Party checklist
Christmas dinner hosting timeline
Christmas dinner is won in early December: the delivery slot, the meat order and the dishes in the freezer. Enter the day you are hosting and the number at the table to get a five-week countdown with a date on every line.
Five weeks ahead: the things that sell out
Three to four weeks ahead: the plan on paper
One to two weeks ahead: the freezer does the work
Setting the table
The last two days
The day of the dinner
Boxing Day and after
Tips for Christmas hosts
- Whether you eat on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or another day, enter the day of your dinner. Every date counts back from it.
- The timing sheet is yours to write: this page reminds you when to write it, but oven times must come from your butcher, the label or your recipe. The page gives no cooking times.
- Three make-ahead dishes in the freezer remove most of the last-minute pan juggling. The middle section spreads them over two weekends.
- Crackers, settings and glasses are counted for the number at the table. They are planning counts; add your own line for a guest who might join late.
Questions
When should I book a Christmas food delivery slot?
As early as your supermarket releases them. The list puts it five weeks before the dinner, for a slot two days before, and shows both dates once you enter the day.
What can be made ahead for Christmas dinner?
On this list: gravy base, stuffing, bread sauce, braised red cabbage and, if your recipe allows, part-cooked roast potatoes, all frozen one to two weeks before and moved to the fridge the day before.
Does the list work without a turkey?
Yes. Choose another roast or a vegetarian centrepiece and the ordering, preparation and oven tasks change to match.
How is this different from the Thanksgiving timeline?
It runs five weeks instead of three, starts with delivery slots and a pudding that matures, relies on the freezer and has crackers and table gifts. The Thanksgiving list is built around pies, guests bringing sides and the two days before.