Christmas Day: The Work Is Done

This is it.

The table is set, the house is looking festive and your guests are arriving.

So, before you start worrying about whether everything is perfect, remember:

It doesn’t have to be.

Give yourself time

Give yourself plenty of time to get ready before everyone arrives. Follow the plan you made yesterday and keep the recipes nearby. Set separate timers for separate jobs, and name them if your phone allows it.

Welcome people properly

Show guests where to put bags and any contributions they’ve brought. Offer a drink and introduce anyone who doesn’t know the group. A helper can do this while you attend to the cooking.

Put the drinks somewhere people can help themselves, if that suits you. Keep water and alcohol-free drinks easy to find, and keep the drinks area away from the main cooking route.

Accept offers of help

Someone can pour the drinks, carve the ham, clear the table or make the coffee. If carving is the job nobody wants, how to glaze and carve a ham makes it far less daunting.

Tell people when lunch is nearly ready. Put serving utensils with the food, point out any dishes intended for particular dietary needs, and let people know whether they should help themselves or take a seat.

Don’t disappear into the kitchen for the entire day. Come out and enjoy your guests.

Sit down and eat your lunch

Sit down. Eat your lunch. Have a glass of something nice. Join in the conversation. Dessert, whether that’s a passionfruit pavlova roulade or something from our Christmas collection, can wait until everyone is ready.

Ask someone to fetch the extra mustard or top up the water. Share the clearing and the coffee making. You don’t need to leap up every time someone finishes a plate.

If lunch is a little late, tell people. If a garnish is forgotten, leave it off. Check that food is properly cooked and stored, and give the small cosmetic imperfections no more attention than they deserve.

If something doesn’t go according to plan, laugh and carry on. Nobody else knows what was supposed to happen.

And remember why you’re doing all this

Christmas isn’t about producing the perfect meal, the perfect house or the perfect day.

Christmas isn’t a performance. It’s a day to be together.

Your guests are there to see you, share the day, enjoy the food and make memories.

So enjoy it.

The work is done.

And when it’s all over, our guide to 8 things to do now to get ready for next Christmas will help you leave next year a useful note.

Merry Christmas from The Cooks Room.

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