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All Boards > October 2011 Moms

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12-22-2012 at 7:14 PM
ellewoodsS...
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Holiday Entertaining

Saw this on pintrest and I am curious whose families actually host a very formal and elaborate holiday dinner.  In a lot of movies set during the holidays people dress up and have elegant meals and themed table settings and I am kind of sad that I don't know anyone who does this.  In our families and circle of friends everything is very informal, people wear their comfy, stretchy clothes and we sit down to eat anywhere there is space.  Food is served in random dishes and platters and we don't generally do music or themed decorations.  I've lived in the South and now the West coast, so I don't think I am culturally isolated, but I am curious if any of you guys go all out for the holidays.
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12-22-2012 at 7:22 PM
LCass
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DH's family gets a bit dressed up but not super formal.  And there is no themed table setting or anything like that (heck, the ILs don't even have matching plates anymore since they moved to their cottage and sold their house).

A group of my friends, on the other hand, often has pretty fancy holiday and/or New Year's parties.  They aren't usually a sit down dinner, but lots of decorating and fancy food (potluck style, though) and everybody getting dressed up.
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12-22-2012 at 7:29 PM
hunnybunny...
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The IL's and my moms extended family are exactly like yours. Pot luck style dinner, people eating everywhere, and a white elephant gift exchange. On xmas day, my mom usually does a 'formal' dinner with just immediate family. Still not as fancy as that picture though. In recent years we haven't even dressed up.
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12-22-2012 at 7:36 PM
Sammy-Mae
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DH's family does this.  Christmas dinner is a big deal.  You get all decked out in cocktail attire and the table is formal.  It is all very nice actually.  
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12-22-2012 at 7:57 PM
lisajay09
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My family does the whole fine china thing. We don't dress up, but we don't wear sweats. The table is formally set and we have 5 courses. No themes, or overly ornate stuff. I'm hosting Christmas Day for the first time ever this year. I'm actually really excited to use my china and crystal I got for my wedding for the first time. I've had it displayed in a china cabinet for 3 years...finally I get to see it set on the table.
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12-22-2012 at 8:23 PM
Jazzym12
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My grandmother always had us dress up in former wear and dinner was very very formal. I actually miss it.
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12-22-2012 at 8:24 PM
Ms.Jade
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My mom does a Christmas brunch. We don't get too fancy - jeans, nice sweaters and boots, but no one wears sweats or anything. Families tend to dress somewhat alike since there are photos done. And yes, there is a theme. Each year the food hails from a different part of the world. Breakfast this year is French and my mom uses her china. We usually eat out on the patio since it's not unusual for Christmas to be 70 degrees here. And with all my siblings in-laws now joining us, there are always at least 25 people there. It's nice, but not at all stuffy. 

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12-22-2012 at 9:16 PM
joolz17
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My MIL does table with china and full layout complete with place cards, even if it's just her, my husband and me. Srsly. 

 My family does a nice table setting, but it is much more casual. 
 
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12-22-2012 at 9:54 PM
kagl08
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We do the fine china, formal dining table, multiple course dinner thing. We get dressed up and we are somewhat smart casual, generally no jeans. We've been doing this for years. My aunt hosts Christmas, but we host thanksgiving and its the same thing. 

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12-22-2012 at 10:04 PM
stardust31...
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We are super casual.
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12-22-2012 at 11:04 PM
Woodsie
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I wouldn't consider our Christmas dinners to be formal by any means, but we do a nice table setting and dress up more than we would normally for a regular family get together.

 
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12-23-2012 at 10:55 AM
LCass
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joolz17:

My MIL does table with china and full layout complete with place cards, even if it's just her, my husband and me. Srsly. 

Wow to the place cards.

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12-23-2012 at 11:06 AM
CMonkey515
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Our family is somewhat formal. We have a sit down dinner with nice place settings, place cards, and linens. Everyone wears nice clothes. Nothing as formal as cocktail wear, but usully nice pants or dark dressier jeans and a sweater or nice shirt. I think it's nice. Just the right amount of formal without being stuffy.
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12-23-2012 at 1:58 PM
pennysuedo...
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MIL has special set of Christmas china and gets flower arrangements done tables  she also uses her chargers and so the table looks very formal.   We all dress like we are going to Church, the little girls are all in fancy Christmas dresses though.

With the gaggle of children at my mom's it is not formal.  It is nice and she uses Christmas platters to put the food on but it is a buffet.  I don't know how describe the chaos family meals make at my mom's.  

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12-24-2012 at 3:20 AM
Nita2603
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My ILs dress up and have a somewhat formal dinner but they don't force it. So while they are dressy, it is perfectly ok if someone else wearS sweats. They are awesome like that.
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12-24-2012 at 8:32 AM
Chunstad
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My ILs do this.  We sit in the formal dining room, fine china and silver are on the table along with place cards (like the pp said) and it's really decked out and pretty.  It's super nice, but now with C being the age that he is, it would be a bit easier for me if we would just eat in the kitchen and when he's done, let him run around. 
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