When I asked this question in my Facebook group, some of the answers brought back some childhood memories I’d forgotten about.

Yes, gammon, boozy Christmas cake, eggnog, mulled wine, yule logs and smoked salmon all came up, but so did the long forgotten nets of nuts in their shells and fights over using the nut crackers, sticky dates in a white tray which only ever appeared in my grandparent’s house at Christmas and bowls of bright green and sickly sweet peppermint creams. 

Growing up in the 80s, duchess potatoes, a half grapefruit or a slice of melon for starter and an Irish coffee also played a prominent role in most Christmas dinners of my childhood!