What should go on the Christmas table besides the plates?

There is a moment on Christmas Eve when everything is ready, and yet something is missing. The plates are in their places, the cutlery too, the tablecloth freshly ironed. Then someone stops in the doorway, looks around, and quietly says: this is how it should be.

We believe a festive table is not beautiful because there is a lot on it, but because everything on it means something. So we have written down what is worth putting on the table besides the plates – not as rules, but as a few images from which you can put together your own table.

What should go on the Christmas table besides the plates?

Three things are enough: light, something living or natural, and a token meant for the guest. The light is the candle, the natural element a sprig, a few pine cones or a bowl of apples, and the token can be a name on a small card, a ribbon, a little box.

Not because anything else is forbidden, but because the table needs room to breathe. A hand's width of space between the place settings, a narrow strip down the middle: from there the decoration can be seen, and you can still talk to the person opposite.

What candles and lighting should go on the Christmas table?

Fewer, but real. Two or three candles along the length of the table give more than a dozen little tea lights scattered about. It matters that the flames do not burn at the eye level of the person sitting opposite: choose candles either lower or taller than where the gaze falls.

If you keep an Advent wreath in the middle of the table, the light is practically taken care of. We have written separately about the meaning of the four candles.

How should you decorate the table so it doesn't feel cluttered?

One material, one or two colours. Fir sprigs, dried orange slices, pine cones, apples: side by side they look natural, and if something runs out or falls off, no one notices. Keep a narrow strip down the middle of the table rather than a round vase, because that separates the people sitting opposite each other.

The same goes for colours. A white tablecloth, a green sprig and a warm golden tone are enough; anything beyond that is working for the eye, not for the guest.

A festive table is not beautiful because there is a lot on it, but because everything on it means something.

What should be beside each guest's place setting?

Something meant for them, and only for them. The simplest is a handwritten place card, but it can also be a small gift: for us, that is the GALAMBOM box, which holds handmade gingerbread made with, among other things, white rye flour, local farmers' blossom honey and cane sugar. Hidden in the box is a satin ribbon; when you pull it out, the words of a Christian saint come into view. The message on the ribbon is in English.

One box costs €4.20 and can be pre-ordered; shipping starts in mid-November 2026. You can order ten boxes for €40.04. On the GALAMBOM page you will find the other sizes too.

Is a table blessing needed at the Christmas table?

It is not needed, but for many it sets the tone of the evening. One or two sentences are enough, and no long text is required: let the eldest at the table, or the youngest, say it. We have gathered the text and origins of the well-known Hungarian blessings in our piece on the table blessing.

Our white placemat is being made for this too: a fine gold line drawing on a warm ivory background, with the text of the table blessing in Hungarian and English, a rigid core and a cork non-slip backing, measuring 40 × 30 cm. This product cannot be ordered yet; it is coming soon, and you can ask to be notified on its page.

When should you lay the table, and what should you arrange in advance?

The greenery, the candles and the place cards can easily be prepared on the evening of the 22nd or 23rd; the table itself can wait until the afternoon of Christmas Eve. What is handmade and can be pre-ordered, however, is worth deciding on now: the GALAMBOM box is best ordered by the end of November so that it can be on the table by Christmas Eve. We have set out the full Christmas timetable in The Christmas gift calendar.

The Advent package holds 24 GALAMBOM, one a day from 1 December until Christmas Eve; it costs €92.12. Shipping starts in November; in 2026, the first Sunday of Advent falls on 29 November.

Frequently asked questions

What should go on the Christmas table besides the plates?

Three things are enough: light, something natural and a personal token for every guest. The light can be one or two candles, the natural element a fir sprig or a few pine cones, the token a place card or a small gift. Leave a hand's width of space between the place settings.

How many candles should go on the Christmas table?

Two or three real candles along the length of the table give more than lots of little tea lights. Make sure the flame does not burn at the eye level of the person sitting opposite. With an Advent wreath on the table, you usually need no further candles.

What decoration should you choose so the table doesn't feel cluttered?

Work with one material and one or two colours: fir sprigs, pine cones, apples or dried orange. Keep a narrow strip down the middle of the table rather than a tall vase, so the people sitting opposite can see each other.

What should go beside each guest's place setting?

Something meant only for them: a handwritten place card or a small gift. For us, that is what the GALAMBOM box is for; it costs €4.20, can be pre-ordered, and shipping starts in mid-November 2026. When you pull out the satin ribbon in the box, the words of a Christian saint come into view.

Is a table blessing needed on Christmas Eve?

It is not obligatory, but for many families it sets the tone of the evening. One or two sentences are enough, and the eldest or the youngest at the table can say it. Our white placemat, which carries the text of the table blessing in Hungarian and English, measures 40 × 30 cm and is coming soon.

When is the best time to lay the Christmas table?

The greenery, the candles and the place cards can be prepared the evening before; the table itself is best laid on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. In 2026, Christmas Eve falls on a Thursday. Handmade items, such as the GALAMBOM box, are best ordered by the end of November.