Christmas Dishes and Glassware

[piccolopat]

We have a lovely set of Christmas dishes and matching glassware. We really only use it on Christmas Eve and I am considering whether I want to keep it anymore. It seems a waste of space to store this set when we rarely use it more than once a year. We've had this set for more than 20 years. It started as a gift and grew to more than 12 place settings and many serving pieces to accommodate family. I could easily use the china we now have and decorate with table linens and some easy to store décor items.

I'm curious how many of you have holiday tableware and how often you use it.

 

[Nancyg56]

We have a lovely set of Christmas dishes and matching glassware. We really only use it on Christmas Eve and I am considering whether I want to keep it anymore. It seems a waste of space to store this set when we rarely use it more than once a year. We've had this set for more than 20 years. It started as a gift and grew to more than 12 place settings and many serving pieces to accommodate family. I could easily use the china we now have and decorate with table linens and some easy to store décor items.

I'm curious how many of you have holiday tableware and how often you use it.

I have Christmas dishes and glassware and use them from the day after thanksgiving until the second week in January.

 

[lynxstch]

I also have Christmas dishes and glassware that I use throughout the entire season. it's tradition around here, and you don't mess with tradition, lol! I would keep it. If you really don't want to use it /store it anymore, do you have anyone in the family that you could pass it down to that would appreciate it?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I have loads of Christmas paraphernalia (dishes, glasses, napkins, tablecloths, placemats, serving bowls, hot pad holders, candy dishes). I bring them out about a week before Christmas and use what I need at various times.

Time was we hosted Christmas and all this stuff came from those years. Now that the kids are grown, not so much hosting, but I love the Christmas stuff.

Sadly, I read recently that most children these days don't want anything to do with "old stuff" from mom & dad. So, now, when the parents start downsizing, most items either get tossed or sold off.

 

[Nancyg56]

I have loads of Christmas paraphernalia (dishes, glasses, napkins, tablecloths, placemats, serving bowls, hot pad holders, candy dishes). I bring them out about a week before Christmas and use what I need at various times.

Time was we hosted Christmas and all this stuff came from those years. Now that the kids are grown, not so much hosting, but I love the Christmas stuff.

Sadly, I read recently that most children these days don't want anything to do with "old stuff" from mom & dad. So, now, when the parents start downsizing, most items either get tossed or sold off.

I enjoy the decorations and all of the paraphernalia as well. I decorate for the weekend after Christmas and keep it al up until at least January 6th, but I will admit that taking it down and putting it all away has become a huge chore that gets more and more exhausting every year.

 

[Mirielle]

I'd never part with my Christmas china. I have the Holiday pattern by Lenox and love it. Use gold flatware and chrystal with the gold band around top of goblets and glasses. I only use this pattern Christmas eve and Christmas day. A "sturdier" Christmas pattern is used for every day, usually beginning a couple weeks before. I currently have 23 complete sets of china. Have sold or given away a number of sets over the years. It's really the only thing I collect. I have many more patterns...just not "complete" sets of many. Oh...could talk china all day.

 

[diznygirl]

Because of thoughts like the OP's I never invested in holiday dishes of any kind. I have a nice China set that can match any holiday's table linens, etc. Every Christmas tho I get the urge. There is some really pretty stuff out there.

 

[tvguy]

My wife has thousands of dollars of china that get used just for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
My mom had Thanksgiving /Christmas use China too, handed down to my daughter now.
I wouldn't throw them away, and the reality is, fancy dishware is often worth little, unless is it the piece you broke and you are looking to replace it.

 

[Realfoodfans]

I have a Wedgwood range called Country Village built up over many years - I get it down from the attic (well DH does!) early December and use it right through to New Year. I doubt any of the family will want it when I go!

 

[piccolopat]

Thanks for your comments. I'm now curious to hear if this is a regional thing since some of you mentioned this was traditional. I'm also curious where you store your Christmas tableware during the year. We have a downstairs apartment with a kitchen from when my MIL was alive and lived with us. I use to store my set in the attic but moved it downstairs to the kitchen cabinets after she passed. My DD and SIL may be taking the apartment and that's made me think about what I want to do with it. I also have filled the walk in closet in the bedroom down there with holiday décor and know that needs to be thinned out.

