· Ann McDonald · Christmas · 3 min read
3 Weeks to Go: Deck the Halls, and Make Room
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
For many of us, the start of December is the day the Christmas decorations come out.
If that’s your tradition, keep it. Decorating is a personal tradition rather than a countdown deadline, so bring the decorations out when it suits your household.
Have a live Christmas tree? You may need to wait a little longer before bringing it home, but don’t let that hold everything else up. Put out the decorations you can, prepare the spot for the tree and add it when the time is right.
And remember, you don’t have to use every decoration you own. Christmas decorating should make you happy, not create another job.
For the table itself, A Cracker Christmas shows how to customise bought bon bons so they double as place cards.
Leave room on the dining table for the meal and room in the kitchen to work. A festive home still needs to function.
Short on space?
You don't need a dining room the size of a ballroom. Move furniture, borrow or hire what you need, and think about serving food in a way that lets people spread out.
Get Christmas organised
- Check the dining and entertaining areas. Do you have enough space for everyone?
- If you’re entertaining outdoors, make sure the furniture and shade are sorted.
- If you’ve arranged hired equipment, check the delivery or collection details and think through where it will go when it arrives.
Planning an outdoor Christmas? Have a weather plan
We all dream of a beautiful Christmas Day outdoors, but Australian weather has a mind of its own.
Think about where everyone will go if it’s too hot, windy or wet. Is there enough room inside? Can tables be moved? Do you have enough shade? Will you need an umbrella, marquee or other shelter?
Check the shade at the time you expect to eat. A shaded table in the morning may be in full sun by lunch.
You don’t need to plan for every possible weather event, just know what you’ll do if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Keep exits and walkways clear in either arrangement.
Let people help
If someone offers to bring a salad, dessert, drinks or anything else, let them. If they ask what would help, our Christmas recipes are full of ideas, and homemade goodies to give or a batch of shortbread are always welcome.
Christmas is a gathering, not a one-person catering operation.
And if people are bringing something, make a note of who is bringing what. There’s no need for three bowls of potato salad. Our guide to calculating quantities for catering will help you tell them how much to bring.
When you accept an offer, agree how many people the dish needs to serve and whether it will arrive ready to put on the table. Ask about ingredients where dietary needs are involved. A guest’s dish belongs in the menu and storage plan just as much as your own cooking.
