Is it time to put an end to the lavish Christmas dinner?

The cost of a traditional Christmas dinner for four is up by almost 10 per cent on last year to £31, according to an update from data analysts Kantar, as rising food prices continue to bite.

It comes in the wake of a recent survey by The Salvation Army, which found that nearly seven out of every 10 people (67 per cent) are worried about being able to afford Christmas dinner this year. That number rises to to 81 per cent of those who are older than 65.

My colleague James Moore rightly made the point that there are plenty of people across the country for whom worrying about Christmas dinner would constitute an improvement on their current circumstances. Although the Salvation Army survey does give a sense of this too – 16 per cent of respondents expect to use items from a food bank for their festive meal, while 18 per cent expect to spend time over Christmas in a building that is free to visit so they can keep warm.

Here at The Independent, we have also received plenty of correspondence from readers about the situations they find themselves in and the need for the government to do more to help people.

On the very specific point about Christmas dinner, I have started to wonder whether the usual lavish plate with all the trimmings, which is the norm for many families across the country, is really the be-all and end-all. I realise that plenty of people will think I’m just embodying the “bah humbug” spirit, and I understand the focal point the meal provides to bring people together – something I wouldn’t dream of wanting to be rid of.

But I grew up in a family that has gone out for Christmas dinner most years, whether to a carvery or an Indian restaurant, and I guess I’m just not that attached to it in its traditional form. I’m also aware that going out can often be more expensive than eating at home, but I’d be fine with a simpler version of Christmas dinner becoming the norm, without the pressure to live up to what families “should” be doing.

You would be well within your rights to think I’m foolish, and that to change the way we eat at Christmas would be taking away something that many to look forward to. But the current cost of living crisis has got me thinking – I’d love to know your thoughts, too.

Yours,

Chris Stevenson

Premium editor