Christmas - who are they kidding?

The best alternative idea DH had was to make crackers with indoor fireworks inside - if course, they didn't work and the children were totally underwhelmed. Since then we have always enjoyed the ones that look good on the table and blow the contents.

Our table always looks nice with a red cloth and shiny glasses and cutlery, nicely folded napkins and candles as a centre piece. It's one of rhe things I remember from domestic science at school, making the table look nice with some sort of symmetry. I've actually surprised myself with that memory as I hated ds and, particularly, the bullying teacher.

Indoor fireworks!! Happy memories, do you remember the one that produced a writhing snake from the top?
When DH was very poorly 8 years ago and in the Royal Free over Christmas, DDs and I along with his sisters went to spend the afternoon with him and took in smoked salmon sandwiches on Christmas Day. He was well enough to go down to the cafe area in a wheelchair which was better than staying in the ward.
However we nearly had a fit when his younger sister produced some indoor fireworks and said "do you remember howcwe always used to have these at Christmas?"
Could you imagine the smoke alarms and probably sprinklers going off and evacuating a huge 12 storey hospital on Christmas Day afternoon?

When I get so addled I don't know who I am, perhaps some kind person will make me a little napkin parcel with eucalyptus and rosemary(good for the memory)tied up in twine. I'd like a Thornton's continental on top and a brown luggage label reminding me who I am saying, 'Ginny, you must sit here'.

We are eating with DD this year. At the moment you cannot see her dining table for homework projects, bits of Lego, a half built cardboard skeleton and various piles of household paperwork. I don't think I've seen the actual table surface all year! I suppose a half built cardboard skeleton might make a novel centrepiece with some tinsel around it? She'll get there before the big day, I'm sure. Last time it was her turn the table looked beautiful.

FarNorth the cooking part was fine for me and DBF and DD then 17 were doing everything else, both arty types.
It was just the lack of communication on the Friday evening which sort of built up over the weekend.An extra 8 at the drinks party.
He had not thought to ask any of his friends whom I did not know about food likes/dislikes etc.
I did once throw an empty roasting tin across the room at him, missed, he still has it with the large dent in it's side.

I loved your post Luckygirl. I think you have got the sentiment exactly right.

Lucky you missed felice or "he" might still have a dent somewhere!
(I take it your aim has improved since then!!)

I think the bloody 'elf on the shelf' should do it all!

Why do we allow all these commercial impositions on our own celebrations?

Last year I did a sort of buffet Christmas lunch for 15 people and I did tie ribbons on cutlery bundles to speed them through the kitchen helping themselves, I also set up my coffee pod machine like a hotel would and let people get on with it themselves.

My major annoyance is people who are vegans or allergic who want me to cater for their every need, why can't they bring what they need? Almond milk gets left in my fridge with a couple of coffees worth of it used............grrrrrr

Bloody palaver for what is basically now a Sunday dinner, we are all too well off and don't know what to inflict on ourselves next.

Talk about first world problems

Rinouchka, that's a great idea! Think I'll do that too!

Sounds like Martha Stewart meets Pippa Middleton!

Just do your thing all that faddying about is annoying.so is Kirstie. Less is more so they say.

I never understand why people get in such a state about one day. It's just a roast at the end of the day. Ignore all the rubbish about a perfect day and do what you want. Fussy eaters should be glad of any food they get. There are plenty going without on a daily basis

I don't actually know anyone who gets really stressed and bothered . Certainly not me or my DDs. However we do like to make Christmas special in our own way and if that means 'faffing' with table decor, so be it.

Lucky girl that was a great post

I sometimes make place names, as I love card making etc, but this habit stems from when the Grand kids were small and used to fight who got to sit by Grandmother, now they can sit where they like, fighting days are over, or else Grandmother isnt as popular! Why not just ask people to sit where you want them to, if they dont know each other, I gues we can all still talk even these days with I-phones etc!

Yes I hate all the magazine articles that start thus..7.30 prep turkey....blah blah ?Time for love peace family friends..NOT stress and cordon bleu!!!