 

[mousefanmichelle]

I have some - I try to remember to use it for more than just Christmas Eve and Christmas day but some how I never quite remember! I wouldn't part with it though. I love it

 

[SallySkelington]

We have a nice set but we never use it. I honestly have no idea why we keep it, I don't really like it. It might be something that we donate later this year.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thanks for your comments. I'm now curious to hear if this is a regional thing since some of you mentioned this was traditional. I'm also curious where you store your Christmas tableware during the year. We have a downstairs apartment with a kitchen from when my MIL was alive and lived with us. I use to store my set in the attic but moved it downstairs to the kitchen cabinets after she passed. My DD and SIL may be taking the apartment and that's made me think about what I want to do with it. I also have filled the walk in closet in the bedroom down there with holiday décor and know that needs to be thinned out.

I have my stuff in large cardboard boxes (lots of packing peanuts) on shelves in the garage.

 

[Vicki926]

I use my Christmas dishes all season long. Love them!

 

[Nayan]

After losing things in two hurricanes I have minimized what I own. No fancy china/glasses, regular stuff works just fine. Nothing to store, worry about or lug around.

 

[mousefan73]

We have a lovely set of Christmas dishes and matching glassware. We really only use it on Christmas Eve and I am considering whether I want to keep it anymore. It seems a waste of space to store this set when we rarely use it more than once a year. We've had this set for more than 20 years. It started as a gift and grew to more than 12 place settings and many serving pieces to accommodate family. I could easily use the china we now have and decorate with table linens and some easy to store décor items.

I'm curious how many of you have holiday tableware and how often you use it.

We have holiday tableware and IF we use it only use it once or 2x a season.. IMO, if you have the space to store I would keep it! who knows maybe when yo are older or have kids, grandkids it can get passed down... I would not just toss it now after 20 years.. Even if in 5 years first you decide to drag it out and use it then do it... Again unless space is an issue, keep it.

 

[mousefan73]

We have holiday tableware and IF we use it only use it it's only once or 2x a season.. But I am still not going to get rid of it.. Maybe that is was makes or keeps Xmas Eve so special.. Only using something that one day of year??? IMO, if you have the space to store I would keep it! who knows maybe when yo are older or have kids, grandkids it can get passed down... I would not just toss it now after 20 years.. Even if in 5 years first you decide to drag it out and use it then do it... Again unless space is an issue, keep it.

 

[queenofthehive]

I have Christmas china that I use from Thanksgiving to January- every night. Don't take it out for only a couple evenings during Christmas. I take my everyday dishes/glassware out of the cabinets and replace it with the Christmas set. Life is short - enjoy it as much as possible.

 

[wonder whisper]

Because of thoughts like the OP's I never invested in holiday dishes of any kind. I have a nice China set that can match any holiday's table linens, etc. Every Christmas tho I get the urge. There is some really pretty stuff out there.

Yes, there certainly is! That is what led me to impulsively purchase a large set of the Lenox Winter Greetings china (pic below, IMHO the nicest holiday pattern they have ever produced) as a gift to my wife when it came up a holiday lightning deal on Amazon back in 2003. We only use it once a year for Christmas Dinner on the 25th (have other more casual holiday pieces we use through the whole season). We also have a dedicated set of china we only use for Thanksgiving Dinner (Johnson Brothers "Barnyard King" pattern, pic below, made in the UK and which is no longer in production). I understand the storage issue some people have with these; ours are carefully packed away up in the attic when they are not in use.

 

[elgerber]

I had a set of heavy stoneware (that I got for selling Tupperware eons ago), that I got rid of because they took up space and we didn't even use them, as we didn't host that often anymore. Then by a fluke, they were almost immediately replaced with a cute set of snowman dinnerware. Again, we only use them once a year. They are not even China, I don't know why I haven't thought to use them for the whole season. Maybe this year!
They are stored in our buffet in the dining area, it would be empty if we got rid of them. That does make it a little more inconvenient to put them away from the dishwasher, since it's across the room and not right above the dishwasher.