How many people for Christmas?

jersman · 13-12-2013 12:07am #1

Are you a person who likes the phone off and the door locked for Christmas day or do you have all the family calling or you call to them with big numbers for dinner?

I like to have a dinner and evening with the extended family a week or two before Christmas but then on Christmas day it's strictly just our house for the day.

I know people who have 20+ for dinner which to me sounds like a nightmare and trouble waiting to happen. It sounds like an extremely busy day and I would be looking for a nice quiet relaxing day with my family in my own house. I grew up with the same attitude from my parents so I suppose that's what I'm used to.

biko · 13-12-2013 12:48am

For us it's a quiet Christmas Day with immediate family, about 6 or 7 of us altogether.
Food and TV mainly, lots of chatting and cups of tea. Boards games.
A few phone calls to people abroad.
Then often down the pubs for Stephen's and the day after.

Digs · 13-12-2013 12:57am

We have 13 for dinner but my immediate family is big. My two brothers go to their wives family. For dinner Myself, my sisters and our partners come to my mum and dads along with one of my dad's brothers and his wife, my two cousins and my nanny. In the evening most of my aunts and uncles etc come over for poker and games so it gets pretty busy. I love the hustle and bustle on Christmas day, my parents is definitely a more the merrier kind of house

Edit to add: Oooops 14 for dinner, Baba with us this year!

Littlehorny · 13-12-2013 12:59am

Had 10 on Christmas Day and 12 on Stephen's Day last year, not complaining cause it was great but jaysus the wife and meself were shattered by 9pm Stepens night!

hotbabe1992 · 13-12-2013 7:45pm

We'll be having about seven extra so its all out this christmas,lots of drink has to be bought up will be heading to dunnes for this weeks deals and lidls for the obvious all year round reasonable pricing..

Emcm · 14-12-2013 9:45pm

I cook for 10 in total. Myself, hubby and 4 kids then my parents my sister and her hubby. I love having lots of people for dinner it makes it such an occasion. I am one of 7 kids so was always used to a busy house.

It is tiring I spend most of Christmas Eve in the kitchen and then busy few hours on the day itself. I like to cook everything myself from scratch as I want it to be perfect

But I wouldn't have it any other way I just love it !!

astonaidan · 18-12-2013 5:47pm

bout 15 of us every year taking in laws and nieces/nephews into account

jersman · 18-12-2013 8:06pm

I'd absolutely hate the thoughts of a lot of people over for Christmas Day, either my family or the in laws. As I said I like to get all that done in the build up to Christmas and then just enjoy Christmas Eve and Day with my wife and kids. We go visiting then again after Stephen's Day.

Agricola · 18-12-2013 8:09pm

I'd always just keep Christmas Day for the immediate family. I know it's a common custom in rural Ireland to go visiting people in the morning or in the late evening, but I would not be happy to see anyway except close family that day. It smacks to me of people who don't want to stay in their own home and so want to force themselves on you. There are 364 other days for that, imo.

jersman · 18-12-2013 8:18pm

My thoughts exactly. I'm only waiting for the year when the wife thinks it would be a great idea to have her lot around for the day!! I would be living through one of my nightmares then.

Agricola wrote: »

I'd always just keep Christmas Day for the immediate family. I know it's a common custom in rural Ireland to go visiting people in the morning or in the late evening, but I would not be happy to see anyway except close family that day. It smacks to me of people who don't want to stay in their own home and so want to force themselves on you. There are 364 other days for that, imo.

miss no stars · 20-12-2013 3:06am

6 in total, parents, me, brother, nanny and granduncle.

Dinner around 2ish, they stay a while after but leave early enough. 4 of us for sambos and tea that evening

Moonbeam · 20-12-2013 9:19pm

We go to extended family for Christmas dinner there are about 18 of us incl 7 kids under 6(3 are mine and 4 are his cousins) it is brilliant:))
I am an only child and loved christmas but hated christmas day,it was so boring and awful and could go no where so love the big christmases.

jersman · 20-12-2013 9:26pm

Just a quick question for all those who have a large amount of their family around for Christmas Day, are you married with kids and if so do you go to the other halfs every other year or what way does it work?

Moonbeam · 20-12-2013 9:30pm

We are married with kids but I have been going to his family since our 1st christmas together.

Sam Kade · 20-12-2013 9:36pm

Littlehorny wrote: »

Had 10 on Christmas Day and 12 on Stephen's Day last year, not complaining cause it was great but jaysus the wife and meself were shattered by 9pm Stepens night!

Jaysus what the devil were ye at

Mars Bar · 20-12-2013 10:36pm

If you want me on Christmas day, you have to come find me. I will not go anywhere Christmas day!

We've only ever once had one extra person over for dinner on Christmas day. It's always just been the four of us.

Posy · 20-12-2013 11:00pm

I'm the exact same, Mars Bar - even down to the four people!

jersman · 20-12-2013 11:31pm

Same here. Loads of people say they meet all their family on Christmas Day but I wonder how can they do this every year if they are married? Surely they have to go to the inlaws every second year or it wouldn't be fair. How long does this go on too? The kids have kids and so on the numbers keep rising. Surely someone eventually wants to spen the day with their own wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend and kids.

I love it been just my wife and kids for Christmas. If I had to I wouldn't mind my family but I know i'd have to have her family over the following year. That's what I'm wondering, how do people appear to always only have to go to their family and not the inlaws?

Digs · 20-12-2013 11:37pm

jersman wrote: »

Just a quick question for all those who have a large amount of their family around for Christmas Day, are you married with kids and if so do you go to the other halfs every other year or what way does it work?

