Hosting a Christmas dinner may seem like an easy and straightforward thing, but it can be quite far from it. In fact, it can be a stressful experience if you’re not used to it. But the most important thing is to always be ready. Whether it’s setting up the holiday centerpieces, getting the main dish ready, and setting up the decor, if you can do this well in advance you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble.
Well, if this is your first time hosting Christmas dinner, we have a step-by-step guide here below that should help you out.
Prepare a Simple Dinner
There’s no Christmas without a proper dinner. It’s the highlight of the day no doubt. No matter what you do, always make sure that this is sorted.
In most cases, if you’re cooking the main dish it may need hours to get ready so start as early as you can. It’s also okay to get help.
Cooking and decorating on your own is possible but it can be very overwhelming. If you have the kids around you can have them chip in and help you get ready for dinner.
Plan Your Time
As we have noted above, there will be a lot of stuff that needs to be done before the holiday comes. But most of these things can be done well in advance.
For example, if you have several Christmas dinner decoration ideas, you don’t need to wait until the week before to put them up. You can start decorating the room and kitchen a day or two before that.
This is why it’s always great to create a 1-week schedule to plan your activities on the run up to Christmas. It will make it easier for you to organize everything without too much stress.
Send Your Invites
Don’t assume that people know you’re hosting. Even if they do, some may forget. So, send reminders to all the guests you plan to have over just to be sure they are there with you when the day finally arrives.
Sending reminders early also helps you to know if there are any cancelations. This will help you plan the food based on the actual number of people coming in.
Set the Table
Just like the holiday decor ideas you have in mind, setting the table can also be done well in advance. However, it’s recommended that you do this the morning of the dinner.
It’s safe to assume that nobody will be using that table until dinner time. So, you can be sure that whatever arrangement you put there will remain intact until when you’re ready to serve.
Start Off with Appetizers
You may also want to get started on appetizers before getting to the main course. Well, depending on what you plan to serve, you can either cook them in advance or during the day.
But since typically people eat appetizers first before dinner, it helps to make sure they are ready well in advance.
Set Up a Self-Serve Drink Station
If you can get people to serve their own drinks, you’ll have enough time to fully focus on the dinner. In that case, consider setting up a self-serving station with an assortment of drinks for everyone.
Let everyone know where the drinks are so that they don’t have to call you all the time when they want to sip something.
Start Decorating Early
A lot of people prefer simple and hassle-free decorations that require just a few minutes to put up. But in case you’re looking for some complex and sophisticated Christmas table decor, then you’d better get started on it early enough.
This will ensure you have enough time to test out your ideas, see if they work, and change them if needed. It will also ensure that you have very little to do on the actual day.
Need some help around the house while you’re busy with the holiday preparations? Contact a local cleaning company and you won’t have to worry about it anymore!
