Christmas comes with many things to look forward to; seeing family and friends, the cringe-worthy TV specials and all the gleaming lights.

However, one of the things people most look forward to is Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.

We asked the Manx public what their Christmas dinner habits were.

Glen and Roz Campbell, from Peel, are going an unorthodox route for their Christmas feast this year.

Roz said: ‘We’re having a ciabatta with turkey and all the rest of it in because we’re going away to Tenerife on Boxing Day. That’s why we aren’t doing a full Christmas dinner this year.'

Her husband Glen said: ‘We’re cooking for six on Christmas day and we’re all flying out on Boxing Day.’

Valerie and David Allwood, also from Peel, are also cooking for six guests.

Valerie said: ‘I’m cooking for my son, his girlfriend, and her parents, so it’s a bit of a blend really.

‘I’m gluten intolerant so I have to avoid anything to do with bread, but apart from that Christmas dinner is the best.’

Michelle and Natasha Crystal, from Douglas, have planned out their family’s feast well in advance.

Michelle said: ‘I do Jamie Oliver’s get-ahead gravy so I’ve started that already, and I make my own stuffing with chestnut puree, sausage meat and I cook my own onions and toss them in there too and I make that ahead of the day.

‘I’m weird though, because although I have gravy, I also have pickled onion and gherkins too and a cauliflower cheese. I make that myself as well.’

We asked the Crystals if they have ever strayed from the conventional Christmas dinner and we received two very different answers.

Natasha said: ‘I had beef last year with the in-laws but that was the only difference.’

Michelle said: ‘Me and my husband’s very first Christmas dinner together was in Essex, we had no cutlery, no plates, nothing.

‘So basically we had got a Chinese takeaway and kept the plastic knife and fork and we used Fray Bentos tins to put our Christmas dinner on and we had one piece of furniture to sit on between us.’

We also spoke to Chantelle Quayle and her former colleague Jeremy Fearnley, both from Douglas, about what they have planned for Christmas dinner.

Chantelle said: ‘Turkey, beef, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes.’

A debate about the absence of a gammon joint in the Christmas menu arose.

Jeremy said: ‘The ham has to be Christmas Eve. Every year my mum does it with the honey glaze, sugar and mustard sauce and things like that.

‘This Christmas I have my wife’s side of the family and my sister-in-law always asks for mushy peas. She’s not getting any of that though – it’s not happening! She can have Yorkshire puddings though.’

All of our interviewees were also asked if they or anyone they were cooking for had any dietary requirements, and how they were going to cater for them.

Roz said: ‘I can’t do dairy and my daughter is a red meat vegetarian, so Turkey is absolutely fine.’

When the topic of pigs in blankets inevitably came up, Glen said: ‘She can do veggie sausages and she’ll do bacon. She’s a confused vegetarian.’

Valerie, who is gluten intolerant, said: ‘Christmas dinner is fine because it’s vegetables, potatoes and turkey.'

David added: ‘She just needs to avoid onion gravy.’

Michelle and Natasha have an interesting allergy in their family.

Michelle said: ‘Definitely Brussels sprouts are not in our house, I don’t like the taste of them and my husband is allergic to them, so we’ve never, ever had sprouts – they are heinous.’

‘We don’t allow veggies at our Christmas dinners,’ Chantelle said, joking.

With the big day fast approaching and home kitchen chefs stressing out, trying to find ways to dazzle their dinners like it’s the final of ‘Come Dine with Me’, we tried to source some Christmas dinner tips for our readers to try.

Glen Campbell loads his Brussels sprouts with butter and bacon to put a twist on the vegetable that has always divided the Christmas dinner table in two.

Valerie Allwood has dabbled with roasting parsnips with Parmesan cheese instead of the classic honey-roasted parsnips.

Michelle Crystal was full of tips for Christmas dinner, including putting Dijon mustard on cauliflower cheese, and mixing Cointreau in with the cream when she is making her homemade trifle for dessert.

Jeremy Fearnley was thrilled to hear our photographer was talking about bread sauce.

He said: ‘My mum puts milk in a pan, stuffs cloves into an onion, simmers that away for a while and then goes in with the breadcrumbs.’