The Ideal Christmas Dinner Event

Picture this… The smell of roasted turkey floating through the air, sounds of joyous carols filling up the living room, voices so loud in the dining hall so loud that you need to break your glass in order to get everyone\’s attention, and let\’s not forget, the presents underneath the tree. There\’s so much joy and love in Christmas. But there\’s always something bothering. For example; “What am I going to stuff in the turkey?”, “what songs am I going to play?”, “who am I going to invite?” and it just goes on and on till you don\’t feel like doing any Christmas dinner. So how do you solve all those worries? Read on to know how.

1. Know how many people you are going to invite.
Unless if your house is a mansion, you might want to keep it light. Limit it to friends and family members that you\’re close with. This way, you don\’t only get to avoid awkwardness (you tend to have this problem when you invite family members that you\’re not very familiar with) and overcrowding.

2. Know what to serve for dinner.
You might want to break your dinner into a few courses. This means dinnertime will be extended and allows guests and hosts to have more time to bond. Running out of ideas on what to serve? Traditional is the new modern. Stick with the ol\’ skool traditional menu; shrimp cocktail for appetizers, without leaving out the ol\’ creamy chicken soup and the traditional green salad. Try not to put dressings on the salad as different people have different likings. Assemble the dressings on the table and let them pick their own choice. As for the main dish, the traditional roasted turkey with cranberry sauce, stuffed of course, will do. Oh, and don\’t forget hot vegetables like corn, green beans, carrots and cauliflower to go along with the main dish. Finally, never forget desserts. Simple pies or a chocolate cake will do just fine.

3. Keep the atmosphere warm.
Both literally and technically. If you\’re using air conditioner, set the temperature around 20°- 23°C and if you\’re in cold areas, remember to have the heater on and the fire nice and warm. As for the literal meaning, bond with all the guests. Introduce them to one another so that they\’ll be occupied with each other while you\’re busy in the kitchen. Try not to leave anyone alone and unattended. This will make them feel left out from the celebration itself.

4. Play Christmas songs.
You can either play the songs through the CD player or play it through the piano or guitar, or even use both methods! Use the player before dinner at a rationally loud volume, low volume throughout dinner and then show off your musical skills after dinner and have your guests singing along. You can also ask them to play the instruments instead, while you sing along. And please, stick with Christmas melodies only. You wouldn\’t want your dinner to end up to as a wild rave. You can always opt for the modern, more upbeat Christmas songs.

These are just the basic, traditional things you can do to have your dinner. There are always lots of other ideas but it will have to suit your own creativity and your guests\’. For example, you can ask your guests to bring at least one gift in order to have a gift exchanging activity, or you can spice it up with some fireworks at the stroke of midnight. Let\’s not forget to spread the love, joy and the giving.

Image Credits:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laenulfean/348207988/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/archeon/73833963/