A belly-busting festive lunch has been a central part of Christmas day for centuries – and you might be surprised by how much has (and hasn't) changed over the past 120 years or so. Here we delve back in time and look at the plates of Christmases past, from the turn of the century to the present day.

Today our festive feast wouldn't be complete without turkey. But, though the bird first appeared on the Christmas lunch table in the Middle Ages, it remained expensive at the turn of the century, and only the upper echelons of society could afford it. Alternative options included goose and pork, both of which remained popular for decades to come. Here, Salvation Army volunteers in Chicago distribute care packages containing turkey and other festive goodies in the early 1900s.

Aside from the main event, oyster soup or stew was a popular Christmas lunch accompaniment, and it's still a Christmas Eve staple in some parts of the US. For dessert, plum pudding or Christmas pudding (pictured) – whose roots go right back to medieval England – was an enduring festive favourite in the UK and the US.

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The 1910s ushered in the First World War, and a time of hardship and scarcity for many. Soldiers serving on the front line made do with their rations but some troops were able to sit down for a proper Christmas meal, complete with roast turkeys they'd likely plucked themselves. Here female factory workers in London produce huge stores of Christmas puddings, ready to be sent out to British soldiers fighting in the conflict.

Post-war, family gatherings for Christmas lunch were more precious than ever. Here, a large family in the UK sits around the table after their festive lunch in 1919. Spot the dainty teaware, sweet pastries and the large Christmas cake taking pride of place at the centre. 

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For some, sweet accompaniments and Christmas tea were – and still are – as important as the main festive lunch itself. This nostalgic 1920s snap shows a family donning festive paper hats and feasting on tea and cakes, post-lunch. On the table you can see already-pulled Christmas crackers – their invention is credited to a Victorian confectioner named Tom Smith, who began selling an early form of them in the 1840s.

Elaborately decorated boars' heads dominated the festive dining tables of royals and the upper classes in medieval times, and their popularity continued into the 20th century at some swish venues. Here, a chef at the Savoy Hotel in London in the 1920s adorns a pair of boars' heads ready to be presented to well-heeled festive diners. Purportedly, Queen Elizabeth II's table still features a boar's head.

The interwar years weren't a time of abundance for everyone, though. For some, turkey still wouldn't have been an option and smaller birds would have been served with plenty of root veggies – you can spot a bowl of sprouts at this crowded 1930s dinner table, too. Those who could splurge on a turkey would need to pick it up on the last possible day, as most households wouldn't have owned a fridge either.

The 1930s are often classed as a golden age of rail travel and, for those who could afford it, a festive lunch onboard a train was a delightful Christmas treat. Here passengers don festive hats and finery and tuck into pastry treats, while travelling on a London, Midland and Scottish Railway train in 1935.

In the 1930s, the popularity of a plum pudding at Christmas showed no sign of dimming in the UK or the US. In fact, it was in this decade that the first reference to brandy butter – a favoured addition to Christmas pud – was made. This 1937 photograph captures the historic (and still running) Harvest Home festival in East Brent, Somerset, and sees villagers carrying puddings through the streets.  

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The Second World War brought yet more hardship and Christmas looked rather different for many families. It was in this era that 'mock goose' – a dish usually made with mashed potatoes, seasonings and perhaps sausage meat or stuffing – became a popular substitute for a roasted bird. Here, though, troops in a mansion-turned-wartime hospital enjoy a slap-up meal finished with traditional Christmas puds in 1940.

By the end of the decade, magazines like Good Housekeeping were promoting the return of elaborate Christmas lunches with multiple courses and trimmings. This photo from the time shows a decadent platter of cold cuts, and meat pie is suggested as a grazing starter or as part of a festive, post-lunch tea.

By the 1950s, a post-war technology boom meant that many more households in the US and UK had fridges and freezers in their kitchen. This allowed cooks to shop around for a Christmas turkey and buy their meat well in advance of the big day, so it was no longer only the domain of the most privileged in society. This 1955 shot shows a family in festive paper hats watching on as dad carves the turkey.

Still, though, some eschewed fashionable turkey in favour of a little variety. This festive Floridian spread, snapped in 1959, features chicken, ham and a pork crown, plus a side of spiced-grape gravy.