Married, one baby. Always go to my parents! It's where I will always want to go on Xmas day, we've been together a long time and he's always come with me even though I'd be happy for him to go to his. My sisters and their partners come to my parents, my brothers go to their wives family on Xmas day, they come to mams on Xmas eve. Just the way it works in our family! Seems to be the same way with our friends!

Different strokes for different folks! Doesn't bother me what other people do!

Edit: sorry I should add I'm very close to my family and he really enjoys their company whereas he can take or leave his (so can I really!). That probably makes it easier in fairness.

jersman · 21-12-2013 12:10am

Yea I was thinking it might be a case of one wanting to be at home with their parents every year and the other not been too bothered about being with their parents etc. It also often seems to be the case that the females continue to spend Christmas with their parents while the males either move on and have their own Christmas in their own house or go to their wife/girlfriends house.

Would you not like to spend Christmas in your own house with your kids and start your own traditions?

Digs wrote: »

Married, one baby. Always go to my parents! It's where I will always want to go on Xmas day, we've been together a long time and he's always come with me even though I'd be happy for him to go to his. My sisters and their partners come to my parents, my brothers go to their wives family on Xmas day, they come to mams on Xmas eve. Just the way it works in our family! Seems to be the same way with our friends!

Different strokes for different folks! Doesn't bother me what other people do!

Edit: sorry I should add I'm very close to my family and he really enjoys their company whereas he can take or leave his (so can I really!). That probably makes it easier in fairness.

Digs · 21-12-2013 12:27am

jersman wrote: »

Yea I was thinking it might be a case of one wanting to be at home with their parents every year and the other not been too bothered about being with their parents etc. It also often seems to be the case that the females continue to spend Christmas with their parents while the males either move on and have their own Christmas in their own house or go to their wife/girlfriends house.

Would you not like to spend Christmas in your own house with your kids and start your own traditions?

I do see your point but I suppose Christmas to me is family and while my daughter and husband are the most important thing to me my parents, siblings etc are a big part of our lives. It's a day we enjoy getting together, reminiscing on the year gone by, the year to come and those that aren't with us anymore. Myself and my siblings have our own traditions and we will now have new traditions that involve our children.

I just couldn't imagine not seeing them on Christmas day, they love having us and we love being with them, I wouldn't change it for the world. My husband genuinely loves being around them, maybe it's a rarity?

I'm not sure if I'm explaining it right, maybe it's to do with coming from a big family? My daughter at 8 months absolutely thrives in company, she loves being around them all! While being with a big crowd for dinner is some people idea of hell I love it!

jersman · 21-12-2013 1:49am

I'd imagine I'd want my kids to continue to call around when they grow up and have a family of their own but I'd also understand if they wanted to move on and spend the day with their new family as it has to come to an end some time. I wouldn't like them to think they always had to come home for it. To me it's all about having Santa in your own house with your kids and having your own new traditions and then calling around to the relatives before or after Christmas Day.

Digs wrote: »

I do see your point but I suppose Christmas to me is family and while my daughter and husband are the most important thing to me my parents, siblings etc are a big part of our lives. It's a day we enjoy getting together, reminiscing on the year gone by, the year to come and those that aren't with us anymore. Myself and my siblings have our own traditions and we will now have new traditions that involve our children.

I just couldn't imagine not seeing them on Christmas day, they love having us and we love being with them, I wouldn't change it for the world. My husband genuinely loves being around them, maybe it's a rarity?

I'm not sure if I'm explaining it right, maybe it's to do with coming from a big family? My daughter at 8 months absolutely thrives in company, she loves being around them all! While being with a big crowd for dinner is some people idea of hell I love it!

Digs · 21-12-2013 2:04am

jersman wrote: »

I'd imagine I'd want my kids to continue to call around when they grow up and have a family of their own but I'd also understand if they wanted to move on and spend the day with their new family as it has to come to an end some time. I wouldn't like them to think they always had to come home for it. To me it's all about having Santa in your own house with your kids and having your own new traditions and then calling around to the relatives before or after Christmas Day.

Yeah naturally it would be different if anyone felt a duty or burden to be there. That wouldn't be Christmas to me. My daughter is the first grandchild on our side (although there are three currently on the way!!!

) so she is very much in demand but we are happy to share her, she brings so much joy to our parents and her aunts, uncles grand aunts etc after all kids are the essence of Christmas!

I genuinely think there is no right or wrong answer. We happily spend plenty of time just the three of us during the year and are the happiest threesome going, however, Christmas Day is definitely about all the family for us

jersman · 21-12-2013 2:23am

There is definitely no right or wrong!! I'm just interested to see the different ways people approach Christmas. There are definitely the people who absolutely wouldn't want anyone around (me) and people who like a lot of people.

Digs wrote: »

Yeah naturally it would be different if anyone felt a duty or burden to be there. That wouldn't be Christmas to me. My daughter is the first grandchild on our side (although there are three currently on the way!!! ) so she is very much in demand but we are happy to share her, she brings so much joy to our parents and her aunts, uncles grand aunts etc after all kids are the essence of Christmas!

I genuinely think there is no right or wrong answer. We happily spend plenty of time just the three of us during the year and are the happiest threesome going, however, Christmas Day is definitely about all the family for us

Pang · 21-12-2013 5:22pm

Just three this year. Worst Christmas I ever had was at my Granny's where there were about fifteen people. I like to celebrate Christmas dinner and day with a small number of close family.

How many people for Christmas?

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