by Dinah Wulf
One of the biggest parts of Christmas is Christmas dinner. The big Christmas meal is often seen as more important than the decorations and the presents, and this is usually because it’s a chance to over-indulge and enjoy time with the entire family.
However, if there’s one way to spoil a Christmas dinner it’s by not setting your table properly.
Why?
- Because people won’t have enough elbow room.
- Because there may not be space for all the side dishes and accompaniments.
- Because there’s a higher risk of drinks being spilt or plates being knocked off tables when things get crowded.
What’s the right way to set your table this Christmas then?
There’s definitely an art to setting your table just right, but once you’ve got it down pat you won’t have any problems ever again.
So, if you want to get your table just right this Christmas, implement the following tips:
Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of Fotopedia.
- Pick a theme
Picking a theme for your Christmas dinner will help you to bring everything together perfectly. Your theme could be based on absolutely anything – different colours, contemporary or old fashioned cookware, etc.
Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of Christmas Stock Images.
- Provide the right cutlery
If you’re planning on serving a starter, a main meal and a dessert, you should provide cutlery for each of these courses. This will stop you from needing to jump up and retrieve additional cutlery for everyone at the end of each course, and it can also add a formal touch to your meal.
As a general rule, place dinner knives and forks closest to the plates, then knives, forks or spoons for starters, and dessert spoons or forks on the outside. This means your dinner guests can work from the outside in when choosing their cutlery. Also, include soup spoons if you’re serving soup.
- Consider using a hostess tray
If your dinner table isn’t very big, you don’t have to rush out and buy a new one just to make sure everything fits on it. Rather than crowding your table with multiple plates full of roast potatoes, turkey, Brussels sprouts and other dishes, think about investing in a hostess tray.
You can use this to transport your dishes from the kitchen to the dining room and can also store them on it while everyone’s eating. Not only will this free up space on your table, but you can also use it to take all of the dirty dishes back to the kitchen after the meal!
Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of Mo Barrett.
- Set out napkins
Christmas dinner is bound to get messy with all the food available, so always set out napkins for your guests and have some spare as well.
- Offer wine glasses and water glasses
Give your guests wine and water glasses so that they can enjoy a sip of refreshing water and a quick tipple at dinner.
Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of Christmas Stock Images.
- Remember the Christmas crackers!
Christmas dinner is all about having fun and enjoying a great meal with close family and friends, so Christmas crackers are a must! Place them over dinner plates to ensure your guests know which one is theirs.
Christmas dinner may take hours to prepare and cook, but your guests will take just minutes in devouring it! Make sure your table is set properly to make sure everyone enjoys their meal.
This article was written by Britannia Living, a UK company selling everything from cooker hoods to cream range cookers from Britannia Living.
