Collins' Column
Christmas is the perfect time to gather as a family and celebrate Christ’s birth, and many households have annual traditions centered around this story of hope. However, the best holiday celebration is often the long-awaited feast on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
Whether you make just enough to serve your family or work alongside others to feed an entire crowd, most holiday spreads are both eye-popping and delicious. This year, up the ante and make the Christmas feast even more memorable by introducing a few new traditions to your feast.
Here are a few ideas to inspire you.
1. Swap Sweets
Baking cookies is a beloved holiday tradition for many families. Whether they’re gingerbread, snickerdoodle or sugar cookies, baking batches of sweets is fun and delicious. Why not spread the love this year by swapping sweets with friends?
Whether your family’s staying home for the holidays or spending time with family, planning a cookie exchange with loved ones is a brilliant way to revamp this annual festivity. Remember to avoid fragile cookies that could break in transit and icing that smear or melt. Place your sweets in tins and leave them on participants’ doorsteps to ensure social distancing and deliver a sweet surprise.
2. Choose a Theme
Most people enjoy decking the halls with red, green and white decorations. Some even go so far as to hang lights, wreaths and other festive adornments outside their home. Yet, these decorations don’t necessarily denote a theme — unless the theme is “Christmas.”
Set your home apart and make your feast more memorable by basing the decorations, lighting and even the food on a single, one-of-a-kind theme. For instance, you could host a murder-mystery set in the roaring 20s or a cozy camp-themed party complete with s’mores and a fire in the hearth. Make sure your guests dress the part and come hungry.
3. Switch Up the Food
Hams, ducks and roasts are popular as main courses during the holidays. However, if you want to switch things up this Christmas, try choosing a different entree for your feast. For instance, instead of serving an all-American spread, you might whip up some traditional Mexican, Italian or Chinese food. Explore different cultures through tasty cuisine and add a few new dishes to your repertoire.
Don’t feel like cooking? Go out to eat or order take-out from a nearby restaurant. A number of businesses are open on Christmas Eve so you can go out and support businesses that might be struggling to recover from the pandemic’s economic impacts. Even pizza and wine can make for a delicious meal if you’re short on time.
4. Make It a Group Effort
In most families, whoever offers to host the Christmas feast often makes the food, too. However, there is an alternative and, dare we say, better way to do things. Hosts who don’t feel like spending all their time in the kitchen this year should make the feast a group effort and organize a potluck-style dinner.
Romans 12:6-8 reminds Christ followers that they all have gifts that “differ according to the grace God has given.” Why not let everyone put those gifts to good use in the kitchen?
Assign dishes to each guest to ensure a balanced spread. Consider skill levels, interests and taste when delegating tasks and coordinate well in advance so everything’s piping hot and ready to eat when everyone arrives.
5. Invite a Guest
Maybe you have an empty seat or two at the table this year. Why not fill it with someone who could use a tasty meal and some company? Maybe your son or daughter has a friend they could bring along. Perhaps you know someone in the community who plans to spend Christmas alone.
Whoever your special guest may be, it doesn’t hurt to send out a few invites and make a little extra food in case they show up. According to 2 Corinthians 9:7, “God loves a cheerful giver,” and what better time to give cheerfully than during the holidays?
Keeping the Focus on Christ
However you enjoy your Christmas feast, remember to keep the focus on Christ. After all, Jesus is the reason for the season. In all your cooking, eating and dishwashing, don’t forget to thank the one who blessed you with such a bountiful spread.
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