Christmas lunch/dinner - paper plates or real plates?

[VirtuallyMe]

It will vary... but I tell you- I'm just as happy eating off of a "festive" paper plate as I am off of good china. And after the meal- if I can toss the festive paper plate in the trash and am not spending hours handwashing the good china- then all the better.

 

[georgina]

In my mind, paper plates are only for picnics. At large family gatherings, there is lots of dish drying help! The dishes usually get done quickly.

 

[jimmalru80]

We use the "real" dishes for Christmas dinner.

 

[DVCLiz]

Amen!!! Christmas and Thanksgiving deserve a beautiful table setting IMO

Honestly, I don't care what anyone on this thread does, but in my real life I always feel sad to hear that friends have chosen to use paper products on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I feel the same way about people who have started wearing pants to church, too. I just think there are some things you should make the effort for, you know??

I always cringe a little when I go to a funeral and see all the women wearing black pants. I'm still a holdout for a nice dress or a skirt and jacket, WITH PANTYHOSE - but I know I am a dying breed (haha, get it - dying breed - funeral? )

I use the holiday dinners to show my daughters what a nice table involves, because I want them to have the same memories of those events I did - even if it means handwashing silver and crystal and drying plates in the kitchen afterward. We have a small family, though - so I don't have so many dishes to wash. I do it a little at a time - scrape the plates and put them in to soak, hand wash and dry the silver and crystal, then wash the plates and dry them. It doesnt' all have to be done immediately after dinner.

Whatever works for you is the right way for your family.

 

[rie'smom]

I use the good stuff. My Lenox Holiday for the adult table and Christopher Radko Letters to Santa for the kids table, along with crystal, cut glass, sterling,etc.

 

[Wishing on a star]

If it is a manageable number of guests... Then, I would use real dishes!!!

If it is a large group of family/friends... more than an 8 or 12 piece place setting, I would buy nice plastic.... Once the table is all set up, it really looks almost just as wonderful, with the napkins, glassware, etc...

I would not use paper...
I agree... Paper is for picnics...


I am now at a point where I appreciate a more traditional upscale look/feel. And, I do not like eating off of dishes where the design is in the center of the plates, and is then covered with goopy food... My Christmas dishes have a beautiful hollyberry design around the rim, with a silver edging.

I can easily see a white or ivory off white (restaurant stock) like one poster described, with a lot of silver or gold in the other tableware and place setting decorations, like the napkins, flatware, etc... Simple elegance! Not limited to 'Christmas' like eating off of Frosty the Snowman or a christmas tree.

If I didn't already have my christmas dinnerware, I would definitely do it this way!

This could be done very economically!!! It doesn't have to be Mikasa or Lenox... You could use the white/ivory dinnerware, or the bright red plastic. All the discount department stores usually have cheap napkins, tableclothes, decorations, candles, etc.. for the holidays. It would not be hard to create a very impressive table.

 

[skuttle]

I must say I'm surprised! I'm going to be 30 years old (not until a couple of weeks so I'm holding on to 29!!) and don't ever remember having "real" dishes, flatware, or glasses for holidays. It was always paper no matter who was hosting (My mom never hosted because it was just the two of us).

I think I will start looking for some Christmas dishes. Nothing fancy. Something I can stick in the dishwasher!! I thought this line for Kohl's is really cute and I could mix and match it up a bit. 'Tis the Season

Solids wouldn't be a bad idea either because I could change the linens for a lot less expense as my tastes change over the years. Which they have already when it comes to decorating!

 

[englishteacha]

I like the idea of plain white plates with a festive red tablecloth. Then you can use them any time.

We have a service for 4 of Christmas dishes. We had settings for 12, but it's just the two of us, and I donated 8 settings to my mom's church for a fundraiser. I also have some cute reusable plastic plates and cups with a snowman theme. It's usually just the two of us for Christmas dinner, so dishes are easy. There are 40 people at our family Thanksgiving, and we've gone back and forth between real and paper plates. Recently it's been real dishes. We all chip in to wash. They're not fancy china, but they're real.

