I have my mom's china that she always used for holidays. I've never used it, because it's just not my style. I only took it because I didn't want to hurt her feelings. What I really love are her circa '50s Wear-Ever pots & pans. I probably use one of them at least 5 days a week.

The only holiday/seasonal dishes I own are small Mikasa plates I bought at Goodwill. I'm probably going to use them for Thanksgiving dessert again this year.

Drenched Cranberry Cake

I use my ”good china” for holidays, and often other times when we have company. Nothing special for Thanksgiving, but the centerpiece is usually nature-themed with a couple of ceramic pheasants.

For Christmas, tradition is to use these plates for dessert, and I also use them for appetizers, or cookies.

“Jule aften” means Christmas eve.

I have a lot of winter birthdays, so I use these for those. They are winter, but not necessarily Christmas, themed, and don’t say ”Jule” on them. I like to match the dessert plate to the diner, but it is lost on them (guys, sheesh’ Sheesh.) but ”I” know.

I’m Danish, and many of these Danish plates came down from family, but I’ve added to my collection at flea markets, rummage sales, and estate sales.

My mother-in-law had a family business for years that sold china and crystal. She gave us so much stuff, including two sets of china from Lenox…their Autumn and Holiday patterns. They’re lovely but I find myself using them less and less. I also have Spode’s Christmas Tree dishes I‘ve used starting after Thanksgiving and through Christmas. IDK…I tend to enjoy using plain white dishware more these days. They’re so versatile for any holiday and easy to accessorize. Also, food just looks better on white to me.

To me holidays = cousins by the dozens. Literally. I have settings in alternating designs, including stemware and serveware for a formal table set for 30, and adding in the “informal” stemware for 3 dozen, and with some stainless to supplement the gold flashed flatware, 4 dozen, with full service and chargers. Functionally, that's Passover dishes, because I don't have room to sit more than 3 dozen at table, and go to paper on laps when there are more, and I have informal company dishes for 1 dozen when there are less. Unfortunately, there was some breakage so I only have informal stems for 10, though there might be a full dozen martini glasses ;).

I do have a few holiday theme dishes, plus seder plates which are ritual objects, but the theme dishes aren’t special (mostly hostess gifts of the serviceable rather than awww variety) and the seder plates don't really count. Though I am fond of my big one which was a raffle prize at a fundraiser, and my mother's big one which we got her to match her dishes. I think my most ”special” platter I have, I bought for myself. It doesn't get used a lot, but it's huge, and sometimes you need huge. It's a sunflower with a ruffle edge and makes me happy, but it's not for a particular occaision.

Interesting post. My good china from Mom is a falling leaves pattern so is good for Thanksgiving and also OK for Christmas really . . . and then there's Grandma's plain cream colored china set with gold trim, which goes with Mom's china so is good to mix and match. But I've been debating today about buying a set of holiday dessert plates and mugs . . . I don't really need them, but I've really gotten into "tablescaping" lately. Also wondering about getting something that says "Hannukah" too, to give both sides of the family their due. I have menorah's and then the above mentioned stuff, but maybe something for that too. Again, not really needed . . .

Here's Mom's set with Grandma's serving bowl. Not really Christmasy

Amy, I think he likely got the message. It's a little hard to miss with that plate ;)

You'd find my table boring other than liking the food. When we bought this house I bought plain white porcelain dinnerware and we use it for everything from patio to formal table. Many place settings. I finally had room to extend my table with all three leaves and thought I'd do that more often than what really takes place. I don't do that much formal entertaining, but serve buffet and people take their plate to wherever they might be comfortable inside and out.

I have a backup set of Lenox Chinastone that I haven't used in several years. I did - over time - pick up enough Lenox Waverly dessert plates to serve several but just because I like them. They have a platinum edge and I put them in the dishwasher anyway.

The dishwasher is why I didn't take my mothers dishes when she downsized and I'm sure it hurt her feelings. Her china was important to her but not to me, and wasn't made well enough to take any kind of abuse. I'm not serving a crowd and following that by hand washing anything.

I bought Christmas dish set for 12 when we first married and still use them every year. They are whimsical and child like. A white plate with a large decorated Christmas tree with presents. Thanksgiving I use my every day white plates. Every year I buy a roll of paper, one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas and the grands color and paint it for a table runner. I also have Christmas glasses. Easter I use my pink rose china.

