A Renaissance Christmas Eve

This year for Christmas Eve we mixed it up

a little and changed the Great Room into

a Renaissance dining room.

After removing the couch and some chairs and the coffee and sofa

table, we set up a long table in front of the fireplace.

About ten years ago we had created a Renaissance dinner

like this and my three youngest had dressed up as

serving girls and pages and served our adult friends

as we sat to dinner. 

We had Mannheim Steamroller music on the other day

and my two youngest boys were saying how much

they had loved that and wished they had been

able to sit at the Renaissance table.

So of course we decided to surprise everyone with 

a

Renaissance Dinner

for Christmas Eve this year.

We had a beautiful tapestry type fabric that we had used

for the first dinner and we placed it over two

folding tables.

The dinner was to be utensilless.

The center of the table was decked out with fresh

and silk greenery and three candelabras.

The look kept changing as the sun was setting, giving

such a pretty glow to everything.

I even captured some of the blue hour in photos.

We used an assortment of pewter goblets and

bowls.  They were so pretty with the reflection

of the candles and fireplace on them.

The soup was to be drunk from the bowls.

We had to laugh because the little children

didn't like that idea and

  ran to the kitchen to get spoons.

I thought they would love to drink their soup.

We served sparkling apple juice in the goblets.

It was fun to hear the oohs and aahs as they came through

the door.

A twelve foot table was a beautiful and grand presentation.

After the soup, 

they were served cornish game hens and potato wedges.

Once they understood that the game hens weren't baby chickens,

they loved eating this with their hands.

Our traditional Christmas Eve dish is king crab legs

and sourdough bread.  

We did allow kitchen shears to be used to help

with the crab.

It ended up being a very magical evening and it

was so fun to have all fifteen (plus 2 infants)

around the long table.  

Dessert was chocolates and  an assortment of goodies.

We finished with a live Nativity acted out by the children

and presents.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

I will be posting with

Let's Dish

Tablescape Thursday