Your Kitchen at Christmas: 10 Tradition Ideas

Wednesday, 6th December 2:45pm 2023

We all have Christmas traditions. Yours might be writing Christmas cards with little helpers, following online Santa trackers, drinking Baileys during the King’s speech or simply arguing while your great aunt Winifred gets squiffy on eggnog beside a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Personally, we think preparing your kitchen for Christmas is fundamental for bringing together this idyllic scene. Get the layout right and not only will your Christmas kitchen decor pop but you’ll harmonise your family so closely visitors will think you’re filming a Nigella Christmas special.

The key is to practice traditions that promote goodwill amidst kitchen features that make all the work effortless. Sounds easy, right? It is, but only if you’re a kitchen expert. Luckily, we have you covered. Read on for 10 Christmas traditions and kitchen features that’ll bond your family this festive period.

Make Homemade Christmas Gifts

Few activities scream “Christmas fun” like making something thoughtful for loved ones. Your contribution could be an advent wreath, handmade Christmas cards or a full Christmas Eve box.

Whatever you choose, a kitchen pantry cupboard or pull-out larder can help you in this endeavour. Our MagnaSpace pull-out corner storage larders, for instance, are ideal for holding Christmas hamper ingredients. Likewise, our Lansbury corner pantries provide ample pantry shelving to hide gifts.

Create a DIY Advent Calendar

The average advent calendar 2024 has to offer contains 25-ish doors and cheap milk chocolate but yours can take any form if you want to get creative. So, what goodies would you like it to include?

Using a Hathaway pantry cupboard loot, for example, you could create 25 fancy hot chocolate sachets or even 25 miniature spiced advent candles. If you have small kids, you could turn the pantry itself into a giant calendar, using its shelves, wine holes and drawers as Christmas scavenger hunt spots.

Decorate Your Kitchen Island

Did you know Christmas Island is a real place? In reality, it’s a warm Australian island in the Indian Ocean. Not very Christmasy by European standards. That said, there’s nothing stopping you from turning your kitchen island into a typically festive “Christmas Island” every year with your family.

Even our small kitchen islands with seating look spectacular with Christmas kitchen island decor. A garland, in particular, will enhance the Christmasy mood whenever you use the space. Plus, you could play Tim Minchin’s touching Christmas song as an homage to Australia while you hang your tinsel.

Personalise Christmas Cards

At Masterclass, we believe in spreading Christmas cheer. One great way to do so is to create a discrete list of neighbours who may need a little help, check it twice (obviously) and reach out with personalised cards so good you’ll struggle to find better at the best German Christmas market.

Using even a simple breakfast bar area or kitchen peninsula, you can install a tradition of giving with your kids. In your charity Christmas cards, you could provide Christmas grocery vouchers for local food banks or invite over elderly neighbours who typically eat Christmas lunch alone.

Open Your Pantries and Larders

Speaking of giving, food banks struggle at this time of year. Despite this, many of us horde so much food that much of it perishes before we get a chance to eat it. Want to help? Trawl your pantry shelving for goodies to share with your local food bank. It’ll give visitors a full stomach, and you a full heart.

You’ll find more to donate than you realise, particularly if you have a Masterclass SpaceTower larder or Lansbury pantry storage. As space-saving cabinets, both hold lots of inventory. This is particularly true of the Lansbury which has enough walk-in-pantry capacity to rival a farm shop storeroom.

Produce a Pomander

Christmas brings with it some beautiful smells: the gravy; the nutmeg; the roasted chestnuts… that turkey pong that wafts every time you open the fridge door. Okay, so not every Christmas smell is delicious. (We’re pointing no fingers, sprout lovers.)

Fortunately, pomanders are fun and easy to make. If you aren’t familiar, these are clove-and-orange air neutralisers that repel flies while perfuming the room. Simply pin oranges with cloves and you’re done. Kids love making them and, alongside luxury Christmas crackers, they make lovely centrepieces.

Cook Christmas Lunch

Christmas lunch or Christmas dinner? A home-cooked meal, a restaurant slot or a Marks and Spencer Christmas Lunch deal? Everyone approaches the big Christmas meal differently. One thing we all agree on, however, is that we love the food. And even if you don’t cook the roast, there are still lots of options.

In your home, you could make a tradition of producing the Christmas pudding or the yule log with helpers. Providing you have a furnished kitchen, no easy family cooking recipe will be an obstacle. Use a full range and you’ll enjoy a peaceful afternoon of family cooking every Christmas period.

Watch Christmas Movies

Christmas lunch is often the one experience families share on the big day. As soon as the dessert’s gone, so are the kids. If only there were a way to stretch the gathering… say, with a Christmas film.

Wait – there is: the media wall! Combining a wall-mounted TV with open shelving or cabinets, you can opt for a full-scale entertainment wall or a small media wall set into an unused alcove. Both enable you to extend a good family meal with Elf, The Grinch, Polar Express or another Christmas classic.

Sprinkle Reindeer Food

Families across the world leave out a carrot “for Rudolf” but what about the other reindeer? Don’t they need breakfast, particularly in the early hours of Christmas Day? Reindeer food is the perfect solution. This might sound wasteful but bear with us; there’s a method to this mad tradition.

A good reindeer food recipe contains oats and “reindeer dust” – edible glitter that provides the gift of flight. After creating this mixture – say, with stores from your convenient Masterclass breakfast dresser – sprinkle it outside for “Santa’s reindeer” and it’ll feed hungry non-migrating birds in deep winter.

Go for a Christmas Walk

The final item on our tradition list – the Christmas Day walk! It’s a favourite among those who receive Christmas scarves or plan to watch a friend Christmas carolling. While simple, though, this errand can cause unnecessary work in terms of muddy carpets if you don’t have a properly furnished utility room.

At Masterclass, we have lots of utility room, boot room and “bootility” options. We can install a utility boot room unit, complete with coat hooks, a convenient seat and under-seat utility room storage. That way, you can store your coat and wellies in a fashion that won’t ruin your Christmas-ready home.

Bonus: Update Your Home

People routinely use New-Year accountability to improve themselves but what about your home? Shouldn’t it getting renovations over the line get the same level of focus? To ensure you finally update your kitchen this year, create a home-update tradition, find your nearest showroom and book a consultation slot. Or at least become a Masterclass Insider for free to keep it front of mind. You’ll get an extra Christmas gift (lifestyle guides to help you create a family hub) just for joining!

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