "centrepiece" meal at 4pm which tends to last until at least 6:30 and then the cheese course drifts on gradually throughout the evening until no one can face another morsel.

When we are with MIL we have a much lighter and earlier breakfast, Christmas Lunch is fairly restrained and not much different from a normal Sunday Roast, and there's a snacky-buffet brought out at 6pm.

If you want a big and impressive buffet then definitely have it on a different day to the big roast!

Disfordarkchocolate · 01/09/2021 17:49

I never have but I know a few people who do and I'm tempted to give it a try. We normally have my in-laws and they are good guests so I'm not sure how it would work. It's lovely cooking for appreciative guests who know when to leave.

katienana · 01/09/2021 17:55

I do a buffet on Christmas eve (quiche, ham, salad, olives, dips, cheese and crackers, bread) then Christmas day we have bagels for breakfast, then dinner at 1pm. Later on we have turkey sandwiches which is my absolute favourite!

maofteens · 01/09/2021 18:11

Buffet?
We do brunch with french toast and bacon and then eat Christmas meal about 4.30 or 5, if anyone is peckish later they can have turkey sandwich. I wouldn't do another full meal on Christmas Day.

yoshiblue · 01/09/2021 18:20

@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.

We are doing this this year. Having the formal dinner on Xmas eve, then curry on Christmas Day, buffet on Boxing day
NeverDropYourMoonCup · 01/09/2021 18:33

Christmas eve is antipasti #1. Lots of meats, olives, artichokes, cheeses, salad, etc. If DP can work out a good GF recipe for chilli cheese straws, they'll be made and after eating several tonnes in front of the TV, the rest will go into a tub for picking at. I used to do a fish meal, something like salmon or cod, peas, potatoes and a fuckton of Dill, but DP isn't a fan.

Christmas day, small cooked breakfast in the morning (something like egg and black pudding), then dinner sometime in the late afternoon or evening, as it's just a Sunday dinner with more veg, possibly something like fruit in the evening (if we can fit anything else in, which is unlikely as Christmas Dinner inherently contains at least 2 types of potato in ridiculous quantities and around 5 separate types of veg with assorted condiments and sauces).

Boxing day, second small cooked breakfast and using up meaty leftovers for a prolonged antipasti#2 in the evening with lots of fresh salad items, pickles, grapes and probably crisps.

By Day 3, we're most likely swapping breakfast for some sort of brunch, maybe avocado GF toast and bacon, eggs florentine, boiled eggs and asparagus or egg, ham and cheese and the evening meal is likely to be a curry (normally 2 vegetable side dishes, one pulse based, plain rice and possibly a few onion pakora).

Then normal service is resumed until New Year's Day when it's usually gammon (because DP loves the stuff whereas I'm happy to cook it but also rather meh about eating more than a couple of slices). I'll knock up some pease pudding and then any leftover meat will be sliced up and frozen for him to enjoy over January.

The treat side is that the cost isn't relevant; fancy the posh melon instead of a sweaty looking tub reduced to clear on Christmas Eve? Add it to the order. Fresh strawberries and coconut yoghurt? Fine.

I don't do deprivation. I do enjoyment, and where Christmas is concerned, that means days of lovely food and getting as much daylight as possible, not holing up and feeling obliged to have tens of thousands of calories of stuff that isn't as nice (in my opinion) because it's been marketed to be a 'treat'. Which for us means eating as much of what we want only if we want it/are hungry, rather than forcing in another meal out of obligation.

MrsPworkingmummy · 01/09/2021 18:39

We are one of those strange families who DO have a Christmas Day lunch AND an evening buffet 😁. To be fair, we love to host and any family who don't come for LUNCH come for a Christmas picky tea. Our typical Christmas Day food consists of:

Breakfast around 8am: smoked salmon and scrambled egg on a bagle served with champagne

Christmas lunch around 1.30pm: roast duck, roast potatoes, swede or celeriac (with oodles of cream and butter), honeyed carrots, roast parsnips, stuffing and Yorkshire pudding. BIL usually brings shredded or roast sprouts and another veg side dish. Pudding is a choice of homemade Christmas cake or an M&S 'themed' kids sponge cake with ice cream or cream

Christmas picky buffet served around 6.30pm: cheese board with chutney, crackers, celery and grapes; M&S festive salads; spanish meats and olives; left over meat; crisps/breadsticks and dips. Additional guests tend to bring things like Stollen or Pannetone which will be opened and served on the table.

G&T, champagne, larger, IPA, tea, coffee and Irish coffee etc are offered throughout the day

wasthataburp · 01/09/2021 18:53

@stackhead

The buffet is for boxing day definitely!

Wake up, presents/breakfast. Graze on sugar based sh*t through the morning. Christmas dinner at 3ish. Pudding at 5/6 ish. Maybe some crisps/nuts when playing a board game from 8+

Boxing day christmas leftover sandwiches are the most epic part of dinner IMO.

