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Christmas

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

What do you do on Christmas Day?

120 replies

ToddlerTerror · 28/06/2023 21:46

I absolutely love Christmas. I love the run up to it, I love the food, the decorations, the trees, even the Christmas jumpers. BUT the last few Christmas days, I have felt like they have been a bit of an anti-climax.
We tend to have a nice breakfast, then open presents, then I feel like I am stuck in the kitchen cooking and hosting until 4pm ish and then the day feels like it is over and I am knackered.
I was wondering what other people do to make the day feel a bit more special? I did suggest to DH that we have our main Christmas meal at 6pm ish instead of 1pm as then that gives us the day to do something but he wasn't overly keen.
There is just myself, DH and DD who is 3. We tend to have at least one set of parents if not both over for lunch but none of them, apart from my Mum, are interested in games.
I'm just a bit fed up of feeling like my favourite time of year is no longer magical like it was when I was a child.

OP posts:
FusionChefGeoff · 28/06/2023 23:03

ohfook · 28/06/2023 22:13

I love Christmas but started to feel a bit like you so now I think of Christmas as the whole of December - a month to prioritise family, doing nice activities, creating a bit of magic etc - as opposed to just one day.

Yes!! I make a big thing of ceremonially using the Christmas plates / tea towels / towels etc from 1st Dec and declaring it Christmastime

I then mention it repeatedly all month to reinforce the idea it's already happening rather than this enormous build up to a single day

GG1986 · 28/06/2023 23:03

Usually spend Christmas day pleasing everyone else and being bossed about by my mother about how we spend our day. I would love to Xmas day alone with just my partner and kids and not have to leave the house, but we usually get a couple of hours alone, then he goes to get mil, then I cook, or we all go to my parents for dinner, then my sister and her family come over or we go there for the evening, get home really late and the day is over and we are exhausted. Bah humbug!!

PinkCheetah · 28/06/2023 23:18

Lagershandy · 28/06/2023 22:25

For the last 30 years of so we have gone to a local restaurant for Christmas lunch. There is normally around 14 of us (all family)
Get up Christmas morning, light breakfast including Bucks Fizz! Open our presents and have a lovely relaxing morning.
We then get dressed up, go and have a fabulous lunch, then back home change into our comfies and chill out.
Absolute bliss!

This sounds like the dream. Good for you. I'd suggest the same if my family lived locally.

mathanxiety · 28/06/2023 23:47

I have adult children now, so the present opening isn't as much of a big deal as it used to be. When the DCs were small, they opened presents before a late breakfast.

We still have a late and large breakfast (bacon, sausages, eggs, cinnamon rolls, fruit) and then sit around for a while.

I cook on and off most of the day after that. We eat around 7.

I can't imagine getting a Christmas dinner prepared and served for 1pm. I never even attempted it.

ChicoryDip · 28/06/2023 23:53

Prep as much as you can in the days up to Christmas so that the veg is sorted and all you need to do is put the meat in the oven and heat up everything else.

Christmas Eve - We always used to have seafood and fizz for dinner, watch The Snowman with DC and then break into some of the nice snacks once DC are in bed. Set the table for Christmas dinner.

Christmas Day - Get up, have coffee and bacon rolls while DC open presents from Father Christmas. We then get everyone out for a long walk and take a picnic with us. Lunch might be soup in a flask, smoked salmon sandwiches, mince pies, cake, sausage rolls etc. We eat after we've walked and then head home for around 2pm.

Turkey goes in the oven, assemble everything that needs heating up, and we do family presents with a glass of fizz, play with the new toys, watch some tv and, apart from the last hour before dinner when it's all hands on deck, mostly chill out.

Dinner around 5:30pm when it's dark enough to light candles. DC might have some dessert but we'd mostly save it until later when the DC were in bed.

Watch tv, drink, eat snacks/dessert, sleep!

mathanxiety · 29/06/2023 01:34

Agree, @mondaytosunday

For me, the best part of Christmas is the three or more days afterwards when we eat leftovers, and I can sit around all day reading or watching movies to my heart's content. The DCs like to hit the sales or visit friends who are also home for the holiday. The days with no cooking to be done are worth all the work on Christmas day itself.

I also love Christmas Eve when we have a pizza and a dessert like a chocolate pie or lemon meringur pie and open presents from each other. Later that evening I stick the turkey into a bucket of brine and make cinnamon roll dough in the bread machine, then assemble the rolls to rise overnight, followed by Santa Claus duty.

Littletinytarzanswingingfromanosehair · 29/06/2023 03:11

We go abroad now the kids are older and it's been an absolute game changer.

