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Christmas

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

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Original poster

Does anyone have their Christmas dinner on Christmas eve?

20 replies

Stuckinarut23 · 23/12/2023 20:38

Our kids are older so will sleep in Christmas day probably, we normally have visitors in the morning whilst I'm trying to cook. Dinner is normally later then planned and we end up eating way too much and fall asleep in the afternoon! So I was hoping for a chilled day, dinner Christmas eve and films or games. Christmas day we could have a nice breakfast, open presents and maybe a family dog walk to the pub and then a buffet in the evening.

OP posts:

mrsbyers · 23/12/2023 20:39

Your idea sounds great , don’t worry about what anyone else does if it works for you and your family then go for it

Lallybroch · 23/12/2023 20:40

I much prefer our Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve. It means no one is in the kitchen on Christmas Day so it becomes a very relaxed day. A leisurely brunch then a buffet is available all day for everyone to help themselves. I've done this for about ten years now.

QueSyrahSyrah · 23/12/2023 20:40

We do because DH's family celebrate on the 24th so that's when we have the big cooked family meal.

Christmas Day is very relaxed, food is still different to the norm but very low effort (this year a cheese board and the famed MN picky bits).

No DC in the family at the moment, but we'll have our first by next Christmas. I don't see any reason to change our current set-up going forwards.

BlackeyedPetitsPois · 23/12/2023 20:44

We have done this for the past few years. Whilst the kids are younger we wanted to spend time with them on Christmas Day - being with them opening presents etc rather than clock watching and going in and out of the kitchen cooking the dinner.

It works for us at the moment. We might change back to having the Christmas dinner on 25th when kids are older. Who knows.

UnbentUnbowedUnbroken · 23/12/2023 20:47

We do for the past 4-5 years. It has been an absolute game changer for us.

I was so sick of cooking a nice dinner on Christmas Day but the kids weren't hungry as they were helping themselves to chocolate from their stockings.

So now we do the big dinner on Christmas Eve, then have a nice cooked breakfast on Christmas morning and the kids can graze quite happily the rest of the day.

It means I can relax a bit more and also in future years when they are teens and planning to hit the pub on Christmas Eve then at least their stomachs will be lined. It also won't matter if they are hungover the next day. I remember getting heavy side eye from my mum after going clubbing and being too ill to face Christmas dinner.

muchalover · 23/12/2023 20:51

We had our Christmas lunch last Sunday. My son is in Poland for Christmas so we had ours early. He is autistic so quite rigid. The other adult children are happy to have a more chilled time and we're having toad in the hole in Monday instead.

It's just a day.

Original poster

Stuckinarut23 · 23/12/2023 21:12

Ah thank you! We will go for it then 🙂

OP posts:

GaudeteGaudete · 23/12/2023 21:15

We quite often do when we are at home.

shearwater2 · 23/12/2023 21:17

People in a dozen countries across Europe.

Grazyna80 · 23/12/2023 21:21

I’m part Polish , so yeah we do sometimes. I prefer it as it seems less hectic.

Nomorecoconutboosts · 23/12/2023 21:22

Me - because I’m working the following 2 days. However I am looking forward to 4pm tomorrow and it is all cleared away whilst many other families will still be peeling veggies etc.

My friend who is also a nurse regularly catered Christmas dinner on the 24th for her family (she didn’t have dc and when I was single I used to join them) it was nice staying over and having company on Christmas morning before the late shift.

As you may have seen on other threads, some people are very caught up with having festive meals at proper times and in ‘proper routines’ . that’s lovely for those it suits, but many of us aren’t able to fit in with ‘proper’ schedules!

Theredjellybean · 23/12/2023 21:22

We do this
Started when dc were late teens
We have a really amazing dinner, dress up etc on Christmas eve
Then sleep late (hangovers) Christmas day...late breakfast and the a dinner of the good bits later

GrumpyPanda · 23/12/2023 21:26

I'm from one of these traditions that celebrate on the 24th but that never includes Christmas dinner. "Celebrate" means the first lighting of the tree after dusk on Christmas eve, family carols, bubbly and opening of presents. Lighting the tree is a big deal because very many people still use live candles, which last a couple of hours until they're burnt down. Christmas eve dinner is always a light supper - traditionally, prepared-ahead potato salad and some kind of sausages, or pork medallions in more pretentious households. The actual feast takes place on the 25th, so it's nicely spread out. Nobody could handle all the stress of serving a big meal along with all the other excitement, and nobody under 20 would have much of an appetite!

Justrolledmyeyesoutloud · 23/12/2023 21:34

Been wanting to do this for ages but we have a houseful on Christmas day so wouldn't really work

Ikeatears · 23/12/2023 22:22

We've done this almost every year for about 20 years. When dsd was small, we'd have her Christmas Eve overnight then she'd go back to mum at lunchtime on Christmas Day so it meant she could have Christmas dinner with us.
As she's got older, it's continued, even now she's married with a child of her own. When she had dgd, she made it clear that Christmas Eve was reserved for our house. The dc are now almost all adults and they love getting together, receiving new pjs from the elves, doing the reindeer dust (more for dgd than them now though) and in the last couple of years, opening gifts from each other.
It takes the pressure off me and dh to spend the day cooking on Christmas Day, it also takes the pressure off them as they get older and may want to spend Christmas Day/Boxing day with partners' families etc.
They all say they look forward to Christmas Eve as much as Christmas Day.

caringcarer · 23/12/2023 22:34

I hady big fak Xmas on December 9th because that was date in December all of my 3 adult DC their partners, 2 DGS's and my Foster son could all make. I cooked up a full Xmas dinner with all the trimmings and took DGC indoor rock climbing on the Friday evening. Then to a painting a Xmas bauble place on the Saturday morning and an indoor play barn. DH stayed home to get the turkey crown into the oven. I arrived back to get turkey crown out and get beef and roast potatoes in oven. Whilst dinner cooked gifts opened by the people we won't see on real Xmas day and we played with DGC with their toys. Sunday a long dog walk around the lake and a Xmas buffet. I sent them home with lots of left overs for the next day. On real Xmas day DH, FS and I are going to younger sons for lunch and to exchange gifts. It will be nice but much quieter. Tbh I absolutely love my fake Xmas weekend. I get to treat the dgc and we do it every year. That way it leaves my adult DD and SiL to do something with his parents as he's an only DC. It also leaves my adult elder son to go to gf sisters on Xmas day which is her tradition.

elp30 · 23/12/2023 22:56

My family Christmas is tomorrow.

I have adult children and the oldest is off to spend Christmas Day with his father and his sister, the middle child works on Christmas Day as he's a nurse and my youngest has a 4:30am start on the 26th. She works in retail and the store opens at 6am for the annual after Christmas sales, as we live in the US and Boxing Day is not a thing here.

It will be pretty relaxed because if we actually forget anything, the stores are still open and Christmas Day is spent properly chilled out.