Should you let guests know you're not cooking traditional Christmas Dinner

Yes, I would, in case it was something they couldn’t eat. I’d be quite happy with Indian or vegan food though.

Yes I would as I wouldn't want them to be disappointed

Yes, it’s good manners.

I'm in two minds about it really. I think an informal comment about it not being the usual Christmas roast is OK. But I also think it's up to the host to serve what they want to cook/provide. There are plenty of other days to eat a traditional meal. Boxing Day?

For a while, our 'traditional' meal on Christmas Day was Mexican. I got bored with it after a while.

Yes I would. There are so many different ideas of what constitutes a Christmas dinner now.

We are having seafood. If we were inviting anyone then I would make it clear what was intended. Personally I can't stand turkey, potatoes or sprouts though had to cook them for years to suit other people. Now we are on our own we have what we like best.

I d love an Indian meal for Christmas dinner
Can’t the said lady have her traditional Christmas dinner for Boxing Day
Traditional can get a bit boring
I m going to a Christmas work meal and the only vegetarian option is a stuffed pepper and traditional vegetables not at all sure how that’s going to be, it doesn’t exactly float my boat

Personally I think yes the host should have mentioned it at the time of inviting.
However, if it were me being invited, I’d happily go along - I’d value the company of friends/family above the meal - but I’d probably do the traditional Xmas dinner another day (although on a smaller scale than usual!)

Not Christmas but New Years Eve.
My GD and I have been invited to her friend’s fathers house for New Years Eve Dinner.
I have been sent a link to an Indian takeaway away, quite expensive actually, to make my choice.
I do not like curry or anything spicy but will choose the mildest I can find so as to not offend.
Given the choice I would stay at home and have a duck breast or a nice steak.

Someone in our family invited a sibling and their young children for Christmas, and instead of cooking Christmas dinner, they all went out to a hotel for lunch. The children were quite young. I would have been horribly disappointed if I had been the guest-parent. I don't know or care who paid the bill; for me, Christmas Day with family is about preparing and sharing a noisy, messy feast in the comfort and privacy of your home, not sitting in a restaurant trying to keep your children quiet.

If I invite someone to a meal at anytime I give them an idea of what I'm serving. It means they don't have to sit and eat something they don't really like and I don't have to watch them do it.

Last year for the very first time in my 84years I went out for dinner on Christmas Day.
It was very expensive and very disappointing.
I like the chaos in the kitchen, will the turkey be cooked through?
Will it be dry.
Will Grandma drink too much Sherry, will she be rude as usual?
Will the GC have eaten too much chocolate?
A time honoured ritual, I missed it so much, and under pressure I am going out again this year.

Christmas dinner is Christmas dinner, I think if you are doing something different you should say before asking if guests would like to join them. I would expect a roast, maybe not Turkey, but definitely a meat joint of some kind It’s like being asked for Sunday lunch and given pasta.

Spare a thought for our family's Christmas catering! As usual, I'll be going to stay with DS2 and his family. He is vegan, his partner vegetarian, as am I. And my teenage GSs are carnivorous. On Boxing Day, all being well, my other son and his partner will be coming for lunch. They are carnivorous but she is gluten and dairy intolerant. In past years, DS2 and I have created the vegan/veggie dishes and left the cooking of turkey and trimmings to someone else. We quite often find that other family members will ask to try our veggie offerings.

I can still remember the disappointment of my MIL not doing mashed potatoes one Christmas. If the rest of the Christmas dinner had been missing I would have been traumatised for life.

People who want a 'traditional' meal are free to enjoy one on any other day, so I don't see a problem. We shouldn't expect a particular meal as guests, should we? We get what we're given, that's polite. It's lovely to be offered something different.

Here, I do the usual dinner and a vegan dish or two, making sure all the veg etc. are suitable for vegans. If I go elsewhere, I'll take a few vegan things along, rather than expect the host to make my preferred meal, especially for me. That would be ungracious.

(and) 'traditional' turkey dinner only started to become popular in Victorian times. It would be goose (or wild boar for the wealthy) before that.

I’m not cooking but know it’s going to be vegan but I’m guessing it will be traditional just without any bits of dead animals. Everyone knows this and not a problem as there are 5 vegans , 3 vegetarians and only 4 omnivores in the group , so it made the decision easy. The person that is doing most of the cooking is a French trained chef so we know it will be good!

I'm simply there for the lovely family company. Anything I'm offered to eat will be acceptable. I can do my own thing on many other days of the year.

GagaJo

I'm in two minds about it really. I think an informal comment about it not being the usual Christmas roast is OK. But I also think it's up to the host to serve what they want to cook/provide. There are plenty of other days to eat a traditional meal. Boxing Day?

For a while, our 'traditional' meal on Christmas Day was Mexican. I got bored with it after a while.

You can eat an Indian or vegan meal any day of the week. Christmas is a day for the traditional meal. I would decline.

The question was - should guests be made aware before hand. This thread shows they should.

The question the OP asks is should you tell prospective guests that you are not doing a traditional meal.
Yes you should.
They are then forewarned and don’t have a shock/ surprise when the meal is served.
If they choose not to come that is their choice.
I would always accept as I would be delighted with the invitation.

Crossed posts kitty

We are going to our son’s, “Not doing turkey or anything, it’ll be steaks and salmon”.

Fine by me, but suspect DH would prefer traditional.

Yes, the host should definitely mention if he is doing something different, although it’s just another meal really.

I find annsixty’s comments rather poignant…

given the choice, I would stay at home
under pressure, I am going out again this year