Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve?

[Auxbutteschaumont]

Does anyone do, or has anyone made the switch to, having Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve?

I’m toying with the idea this year. We’ve got two DC who are 5 and 2 and I think I’d just like a more chilled Christmas Day but I love all the trimmings with a dinner so don’t want to give that up.

At the moment, as with most parents I assume, it feels like I don’t really sit down on the day itself even with DH’s help. Up early with the kids, all the fun of presents, getting everyone ready, putting the toys ‘away’ for people coming over, the cooking and the clean up etc. We always eat around 1pm because my DM goes back to her house around 4 for the family going to hers for the evening about 5 so the morning just feels feel on, then I’m knackered by mid afternoon.

The only thing putting my off doing the dinner on Christmas Eve around 4pm is the whole ‘tradition’ thing. Will it still feel like Christmas Eve/Day or will doing the lunch the day before take something away from it?

Anyway, forgive my ramblings! What do your days look like if you do The Dinner on Christmas Eve?

Brilliant idea. We’ve done it but go to a restaurant for it, half the cost of what they charge on Christmas Day for the same meal and much more relaxed!

Last year for the first time we didn’t have Christmas dinner on Christmas Day, we went to the local pub and had Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day we had a buffet. We’ll be doing the same this year, it made Christmas Day much more enjoyable

We’ve done this quite often. It was really good when the children were younger as we could set up their toys and spend more time playing with them as well as have more time for ourselves. We’d have party food on Xmas day which the kids loved along with lots of chocolate. PILs were appalled. We still do it sometimes now although sometimes we go to a restaurant for Xmas dinner, we’ve gone out for curry a few times!

I wouldn't do it, but then we already have out traditional Christmas Eve tea. I don't find Christmas dinner that difficult though, most prep is done Christmas Eve so just stick in the oven and then the last 45 mins basting, plating up yorkshires going in etc. Having the airfryer really helped last year

I’ve never done this because more often than not I am at work on Christmas Eve. By the time I finish work and get home it doesn’t feel special enough to have the celebration dinner that day. If I wasn’t working I might try it, I can see why it works for other people.

I grew up with our big feast being on Christmas Eve so it’s the norm for me. I personally think the celebration flows much better with that schedule.

eta: we always take the day off work if we don’t have the day off.

@Auxbutteschaumont i remember that feeling really well. When my sons were younger I was constantly in and out of the kitchen, trying to cook the Christmas dinner and keep them entertained. I wish I had done your idea 💡 ❤️

We haven’t done it yet but are considering doing it this year and then just having a party food buffet on Christmas day! I have friends who go get all the lovely picky bits of party food from m&s, Tescos etc and have that on Christmas day, so much easier and more relaxed!! This year I’ll have a 20 month old and a 6 week old for Christmas so we are going to just do picky bits I think!

Sounds good. Last year we had a frozen pie on Christmas day, was super chilled.

I eat Christmas dinner at least 3 times anyways in the preceeding days anyways.

I make massive portions on Christmas day itself and people then just reheat plates on boxing day and 27th when they want to eat - the full meal again. My family love it and it's become a favourite of Christmas time.

I have at least 2 or 3 big lasagne dishes filled with sectioned up leftovers in the fridge and a big tub of gravy.

Do it and just eat an easy Christmas dinner on the day itself.

We've done this every year since having kids - generally Christmas Eve, but sometimes Boxing Day. It started when DS1 was 1 and everyone except me came down with a fever on Christmas Day, but rapidly came to realize doing all the cooking another day kept things much more relaxed, plus more likely members of the family who work in hospitality will be able to join. Now we live abroad and usually come back to the UK on the 26th or 27th so if we do the big meal a day earlier, it means longer to eat up leftovers! Christmas Day is usually croissants for breakfast, leftovers baguette for lunch and steak and chips for the adults / fish fingers or whatever other beige food they want for the kids. Gives lots more time to enjoy the day, play with presents and fit in the Muppet Christmas Carol. 😄

I started doing this when my kids were 6 and 9. They are now 14 and 17 and we are still doing it. Makes life so much easier.

