Christmas Dinner is a time for good food, family, and friends. Christmas dinner recipes may include family favorites or traditional foods based on a specific culture. Hosting Christmas dinner doesn't just mean coming up with the food list. A Christmas dinner with family and friends involves honoring Christmas traditions, sharing favorite Christmas memories, and indulging in Christmas desserts and cookies.

To make Christmas dinner a success, plan the event in advance. Many items can be prepared ahead of time so the hostess can spend more time with the guests. Familiar recipes might seem more like home to the family. They may appreciate old favorites and traditions more than innovation. If a particular dish has been enjoyed for Christmas dinner for many years, changing the tradition may not be accepted by all. In these cases, consider supplementing the meal with new items, and creating new traditions for years to come.

The earliest indications of turkey and dressing being a part of a traditional Christmas dinner are found as far back as the 1700s as recorded by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, VA. Early menu plans for the day included Roast Young Tom Turkey and Fresh Mushroom Dressing.http://www.foodtimeline.org/christmasmenu.html

In the Philippines, Christmas dinner is enjoyed at midnight (end of Christmas Eve, entering Christmas Day) and is called Noche Buena. It is a time for families to celebrate together and enjoy a meal. The foods of Noche Buena depend on the family and may include different family favorites in different regions. Common foods include Filipino sweet spaghetti, ham, pork lechon, graham dessert, flan, and Filipino Fruit Salad.