For many families, the meal on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day is a very important part of their holiday celebration.  If you’ve never hosted a Christmas dinner, or are looking for some new ideas, here are a few things suggestions to consider as you plan your holiday meal.

Planning the menu is probably the most important step in your preparation for the holiday meal.  Does your family have a traditional meal they serve on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?  Are there any religious restrictions (for example, do you need to serve a meatless meal on Christmas Eve)?  Does your family like to stick with the tried and true, or are they willing to try some new dishes in their holiday meal? 

If you’re not tied to a traditional meal, decide what the main meat will be (turkey, chicken, lobster, etc.).  After that you’ll need to decide what side dishes and vegetables you’ll serve.  Do your children have any favorites?  Try to plan a variety of side dishes so there will be a nice selection for your guests.  Also consider what type of bread (rolls) you’ll serve and the desserts you want to have. 

After you plan your menu, it’s ok to ask for help.  If you’re having a lot of family and friends over for dinner, ask each person to bring a dish for the meal.  It’s also all right to specify what type of dish you’d like for them to bring – especially if you want to make sure you have potatoes and vegetables and not six desserts!  Asking everyone to pitch in will also take a lot of stress off of you this Christmas.

You’ll need to decide how you are going to serve the meal.  Are you going to do it buffet style?  Will you put the serving dishes on the table family style?  Depending on how you plan to serve your meal you’ll want to make sure you have enough serving utensils, bowls, or chafing dishes.

And finally my personal opinion that it is ok to use paper plates and disposable utensils.  You can find a lot of nice plates at your local discount store or party supply store.  It will also make your clean up a breeze!