Volunteers have pre-prepared 240kg of chicken and 300kg of ham, as well as 700kg of various vegetables, and for dessert, guests will be served jelly, ice-cream and other festive fare.
An estimated 700 volunteers will help decorate the venue, prepare and cook the lunch, serve meals, and clean up today.
Christmas cheer in the wards
Meanwhile, what does it take to feed an entire hospital full of hundreds of patients who could use a little Christmas cheer?
At Waikato Hospital, the answer is 72kg of lamb and more than 60kg of turkey. And with 500 meals to be made, the hospital's 11 kitchen staff will be kept on their toes.
The hospital's menu is designed to resemble a traditional Christmas lunch and will be followed by some festive hand-made desserts.
The turkey will be served with cranberry sauce and walnut and apricot stuffing to make sure patients don't miss out on the extras that make Christmas lunch.
"Most of it is for patients but families have the same menu available to them in the cafeterias," Waikato Hospital production manager Murray Deed said.
Over the past few days, the hospital's chefs have busily hand-made more than 400 puddings, 1200 shortbread biscuits and 150 pavlovas.
The shortbread biscuits have been paired and hand-wrapped to give as gifts to patients.
"We also made 320 portions of our own brandy sauce with a dash of real brandy," Mr Deed said.
The hospital will also deliver 186 lunches to people in the community.
Those patients who cannot eat will be given a Christmas card to try and include them in the festivities as well.
On the menu at Waikato Hospital:
• 72kg Lamb
• 62kg turkey
• 60kg new potatoes
• 60kg minted peas
• 54kg baby carrots
• 400 Christmas puddings
• 300 portion Christmas cake
• 600 portions shortbread
• 480 portions cranberry sauce and stuffing
• 380 portions mint sauce
• 320 portions brandy sauce
• 150 individual portions mini pavlovas
Dinner behind bars
Prisoners around the country will also receive a special Christmas meal today, although it is little changed from those served over the last five years.
A lunch of roast chicken, gravy, roast potatoes, carrots, green peas, two slices of bread and an apple pie will be on dinner trays in prisons around the country.
In 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010 prisoners tucked in to the same meal, with small differences.
In 2010 watermelon was served, and in 2012 some prisoners had beef rather than chicken.
National Commissioner Jeremy Lightfoot said the day was marked appropriately, but not extravagantly.
"It will be a day of routine and reflection with many of the normal activities taking place.
The main meal of the day would be Christmas Day lunch.
The prisoners will prepare about 8600 meals at a cost of about $5.30 per prisoner.
"The Christmas Day meal is in line with recommended nutrition guidelines from the Ministry of Health," Mr Lightfoot said.
Dinner would be sandwiches. In other years, prisoners have had cold meats and salads for dinner.
Some prisons would be holding extra family days with food prepared by the prisoners, with some staff and members of the public donating food and presents to the families.