We do a big dinner on Christmas Eve, with desserts, etc, after which we open gifts from family and from each other, leaving Christmas morning for Santa Claus gifts, followed by a full Irish style breakfast. Christmas Day's dinner is in the evening.
Not sure if that's what you're looking for...

I don't understand how people can sit down to a full dinner in the middle of the day andni don't understand why people spend the day traipsing around to other people's houses either. It just makes everyone cross and tired.

Thanks for all the replies, I think my mind is made up!

I did say to DH that if we’re going to do it, it might as well be while the kids are so young that they won’t notice or care. Also hopefully if the kids have been to soft play then had a big meal they’ll hopefully be ready to go to sleep at a reasonable time as opposed to being up a height 😅.

No I get you, we’d probably still keep all presents for the next day but the main meal would be moved.

I’ve always loved the usual Christmas routine but kids just changed it for me I think! We’ve got the option of going to others’ for Christmas dinner but I just want to stay home.

I don't know about 'large parts' but certainly regions where there are strong German traditions do the Christmas Eve dinner. So the midwest and northern midwest therefore.

In the South, you're more likely to find people doing the traditional British Christmas Lunch at 1pm on Christmas Day.

I just can not fathom change, for me Christmas dinner has and will always be on Christmas Day. For us Christmas dinner is a big part of the day. We always prep veg, yorkies and cook the gammon on Christmas Eve, so then it’s just veg and potatoes to cook on the day. Still pretty chill, well for us anyway 🙃

We’ve had Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve for a number of years now and it works really well. It means we can have others to join us and then we have Christmas to ourselves and can enjoy the day with our DS. I definitely recommend!

I was going to say the same: the French always do it this way.

I like it. It's more elegant than cramming in the sprouts, turkey, crackers and unwrapping all into one manic day! Its also lovely to be able to enjoy the excitement of Christmas Day with your dc rather then "mmm-iing" as they thrust a new toy at you while you are peering up the turkey's cavity to see if there's enough pork stuffing in there. The children also won't really care when the dinner bit comes; if its not "on the day" it really doesn't matter.

We have Christmas dinner on Boxing Day which is lovely. Christmas Day we have something that can be made in advance like beef stroganoff.

We started going to Toby Carvery on Christmas Eve when ds was 1 and it is so quiet in there and not ridiculously priced like it is on Christmas Day!!

Ds will be 4 this year and unless my partner is working on Christmas Eve then we will do the same again 😊

@Choclabratwatowner88 you are lucky you have never had to work Christmas Day. I wish I had a pound for every time someone said when are you having your Christmas dinner whilst I served them theirs. Fortunately for me, just a student job I had for years and my Dad cooked our Christmas meal and we just ate late. I have to say that serving that many Christmas dinners and clearing away the leftovers does put you off your own. Luckily for me Dad cooked a Sunday roast every weekend.

Divorced families also have Christmas dinner on different days due to not having children on Christmas day and people eat at different times, some do it around 1pm some around 6pm. Some people have two Christmas dinners on Christmas Day due to seeing more than one family.

I am fortunate that my sister makes an incredible Christmas Day dinner and we are invited every year with the rest of my family. My Dad is now mid 80s so just cannot cook like that anymore.

OP make your own rules and traditions. Dh and I have blended ours from our families who do it differently, we chose how we would do things. Do what makes it special and fun for you.

We lived in Spain for many years and Christmas Dinner was always on Christmas Eve ( Nochebueno) then XMDay was like UK Boxing Day with cold meats, cheese, seafood and pickles etc.
Not had Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day in UK since except for when staying in a hotel. Makes the day more relaxing, opening and using presents, watching films or walking.

So your Mum cooks on Christmas eve if she's working Christmas day?

I wouldn't feel like it was Christmas without a Christmas dinner! Why don't you prepare the potatoes ready for roasting on Christmas Eve, then buy everything else from M&S or Tesco and just put them in the oven and pans on the hob? It doesn't have to be difficult.