 

[SplshMtn99]

i voted other...because it really depends...
I have used real and I have used paper goods...
just depends on how many are coming to dinner....

many times I use both... thanksgiving...good china..with festive holiday paper plates for the antipasto..on top of them....

That's my answer. If its less people & sit down, then real. More people & buffet style, then paper.

Sometime by the time we get to dessert, I'm so tired of seeing dirty dishes, it just ends up being paper.

I prefer doing paper as there is enough to do with cleaning house before & after, shopping, cooking, guests sleeping over........

Besides, they make very nice paper plates, cups, napkins & utensils now.

 

[Savsmommy]

We always use real dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Paper plates are for those quick nights that we have to be out of the house for Soccer or whatever.

 

[mamacatnv]

I'm not looking for fine china (didn't even get that for my wedding!). Just something fun and festive...like from Target or Kohl's...something along those lines. I never thought about when the kids get older and bring "friends" over. Hmm...something to consider. I also never thought of just buying flatware from somewhere like Costco. Last year I had cute square plastic plates from Sam's.

I used "fancy" plastic until last year. We host 20 for Christmas Eve dinner.
Last year I found a really nice set of plates, platters and serving bowls at Kohls and I bought them during one of their 75% off early bird sales. The plates were $2.75 ea. I spent $120 and have service for 20 plus I bought 5 extra plates just in case, along with 2 platters, 2 serving bowls and 4 other assorted pieces. I love it!

As for flatwear & stemwear, I borrow from my BFF who lives next door. She and her family are part of the Christmas eve dinner and this works out really well.

 

[skuttle]

Thanks for all of the ideas! I don't want to do plain white. I have my everyday dishes that we got for our wedding that I still love and use every day. So I'm not looking for something that will double for every day use. I'm really looking for something Christmas-y.

 

[wardfamily1]

I get the fancy paper plates. Chinette. The less dishes I have to wash on Christmas day the better.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

Its not Christmas with paper plates.

I can do a full dinner for 30 people on real matching china with sterling and cloth napkins. It is beautiful.

I am old and have never attended a Thanksgiving or Christmas with paper plates.

 

[rie'smom]

For Easter and Mardi Gras, I use cream colored dinner plates and have decorative holiday salad plates that I sit on top. You could do that for Christmas, especially if you find a china that's on the pricey side. Just add to it each year.It's very festive.

 

[DVCLiz]

Its not Christmas with paper plates.

I can do a full dinner for 30 people on real matching china with sterling and cloth napkins. It is beautiful.

I am old and have never attended a Thanksgiving or Christmas with paper plates.

I can do thirty, too, but I have to use two different sets of china (my wedding china and another fine china I added later) and three sets of sterling (my wedding silver, my mom's I inherited, and a great aunt's I also inherited). Everybody can use a crystal goblet, though - thanks to the fact that my mom and I had the same pattern.


Mmmm, I love setting a Thanskgiving and Christmas table. It might be my favorite part of the holiday!

 

[C.Ann]

My former house had a very small kitchen and no dining room - so - our big bash (on Christmas Eve) was always Christmasy paper plates, napkins, and cups - and find a place to sit (or stand - LOL)..

 

[DISUNC]

I'd just use disposable stuff. The last thing I want to do when celebrating the birth of Christ is a sink full of dishes.

Our house is the "Dew Drop Inn" Christmas eve & Day. Upwards of 25 or more people in/out. No Formal dining going on. We use to use 'fancy" paper plates, until last year WalMart has 'Spode-like" Christmas ceramic sets. A place setting for 4 was $6.00. Soooooooooo bought a couple sets. (We have a dishwasher ) That was cheaper & somewhat nicer then paper plates.

 

[GraysMom]

We have an open house sort of Christmas meal at our house, so we don't have to drag DS3 away from his toys . We use heavyweight paper plates with a holiday design and matching napkins. With people in and out throughout the day, and younger kids walking around, paper plates are easier and I don't have to worry about them breaking.

I've finally convinced my mom to use paper plates for Easter and Thanksgiving too.

 

[cruellababy]

I always use the "good" Lenox Holiday china- for xmas eve and again xmas day.