My favourite part of Christmas is the decorating of my home the week before Christmas, including the Table decor, as I'm a crafty person and it gives me the chance to work on my creations and at the same make my house Christmassy.
I normally hate cooking, however, because the Christmas lunch is such an important family get together, I absolutely love this sort of meal and the decorating of the table is part & parcel to making it special ( no name tags though as they are family and can sit where they like). I also help out at our villages senior citizens Christmas lunch and do 40 handcrafted table favours every year. My children are all grown up, but I commute to a full time job everyday, so I have to manage my time well.

I have forsaken table "gifts" for a lottery scratch card. It provides some amusement Keepsthe guests occupied while I set up dessert and generally one person at the table wins £100 plus!! No difficult personalisation thinking, I just buy 20 Christmas scratch cards at the Supermarket with the Veg and lay them out with the Napkins and cheap crackers.

By the time you've faffed around with string and brown paper and bits of holly etc, you could have cooked dinner!
I wouldn't bother with crackers at all but my kids (aged 30-39) all like them so we have cheapie ones these days. I did try more expensive ones so that there were gifts worth having - but they still got left behind when we left the table.

Spare a thought for the retail, Internet warehouse staff, delivery drivers, hospitality and hotel catering staff and every other worker who may be working till 9pm or even later Xmas Eve then up again early Boxing Day to keep the whole show going. The era of bring paid double time or time and a half is long gone; these days you pay for your own taxi to work boxing day as no public transport, bosses don't pay for these anymore either it seems. Last year DD who works in retail and SIL, a chef only got Xmas Day off, the year before he had to work Xmas Day, they have a two year old as well. There is a petition on change.org you can sign to give retail staff Boxing Day off - surely you can survive two days without shopping.

Well Daphne I have done exactly this sort of place setting in the past, without the sweet/biscuit. I enjoyed doing it over the years when I had ten for Christmas lunch.
These days I'm the one going to family for the day so I just help with some of the cooking and leave the decorations to the hostess.

Years ago I won a book in a raffle: Vogue Christmas, full of crafts and things to do to make Christmas beautiful.

Sometimes I even take it off the shelf, look through and sigh at all the lovely things, then put it back again.

This hour by hour 'stress free' advice we are given makes me laugh! DH and I prepare the turkey and peel the veg the night before, I also make stuffing in advance. He always lays the table and I put a centrepiece and napkins on , and crackers. All on Christmas eve. Then Christmas day all I have to do is turn on the oven for the turkey. We then have time to go to church then come back and do veg and warm up stuffing. Simple. Pud has been made Months before so no prob.
More recently GC have written place names for everyone which is sweet, esp the phonetic spellings!
Family always insist on washing up. Present opening is after lunch over a cup of coffee.(Only stockings opened before lunch!) Family protest vehemently if any variation is suggested! Then a nice walk, back for a cup of tea . Evening is family games - no TV is allowed on. (But secretly we record anything worth watching!)
Couldnt be bothered with rosemary, bits of twine etc!!!

I understand that macaroons are the 'in' thing, so perhaps a different colour for each guest would be a nice touch?

I'll get the housekeeper on to it.

annan I agree, and why should there be a frenzy to get to the sales on Boxing Day when they have already started before Christmas?

I like to set an attractive table with vintage damask cloth and napkins (mum's), Christmas runner ,crystal glasses and best china and cutlery. And a small centrepiece which will feature holly . DH hates crackers/funny hats so we don't have them . I do use place markers , simply because I have some nice ones, although I think the four of us could manage ...
I know some people who buy 'table presents '. tYe another thing to stress about IMO
Does anyone actually cook all the fancy dishes the magazines feature for months prior? Everyone I know does the standard Turkey roast with the usual trimmings , roast potatoes and parsnips ,carrots, sprouts and red cabbage . Followed by Christmas pudding and brandy butter (both bought). I no longer do a proper starter. We have blinis with smoked salmon and cream cheese as we open presents . Otherwise everyone is too full
Admittedly I'm not cooking for hordes but I find Christmas dinner quite easy
As long as DD2, a midwife, is with us at some point I am happy