We always had the same thing for Christmas and Thanksgiving, just adding a ham. My mom always made just turkey, and then turkey AND ham for Thanksgiving. It's my FIRST year to have family in my home, as we're doing our Christmas the day after on the 26th. What's on your Christmas menu?


Breleigh & Mason
Re: How do your Thanksgiving/Christmas dinners differ?
We do lunch with my parents, and they have a ham and the usual sides (salad, green bean or corn casserole, broccoli casserole, etc.). We do dinner at DH's dad's house, and they have triangle steaks from a local butcher and about a million side dishes. It's typical turkey for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving: Brisket and everything that goes with it
Christmas: we have a big Christmas Mexican brunch right after opening presents.
Christmas includes a ham in addition to the turkey.
Thanksgiving must have stuffing and mashed potatoes. Christmas may or may not have stuffing, and may have scalloped potatoes instead of mashed. (For Easter, incidentally, there is no turkey, and the potatoes may or may not be in salad form.)
Also, there is no pie at Christmas. Just a massive three-tiered platter of homemade cookies and candy.
Thanksgiving = Traditional
Christmas Eve at my folks place= take out Chinese
Christmas Day at In-laws = Traditional
Our Christmas traditions are not the norm. We always do finger sandwiches with ground turkey/ham and all sorts of other apps/buffet style stuff. It's always the same things (nachos, rigatoni pasta, veggie/cheese trays), with a few new things extra each year.
Thanksgiving = Turkey and traditional sides
Christmas = King Ranch Chicken, Stuffed Jalapenos, Bacon Wrapped Figs, and Corn Bread. Dump cake and Chocolate Sheet cake for dessert along with the cookies.
We do something very similar to this on Christmas evening at my granny's house. It's one of my favorite traditions.
i'm family likes to go against the grain on our dinner choices for the holidays. thanksgiving we have turkey, homemade tamales, green chili stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, homemade tortillas, green beans, mashed potatoes, creamed corn and rolls. christmas dinner we have steak, shrimp, linguine in garlic sauce and gnocchi in marinara sauce, garlic bread and salad.
this is pretty much the menu every year since i can remember! our desserts and stuff vary from time to time, but pumpkin pie is always at both!