Regional specialities have always added flair to festive lunch tables, and cooks in Southern USA know how to lay on a Christmas feast. This 1955 photo shows a family from Kentucky saying grace before their Christmas dinner. You can spot Southern favourites like creamy mash and green beans.

Pigs in blankets are a perennial festive crowd-pleaser and it was in this decade that the first written record of this meaty festive favourite appears. They were referenced in 1957 in Betty Crocker’s Cooking for Kids and they've featured Christmas lunch plates ever since. Here they decorate a juicy turkey, alongside cranberry sauce, roasties and sprouts.

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A 1950s Christmas feast wouldn't have been complete without a cocktail or two, with top picks including a Tom Collins, a Sidecar and a classic Gimlet. Snapped in 1955, this festive table has everything you'd need for some retro cocktails, from whisky to dry sherry to Dubonnet.

Fast-forward to the 1960s and turkey remains the winning choice for Christmas dinner. In this gloriously festive photo, a woman brings a plump roasted turkey to the festive table, which is already laid out with candied yams and bread rolls. The tinsel-doused tree and cheerful red holiday decorations deserve a mention too.

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Canapés and hors d'oeuvres were having a moment in the 1960s – a craze that would last well into the next couple of decades. A smorgasbord of fun snacks is captured here, and crackers are topped with everything from prawns and cucumber to ham, cheese and olives. Our favourites are the dinky penguins fashioned from hard-boiled eggs and black olives.

Perfect for a post-lunch tipple, punch bowls have long been a Christmas favourite. The wassail bowl has its roots right back in the medieval era and was typically made with mulled ale, spices and honey, and this 1960s punch is a spin on the centuries-old recipe. It's served here with apples and toast on the side.

It wasn't all about the main event in the 1970s; cooks got creative with starters too. A cult classic in this decade was the prawn cocktail, which graced Christmas dining tables in the UK and US.

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Another foodie hit in the 1970s was the cheese fondue. By this decade fondue parties – where friends would gather to feast on oozing cheese with dipping bread and veggies – were hugely popular, and the fondue set would typically make a special appearance sometime after Christmas lunch.

The Christmas lunch itself looked much the same in the 1970s – think turkey and/or ham, stuffing, potatoes and heaps of veggies, gravy and cranberry sauce. This family, photographed in the 1970s, exchange presents at the table before they dish up.

This was the decade of the dessert, with sweet treats like Black Forest Gateau and profiteroles becoming ever more popular post-Christmas lunch. In Britain, the era gave birth to a retro festive favourite, the Viennetta – this layered ice-cream cake was first introduced by Wall's in 1982.

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Many see the 1990s as the era of the celebrity chef and, in Britain, famous faces like Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson inspired home cooks to shake up their Christmas dinner. Minor updates like adding pancetta to roasted sprouts kept the dinner table feeling fresh, while Christmas episodes of Oliver's hit TV series The Naked Chef included recipes like Japanese pork rolls and Sicilian cannoli.

Still, though, this inviting festive spread photographed in 2007 shows that, over the decades, more about the festive lunch has remained the same than has changed. Just like in the 1950s, the turkey platter is adorned with sprouts and accompanied by honey-roasted ham and cranberry sauce.

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The Christmas table hasn't changed too much over the years, either. Also photographed in 2007, this family bow their heads in prayer before their festive lunch is served. Decorative gravy boats, tea cups and side plates offer hints about the Christmas feast that's soon to be laid out.

By the 2010s, vegetarianism was more common with around 2% of adults skipping meat or fish. Brands like Linda McCartney Foods and Quorn (founded in the 1990s and 1980s respectively) were well established and nut roasts or meat substitutes more frequently made an appearance on the Christmas lunch table. These festive diners dig into a vegetarian Wellington filled with smoked tofu and chestnuts.

By the 2010s, cocktails had been knocked off the top spot when it came to festive drinks. In their place was a glass of fizz. In fact, sales of sparkling wine in Britain purportedly increased by 80% between 2011 and 2016, cementing sparkling wine's status as the nation's favourite Christmas tipple.

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Christmas lunch during 2020 looked a little different, with families gathering around computer screens rather than the festive table. Despite restrictions in the UK, these two friends from separate households braved a chilly day on Clapham Common, south London, to have a socially distanced traditional lunch with all the trimmings.

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