Christmas Dinner is definitely an occasion when less is not more...it comes with about twice (or three times!) the amount of sides as a normal roast so that everyone can have their favourite and there are looooooads of leftovers which I think is the best of the Christmas food.
Table laid extra special - we have a Christmas tablecloth & napkins we use every year, wine glasses DM72 bought in the Netherlands when she was in her 30s, crackers, candles...
Canapés earlier in the living room while we're still opening presents - blinis with smoked salmon, sour cream and caviar; devils on horseback (prunes wrapped in bacon that go all sticky and delicious in the oven) and a few M&S oven type - maybe filo king prawns.
A starter makes it more special than regular Sunday lunch ("lunch" is a bit generous as we usually eat 5pm ish 😁) - last few years I've made a homemade beetroot & cranberry Gravadlax. As a child we always had crab & prawn cocktail (tinned crab - I was a child of the 80s and 90s!!)
We now have Roast Goose on Christmas Day (Turkey on 23rd with Nigella's Double Sprout & Pineapple Fried Rice and gravy made ahead then - this means we can still have our beloved Turkey & Ham pie on Boxing Day or 27th and less to do on Christmas Day if the gravy is done!)
It comes with...roast potatoes, roast parsnips, cauliflower cheese, mash potatoes, mashed swede, sprouts, carrots, red cabbage, pigs in blankets, 2 or 3 types of homemade stuffing balls, bread sauce, cranberry sauce & gravy!
Then flaming Christmas Pudding for the fanfare, individual microwaved sticky toffee puddings for those that don't like Christmas Pudding.
I am getting quite excited (and hungry!) thinking about it!