Wow. I’m surprised there was never an insurrection.
My mom’s family was over 2000 miles away, so we always had Christmas with my dad’s family.
Same here. The roast is in the oven as we speak,
In my family, the Eve was always the big family time with the gift-giving, but the food then was always casual party food. “Christmas Dinner” was less solemn but more formal, on the 25th, and was likely to involve friends or neighbors.
That said, I know that there’s enough variation between families that if someone invited me over for “Christmas dinner”, I wouldn’t assume anything, but would just ask.
Christmas Dinner is on Christmas Day. If you try to have it on Christmas Eve, your boss will not yet have been visited by the three Spirits, repented of his miserly ways, and sent you the prize turkey from the poulterers.
Wot? The one big as me?