Rome-2018
NYC - 2019
Thailand -2021
San Fran -2022
Cuba - 2023

I get very bad SAD over autumn and winter and Xmas makes it worse, I think since losing family members etc made Xmas harder and harder.

Riapia · 29/06/2023 05:39

Christmas.
When people spend more than they can afford on things that nobody could possibly want for people that they don’t even like.
On the 27th of December you try to convince yourself that “next year it will all be different.”
😉😁😁

TeenDivided · 29/06/2023 05:51

his was our routine when DC were younger:

7am
I put turkey in oven having prepped the night before
bring cups of tea up
stockings on our bed
breakfast
dressed

9am a few presents, open in turn
9.30 stick a brand new DVD on

11am Grandparents arrive, settle in main presents

11.30-1 main cooking time
Eat 1pm, all done, washed up ready for The Queen (King now of course) at 3pm

3.30 walk outside

Then afternoon tea, GPs depart, TV, light snack if wanted, DC to bed.

Collapse.

To my mind, they key to not cooking all day is to prep the day before and eat at lunchtime.

aramox1 · 29/06/2023 05:54

Go for a long walk if possible and chill. No parents left and son is a reclusive teen. Ideally play one game.

ohfook · 29/06/2023 05:58

@FusionChefGeoff us too. The tree goes up on 1st December then, Christmas plates, crockery etc too. I have a box of Christmas stories that we use for bedtime story that month. I just love it!

Alway1insomethingstat · 29/06/2023 06:02

go and enjoy it at someone else’s house. Let them host your Christmas meal 🤣

madamepresident · 29/06/2023 06:16

We aren't in the UK so we've either gone out for lunch and then did a bit of shopping or spent it on holiday.
I found Christmas quite stressful in the UK and quite pressurised. We normally buy gifts a couple of days or a week before , there's no rushing round and queuing in shops and it's quite relaxed. We get up, do presents and a light breakfast then get ready for lunch out at a hotel. The come home eat chocolate, call family members and watch tv. If it's the right weather we might go for a swim. All very relaxed and much more suited to us as a family. It's what we are used to and we wouldn't have it any other way.

AuntieMarys · 29/06/2023 06:27

I've never cooked a Xmas dinner in my life...I'm in my 60s. When dcs were small we always went for a walk in the morning then to friends for drinks 12 till 2. Then home to something like lasagne, shoulder of lamb, curry...we ate about 3.
No family to see which was great from our point of view.
Now we still walk but go out for a non traditional Xmas lunch about 3

DaisyWaldron · 29/06/2023 06:28

I actively enjoy the cooking and eating parts of the day, so having a day to potter around in the kitchen and create a feast is a nice treat. My parents didn't feel the same way at all though, so growing up, our Christmas meal was a big spread of nice deli food - good bread and cheese, and olives and salad and hummus and an M&S quiche. Basically a glorious assortment of picky bits. And I enjoyed that, too.

ExplodingCarrots · 29/06/2023 06:41

We have Xmas dinner on Xmas eve now. So around 1/2pm. Then we can enjoy Xmas eve evening with nibbles and watching films . Xmas day we literally slob out all day eating cheese , sausage plait and leftovers . I had my never again moment when I was in the kitchen all morning and missing out on dd playing with and setting up her new toys .

Simplelobsterhat · 29/06/2023 07:08

My main question is if you are eating at about 1, why are you stuck in the kitchen until 4? If there are other adults there and you've done most of the cooking, someone else should be washing up, getting coffees and snacks etc surely? We've never done xmas dinner in evening but I always imagine the whole day becomes build up to it then, whereas I like the chilling out bit after.

In our house DH is main Xmas chef. We do as much prep as we can before the day, eg I normally make a freeze a sausage meat stuffing in advance, DH does bread sauce day before and reheats in microwave. Some peeling and chopping night before. We only have a turkey crown as usually 5 or 6 (one set of grandparents each year) of us, so cooking times not as long as some of these posters. He always has a schedule written out of what needs to be done when, and we pick a quite time in that to all sit down a give presents in the morning with mince pies or biscuits. (DC will already have had stockings and main gift from Santa first thing).

I'm in charge of most other hosting - simple breakfast, coffees and snacks, washing up dinner which grandparents usually take charge of with me drying and putting away, snack tea things for later etc. So although DH is in the kitchen most if morning (and prefers to be left to it than helped too much as we just get in his way!) He certainly isn't there until 4, and we do make time in schedule where we are all together in morning too.

