We never really did Christmas dinner, and if my husband's family didn't do it, we wouldn't do it with our kids now. As it is we just go to their house for a few hours and eat a slightly special dinner (like, not Thanksgiving-scale but maybe a meat and a few extra sides) and then watch a movie on TV.

I love that our Christmas is pretty low-key. Can't wait for Jan 1 when I can take the tree out and start with a fresh clean house in the New Year...

We have a traditional meal Christmas Eve, but Christmas is grazing day (appetizers, cookies, stocking candy etc.).

Anonymous wrote:My memory growing up in the midwest is that while we did Thanksgiving dinner we did nothing special for Christmas. My wife, who is not from the U.S., asked me if we should do something special for Christmas. I said no but now I wonder if many families do this and it was mine that was unusual.

Our family (also from the Midwest) was the same way. Turkey, a honey-baked ham, and/or lasagna were the mainstays when extended family gathered (basically put something in the oven that will feed a crowd and doesn’t force anyone to spend lots of time in the kitchen), but there wasn’t a special/distinctive Xmas meal (Thanksgiving, New Years, and Easter had those).

DH’s New England family had steak and lobster on Xmas. And I think it was the one time a year when his Dad cooked.

We make veggie daughter something red and green, but otherwise eat whatever we’re in the mood for.

Yes, it's a thing. We do prime rib w/ horseradish sauce, etc.

We do a big Christmas luncheon after the present opening and playing winds down

We always did Christmas dinner growing up. The meal was very similar to Thanksgiving. We still do Christmas dinner now, but if I host I try to mix is up a bit.

My family does Christmas breakfast with fancy rich things we only make once a year and Christmas dinner with can be anything but often we choose a leg of lamb. It’s not like Thanksgiving where there’s only one menu but we do like to have something special to eat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If people have Christmas dinner what do they eat?

Something they particularly enjoy. There isn’t a standard entree like turkey for thanksgiving.

+1 it is across the board.

We do roast beef once a year on Christmas. Some do ham, Italian, turkey, etc.

Anonymous wrote:If people have Christmas dinner what do they eat?

My family it’s usually a ham, steamed shrimp, crab dip and several other family-friendly special things like ambrosia salad we only eat on Christmas.

We have a big dinner, as in all of our immediate family get together (18 of us), but it’s not formal at all, it’s relaxed and eat what you want from the huge buffet, when you want.

Anonymous wrote:If people have Christmas dinner what do they eat?

Something they particularly enjoy. There isn’t a standard entree like turkey for thanksgiving.

If people have Christmas dinner what do they eat?

My family, and everyone I know who celebrates Christmas, does a special dinner for either or both Christmas Eve and Christmas. We do a big Christmas dinner and smaller, but special, Christmas Eve meal.

Yes, I think your family was unusual.

My memory growing up in the midwest is that while we did Thanksgiving dinner we did nothing special for Christmas. My wife, who is not from the U.S., asked me if we should do something special for Christmas. I said no but now I wonder if many families do this and it was mine that was unusual.