This is our Xmas to a T!
NorthLodgeAvenue · 01/09/2021 18:57

Are you utterly, utterly insane?
Would you like me to message you with a way to directly help refugees?
It might help take your mind off this dilemma.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 01/09/2021 19:10

I don't think the OP is planning a Christmas buffet for refugees, so you can rest easy on that account.

People can think of nice things as well as awful ones, you know

MaMelon · 01/09/2021 19:14

Is there an official list of causes that precludes any form discussion on certain topics on MN? If so, can you post it somewhere please North so we’re all really clear.

Flatdisco · 01/09/2021 19:16

We have breakfast at 9ish then lunch at 1 to 2. Then pudding at 4 or 5. So not much room for buffet. Just have some nuts or crisps later on with drinks.

I like Christmas lunch so I wouldn't want to skip it. But think a buffet is nice too so normally have something like that on boxing day.

NorthLodgeAvenue · 01/09/2021 19:32

Why would any sane person be " worrying" about a potential surfeit of food?
Possibly on the 23rd of December but now? Really?

MaMelon · 01/09/2021 19:42

Yes - really. You know that in best MN fashion you could just scroll past this thread?

lunar1 · 01/09/2021 19:54

We get up and eat chocolate from stockings, go out for a walk fro an hour or so. Eat bacon butties and open presents. We are usually done by 11 at the latest, then Christmas dinner around 6-7!

Followed by another walk to see everyone's Christmas lights in the dark.

UndertheCedartree · 01/09/2021 20:25

We do a buffet on Boxing Day. We couldn't eat a big roast dinner and then a pudding and then a buffet too, like you say! We usually have breakfast about 10am. Dinner around 2/3pm and then pudding about 6/7pm. For me Christmas day wouldn't be the same without a roast (which is quite rare for us). But as long as you're happy no harm in switching things around!

UndertheCedartree · 01/09/2021 20:30

@Theimpossiblegirl

We always have the cheeseboard on boxing day too. We have eggs Benedict for brunch then the traditional meal at about 4, dessert is usually left until the evening. We never have room for cheese.
Same here and I always base our Boxing day buffet around a cheese board.
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/09/2021 20:35

Christmas Eve :
croissants and cofffee
lunch about 1pm- vegetable grills , fish for DS , triple cooked chips, dips and salad
evening late buffet - french bread, cheese,crisps, mince pies , Christmas cake about 10pm

Christmas Day -
pancakes , toast and scra,bled egg for DH
Christmas Dinner after dark

Boxing Day -
big vegetarian cooked breakfast - vegetarian sausage, bacon, mushrooms, beans , potatoe scones , eggs for DH

Our tradition is pizza . Start the doughi in the morning and slow rise . Shape and add toppings

I have a breadmaker now so I need to shoehorn some nice fresh bread and cinnamon buns in there somewhere Xmas Grin

santabetterwashhishands · 01/09/2021 20:35

We have a small breakfast then a full Christmas dinner about 3 o'clock and never feel hungry at evening so have a buffet about 3 o'clock Boxing Day.

MsSquiz · 01/09/2021 20:36

We have a simple/light breakfast of cereal and/or pastries around 8am, then the full Christmas lunch around 1pm (no starter, just main course and dessert).

Then we might have turkey sandwiches and left over party food from Christmas Eve to pick at around 6/7pm until bed time.

lorisparkle · 01/09/2021 20:43

We have croissants / pain au chocolate for Christmas breakfast. Part way through the morning we have guests for coffee/mulled wine/minced pies etc then at around lunch time do a 'starter' of prawn cocktail. Then at around dinner time we have the traditional Christmas dinner. Sometime in the evening we have the pudding! We liked the idea of a 'three course meal' so spread it out over the day!!!

Redhotchilis · 01/09/2021 20:50

We did this last year for the first time - Christmas dinner on Christmas eve, then gorgeous buffet of our favourite foods to graze on Christmas day. We all like different things, DS had pizza from his favourite local takeaway (ordered Christmas eve), DH, DD and I had lots of indulgent nibbles.

We all loved it so much, we're never returning to a traditional dinner on Christmas day. The dinner itself on Christmas eve felt all the more exciting knowing the day was nearly upon us, rather than presents open, excitement gone by the time we eat it.

We exchange presents from the children to us and to each other on Christmas eve too so that worked beautifully after dinner.

Then bubble and squeak for Christmas day evening or Boxing day (much nicer than the actual dinner in our opinion so why relegate it to a few days later!)😊

NorthLodgeAvenue · 01/09/2021 20:57

scroll past always an option.

Enjoy your midwinter fest/ birth of Christ.

But really, honestly, how can people be angsting about pain au hocolate or nibbles or when to have tea?
Please look outside at the bigger picture.

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