I have collected enough pieces of Waechtersbach Winter Dreams to serve a lovely dessert smorgasboard to about twenty people. I use it from December 1 through the winter because it doesn't look as Christmasy as some holiday dishes do. https://www.replacements.com/china-waechtersbach-winter-dreams/c/110170

I was debating buying a set of 8 inch dessert/appetizer plates for a Christmas smorgasbord. But will I ever do a Christmas smorgasbord?? I dunno. Growing up my folks almost always had Christmas and or Hannukah parties or New Year's Eve parties or a brunch. I don't know that many people, even though I live in my old home town. Most of my friends have left. Also not sure I'm ready to have a house full of guests. My house is a lot smaller than my folks and not only would it be crowded, it would probably be too much risk for covid or flu and I'm not up for that. If the house was bigger I might. So I guess best to resist my urge for dishware. We don't even have any family to invite for holidays . . . sure is boring. I travel a lot of the time, or at least I used to . . .

I was in a store last week and saw holiday dinner plates with The Grinch on them. Does that make a statement or what?

So pretty, Kate!

faftris do you remember where you saw the grinch ?

Yes, I love to set pretty and festive tables for my family, so I have dinnerware for different seasons as well as for Thanksgiving, Halloween,New Years, and Christmas.Here’s a quick look at my basic Thanksgiving placesetting, minus the pumpkin bowls.

And here is a quickly set up one for our Autumn dinners. I have serving plates in the leaf design and bowls matching the plates.

Home Goods had the Grinch plates. I did not look at the price.

Thank you.

Lynn I love those leaf plates! I have inherited my late Mother's love of plant shaped plates. I have geranium leaf ones for summer. It's all I can do to not get fall leaf ones and then the poinsettia ones I just saw on eBay!

I'm fascinated by those wine glasses. I have clear ones just like that but I'd love to find some colored ones.

Thanks, Pink. Did you notice our “woodsman” candleholder that you inspired me to get? Thank you so much, as we love him. Here he was in October and now for Fall and Thanksgiving.

Amylou, I love that plate, LOL.

Kate, that's a pretty table.

Lynn, you and I have matching plates, here's mine:

I also add some table decorations, mostly for Mother who has always bemoaned the fact that people decorate for Christmas, but not Thanksgiving, so I got a turkey, just for her:

Annie

Annie, love the turkey!

Which reminded me.... I have a fabulous huge pumpkin tureen on am autumn greenery platter with matching ladle. It's kind of reminescent of majolica in style, but it's also pretty. However, Thanksgiving is at the Thanksgiving cousin, and it's not that great for serving. Warming it up is awkward and not very effective, it's wide and shallow, which adds to the soup getting cold, it's too big and heavy to pass, and difficult to dish up out of. But it's pretty! It's main purpose is to take up an entire shelf and provide workouts to innocent dusters. :) I forgot all about it. It's just Fall, not any one holiday, but I think it would fit this category if I still put it on the table. It's a nice centerpiece, though dissapointing to guests when they learn it's empty, but much easier to see over than the epergne.

I have a set of rather informal Christmas dishes that I use daily starting after Thanksgiving. The holidays are mostly at my kids houses now but back in the day we would always have a huge New Years Day Brunch of sorts......starting after midnight! There were times we poured the last one out the door about 5 AM, so I have tons of white Ranson china plates both Haviland and Bavarian....and enough sterling to set 50 places plus extra forks. Am passing on some of the silver to the grands now.

When I did do Thanksgiving I usually used my Mason's Vista with Ruby flashed King's crown...festive but not strictly holiday.

And for a few years we had a "Kick off the holiday" cocktail party the night before Thanksgiving. That was back in the days when a turkey had pinfeathers and you would spend an hour plucking pinfeathers before you could cook it!

Not sure how i managed all that....but I did!

Hi Lynn,

Thanks for inspiring/reminding me to change out his hat from his spring/summer one to the fall/winter one. It's a little too big, but maybe someday I'll find something smaller. Not a priority, lol! I have a Cornucopia centerpiece complete with fake plastic vegetables for Thanksgiving that I inherited from Mom, but I only put it out closer to Thanksgiving time. It takes up a lot of space . . .

Now I want acorn-shaped soup bowls. But they are hard to come by and expensive . . .

Lordy I just got rid of Mom's collection of vegetable-shaped ones . . . sigh. Neither one of us probably ever got to actually USE them . . .

I havean antique Haviland set that i pull out for our formal holiday dinners. DH bought it for me over 40 years ago from a PBS TV fundraising auction. it is decorated with the typical sprigs of flowers and greenery.

L, not quite the same, but you can make soup bowls out of acorn squash and not worry about storing them...

I have my 'wedding china' that is used for all high holidays. It's very plain, solid ivory with a small gold band around the edge. For Christmas I dress them up with red chargers underneath. My table linens have to carry the day when I use my china. For everyday all December I have a collection of Christmas plates I picked up thrifting. I love the mix and match of them. It's always fun to see the special dishes people have. I don't have the storage space for such luxury.