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?

Yes we’ve done it for years and have picky food and leftovers on Christmas Day. It means we all get to spend the day together rather than one or two in the kitchen.

My kids are veggies which makes it all easier - Christmas lunch is roast veg with roast potatoes, so just a couple of trays in the oven. Rest of the day is party food and picky bits.

So much easier than managing turkey, ham, bread sause, sprouts etc etc

My brother and his wife have done this for years and then do left overs on Christmas Day. It works for them.

During covid when we couldn’t have in laws over, I suggested trying this, there was nearly a mutiny from DH and DC 😂

I can see the appeal but then with plenty of prep and both doing a share, I’ve never found cooking a full dinner on the day that bad.

I will never go back to Christmas day dinner again! We usually go to our local pub for xmas dinner but when OH tested positive for covid xmas eve I had no dinner to be cooked, just full English and usual snacks stuff. I did that for xmas dinner instead , (people did offer to share theirs) Everyone enjoyed it and i realised that its not that big a deal what you eat more that you all sit down together and enjoy the day! Christmas eve for us now, I do the full dinner and its a much nicer vibe, the kids are happy ro chop and peel we all sat round the table and because that's the only thing happening we sat for ages afterwards chatting instead of kids twitching to get back to their prezzies! The silly expensive dessert was enjoyed as they werent all full of goodies already! The kitchen was spotless in no time and I just made a batch of pizza dough for Xmas day and set the pizza oven up by the kitchen door. I used up the meat from the dinner. I always do full cooked breakfast on xmas morning so pizza could just be done when we were hungry which turned out to be 7pm! It made xmas feel so much more enjoyed rather than squished into one day! Go for it!
Even time to look presentable before grandparents turn up!

We used to, when the DC were small and we were going to our parents, we would do our own dinner on Christmas Eve. Now we work til late on Christmas Eve as we have a shop, so we're moving things around and having a quiet Christmas Day at home. We'll do a dinner, but in our own time

Yeah we've done it past few years and its honestly been a game changer. We'll probably revert back to Christmas day when kids are grown up but inhave 3 under 11 and it's worked so well for us.
It didn't matter how much prep was done the day before, it was still clock watching and timings and in and out of the kitchen all day. A struggle to get the kids to sit down.
We first did it a covid year when I just thought, you know what, I've spent half of Christmas Eve "prepping" the past few years and still end up spendong christmas dau back amd forth, sod it we're having it tonight. So got the oven on. We do it for 4pm ish with my parents and grandma, they then clean and wash up foe us while we get the kids bathed and ready for bed. DH and DPs were skeptical forster year but now love it.
We eat leftovers and treats on Christmas day and everyone is welcome to call round as we aren't planning the full sit down or cayering for set numbers.
If you're thinking about it please give it a try, no harm in reverting back next year if doesnr suit you.

I don’t see the point, it’s just switching the day not changing the work. I like the idea of the buffet with trimmings on Christmas Day though

Yea I used to do this when DD was young- worked perfectly and plenty more focussed family time on the actual day

Yes! We have Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and wouldn’t go back. We can have more people over who wouldn’t come on Xmas day and we can spend the actual day playing with DS. I was against it at first but now a complete convert. We have new Xmas day and Boxing Day traditions which add to the festivities. We have leftovers for Boxing Day lunch and then ham, egg & chips for tea. We haven’t looked back ❤️

Absolutely do what suits you and your family. Make your own ‘Traditions’.

We do because my mum is Belgian and that's the tradition she grew up with.