Afternoon and evening are about board games, films or Xmas TV specials, a little walk if dry after lunch etc

However, I agree it's not just one day. Build up always nice, and I always particularly enjoy the week after when I am usually off work and we often have some Xmas get together with our siblings or the parents we didn't see on Xmas day, with less pressure on specific expectations but still lots of nice food and presents!

BMrs · 29/06/2023 07:12

We have two DC (will be 4&7 this Christmas). We started to spend Christmas Day just us last year as we found we enjoyed it during covid and we have complicated families!

I also LOVE the run up to Christmas, already booked our panto, National Trust Illuminations and two shows with DM and a friend.

Anyways...Christmas Eve we have a Chinese takeaway (prebook a slot) and drink wine and nibbles watching National Lampoona Christmas Vacation. We do this every year while kids are in bed. During the day we bake and craft with kids.

Christmas Day last year we pre booked a
Christmas dinner delivered by a restaurant. I only ordered a small portion to share between kids as they don't eat very much and it was lovely! Can't decided between doing this again or making a really simple dinner myself. Was thinking of trying to cook a Turkey crown in the slow cooker and prepping as much the night before as poss as I lived not spending the whole day in the kitchen.

We spent the day playing with the kids, setting up toys, hoping to do games this year and we always go for a walk on the beach. We don't bother with a bug dress up either and I spent the day in Christmas comfies bought especially.

3 is such a wonderful age for your daughter, try to take the pressure off yourself!

Sillyfred · 29/06/2023 07:13

I'm currently reading a WW2 Diary. And the authors cleaner comes to clean just before Christmas and she brings her daughter along too. Who, at 12, isn't sure if Santa Claus is real or not. So she's on best behaviour just in case.

And I can confirm that in 1941, people often thought about Christmas far in advanced. She writes it was the same in WW1. Simply hoarding food from Summer to be able to bake and save it for Christmas.

I guess it's similar now for many people and the COL crisis. People do need to budget for the big day which means prepping in the Summer.

Enjoy your prepping and thinking OP 😊

BMrs · 29/06/2023 07:14

Sillyfred · 29/06/2023 07:13

I'm currently reading a WW2 Diary. And the authors cleaner comes to clean just before Christmas and she brings her daughter along too. Who, at 12, isn't sure if Santa Claus is real or not. So she's on best behaviour just in case.

And I can confirm that in 1941, people often thought about Christmas far in advanced. She writes it was the same in WW1. Simply hoarding food from Summer to be able to bake and save it for Christmas.

I guess it's similar now for many people and the COL crisis. People do need to budget for the big day which means prepping in the Summer.

Enjoy your prepping and thinking OP 😊

Ooh what's the book called please @Sillyfred ? I love ww2 books and love Christmas!

Sillyfred · 29/06/2023 07:18

Nella Last's War. It's really lovely and such a good insight. Especially about how social norms changed!

Roselilly36 · 29/06/2023 07:20

Our DS’ are adults now, we have a very relaxed Christmas day, up have breakfast, presents. Dinner happens when DH has it cooked, anytime from 3pm to 5pm, he cooks roast most weekends, so it just another roast with a few extras. We watch films. And have a relaxing day together. That may change soon as DS1 will be moving out soon and he and his girlfriend might have other plans this Christmas.

BreezySunnyDay · 29/06/2023 07:23

I've really stopped enjoying Christmas Day all that much.

If you're doing all the cooking then it's fair that you get to decide engine the meal happens!

Bacon sandwiches at 10 and dinner at 5ish?

Or, Christmas dinner the night before and party food all day on Xmas day?

Or, someone else does ALL of the cooking and you get to relax? 😂

DustyLee123 · 29/06/2023 08:10

As we have the main meal at 5pm I do a little buffet at lunch. Crackers/cook at home buns/cheeses/a gammon ham/crisps etc, and the kids say that the buffet is the best bit.

SummerSazz · 29/06/2023 08:37

We have Xmas dinner on Xmas eve about 5/6pm. Elves deliver pjs stealthily to the front door during dinner. Then a few games

Xmas day - stockings, then breakfast (smoked salmon and scrambled eggs) then open some presents. Break at 11am for fizz and hot homemade sausage rolls, some more presents. Then a walk and back for kings speech. Then buffet food, nibbles or whatever anyone fancies. Then some games and maybe a movie.

We started this when the DC were small (now 16 and 14!) when they got lots of Lego. They wanted us to build it with them and felt awful keep rushing off to the kitchen and not enjoying their presents with them.

Also allows everyone to enjoy whatever food/chocs they want to scoff on Xmas day without fear of overeating and feeling ill with a big meal in front of them!

Even my very traditional sister is converted 😂

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