More than just a religious holiday, Christmas is more often thought of as the season of giving and sharing. This is the period of time when people get together and make many fond memories together. For many Singaporeans, the best way to celebrate Christmas is to indulge in a Christmas dinner with their families and close friends.

However, the idea of hosting a Christmas dinner party sounds daunting—so many difficult recipes to master, having to set up the Christmas tree for the festive vibes and not forgetting all the planning that goes into it. Not everyone enjoys the process of planning for a party and we understand that.

Before you start giving up, we would just like to share some tips on how you can Plan To Host A Fuss-Free Christmas Dinner Party and still have lots of fun.

#1 PREPARE EARLY

Ever heard of the quote, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”? No matter how simple your Christmas dinner is going to be, it is necessary to make preparations beforehand.

For example, you should be making your sauces and chilling your beverages ahead of time and not on the day of your party because these things take time and you do not want to put yourself under unnecessary stress.

#2 CHOOSE A CONCEPT

Choose your Christmas concept and stick to it. It is not wise to change your theme or dinner menu once you have started making plans, especially when it is nearing to the actual day.

#3 START SMALL WITH SIMPLE RECIPES

First time holding a Christmas dinner? Start small with simple recipes. It is easy to get carried away and start feeling ambitious but you should also be practical about it. Gather recipes that are manageable and skip those that take up too much time.

Which brings us to the next point.

#4 FESTIVE TAKEAWAYS

Those who are running short of time can consider ordering festive takeaways for main dishes such as roasted turkey and baked ham. Don’t worry, nobody will judge you if you do that.

Whatever kind of Christmas gathering you’re looking to throw, you can count on The Marmalade Pantry’s repertoire of festive treats and delicious roasts more than sufficient to fit the merry-making bill.

Our readers can enjoy a 10% Mastercard discount when you quote ‘ladyironchef10’ upon checkout online or when you call to make a booking.

#5 SERVE DISHES IN BUFFET-STYLE

Serve dishes in the middle instead of plating them individually for your guests—this will help you save up some time for more important matters. By doing it buffet-style, your guests will also have more chances to interact with each other as they pass the food around!

#6 ASK YOUR GUESTS TO BRING FOOD TOO

By asking your guests to bring simple sides such as salads and dessert, it helps to lighten your burden as you will have fewer things to worry about. The best part about having a semi-potluck party is that you have more variety on your Christmas dinner table!

#7 DO NOT OVER CATER

Lastly, do not over cater! Every year, we generate lots of waste just simply throwing away all the leftovers from the party. While you can definitely keep your leftovers in the fridge, why not make things easier for yourself by preparing the right amount of food. Not only are you cutting down on food wastage, you are also saving costs!