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From show-stopping main dishes to sweet treats, as well as ideas for every course, this collection of Christmas dinner ideas has it all!
Our Holiday Favorites!
Planning Christmas dinner doesn’t have to be stressful. I promise! Our family does a big Christmas Eve (Mexican food is always on the menu) and a more TRADITIONAL SPREAD on Christmas Day, so we gathered our favorite Christmas dinner ideas to make hosting easy.
Think showstopping prime rib, ham, roast turkey, and roast chicken, plus party-perfect appetizers, cozy sides (hello mashed potatoes and green bean casserole), buttery rolls, and festive drinks and desserts to finish strong.
Many of these dishes are make-ahead or slow-cooker friendly to save oven space, and we’ve included plenty of crowd-pleasers kids and grandparents love. Start with our Top 10, then browse by course to build your dream menu. Tie on an apron, turn up the carols, and let’s make a delicious, memorable meal together!
PRO TIP: Pin or bookmark this list so you’re ready with merry main dishes, sides, and sweets to make your stress-free Christmas dinner sparkle!
Table of Contents
Top 10 Most Loved Christmas Dinner Ideas
These Christmas dinner ideas are festive family favorites and are full of cozy comfort, classic flavors, and guaranteed holiday cheer!
1 Roast Chicken Recipe
Roast Chicken Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
This simple and delicious roast chicken recipe tastes like you spent all day cooking it, but only needs 10 minutes of prep!
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2 Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops Recipe
Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops Recipe
Total Time: 40 minutes
With less than 10 minutes of prep work, these parmesan crusted pork chops are simple, delicious, and the best way to enjoy pork chops.
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3 Prime Rib Recipe
Prime Rib Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes
This perfect prime rib recipe is cooked in the oven with a secret trick that gives you the most tender meat ever!
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4 Crock Pot Pot Roast
Crock Pot Pot Roast
Total Time: 7 hours 5 minutes
This melt-in-your-mouth crock pot pot roast is tender and flavorful. It takes just 5 minutes of prep before your slow cooker works its magic.
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5 Easy Swedish Meatballs Recipe
Easy Swedish Meatballs Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour
Easy Swedish meatballs made from both pork and beef are smothered in a creamy gravy. It's the perfect dish for holiday entertaining!
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6 Honey Glazed Ham
Honey Glazed Ham
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Tender and juicy honey glazed ham is smothered in our simple 5-ingredient glaze creating our favorite recipe for holiday ham!
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7 Steak Marinade
Steak Marinade
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Our all-time favorite steak marinade requires only four ingredients and makes mouth-watering steak that tastes amazing!
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8 Breaded Pork Chops
Breaded Pork Chops
Total Time: 45 minutes
Crispy breaded pork chops are made with just a handful of ingredients and cook in 30 minutes for a go-to family favorite!
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9 Roast Turkey Recipe
Roast Turkey Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Directions for a perfectly roasted and seasoned turkey every time. Herb-glazed roast turkey is a juicy, moist show-stopper.
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10 Baked Salmon Recipe
Baked Salmon Recipe
Total Time: 40 minutes
Bake a delicious and healthy pan of salmon for the whole family! Flavored with lemon, garlic, and parsley for a tasty dinner everyone will enjoy.
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Showstopping Mains
Scroll for crowd-pleasing holiday centerpieces; perfect for anchoring your Christmas menu without the stress.
11 Christmas Ham Recipe
Christmas Ham Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
This Christmas Ham recipe is the secret to a perfectly glazed, juicy centerpiece that will make your holiday feast unforgettable.
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12 Rib Eye Roast
Rib Eye Roast
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
This tender rib eye roast is slathered in butter and simple seasonings and then roasted to perfection for unrivaled flavor!
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13 Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe
Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
With this instant pot pot roast you'll have the same fall apart inviting flavor on the table in under 2 hours!
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14 Instant Pot Ham
Instant Pot Ham
Total Time: 20 minutes
Instant pot ham is the easiest entree – just 15 minutes for the tastiest juiciest ham you'll ever try, perfect for holidays!
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15 Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Slow cooker roast chicken takes 5 minutes to prep then the crock pot does all of the work – the result is effortlessly flavorful!
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16 Crockpot Ham Recipe
Crockpot Ham Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Crockpot ham has a quick prep and requires minimal effort. Covered with a brown sugar glaze, it's our favorite way to make a holiday ham!
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Make-Ahead Appetizers
Festive bites to greet guests while you finish cooking the main menu.
17 Christmas Charcuterie Board Recipe
Christmas Charcuterie Board Recipe
Total Time: 25 minutes
This simple yet stunning Christmas charcuterie board is sure to steal the show at holiday parties! It has a little something for everyone.
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18 Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board Recipe
Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board Recipe
Total Time: 25 minutes
This festive Christmas Tree Charcuterie board is sure to be the star of your holiday parties this year. The best part is it is so easy and fun to put together!
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19 Christmas Veggie Tray
Christmas Veggie Tray
Total Time: 10 minutes
Veggies never looked so cute with this festive Christmas Veggie Tray – prepped in 10 minutes and perfect for holiday parties!
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20 Christmas Vegetable Tree
Christmas Vegetable Tree
Total Time: 20 minutes
This Veggie Christmas Tree is sure to be a show stopper! It is tasty, impressive, and oh so festive.
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21 Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs
Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Just three ingredients to make our sweet and savory crock pot grape jelly meatballs – minutes to prep for the perfect dinner or appetizer!
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22 Cranberry Brie Bites Recipe
Cranberry Brie Bites Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes
Sweet and tart cranberry brie bites are perfect for holiday entertaining. They are simple to make and prep in minutes.
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23 Spinach Artichoke Dip
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Total Time: 35 minutes
Our easy spinach artichoke dip is extra delicious, cheesy and prepped in minutes – making it the ultimate party dip!
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24 Deviled Eggs
Deviled Eggs
Total Time: 35 minutes
There's nothing better than a platter of these perfect deviled eggs. They are easy, flavorful, and great for parties and holidays!
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25 Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This savory bacon ranch cheese ball is party-perfect. It's prepped in 10 minutes and feeds a dozen people or more!!
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26 Baked Brie in Puff Pastry
Baked Brie in Puff Pastry
Total Time: 30 minutes
Buttery & flaky baked brie puff pastry is cheesy with a pop of bright apricot jam. It is fancy and delicious!
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27 Brie and Pear Tarts Recipe
Brie and Pear Tarts Recipe
Total Time: 18 minutes
Decadent Brie and Pear Tarts are elegant, delicious, and ready in under 20 minutes! Dazzle your guests with these refined hor d'oeuvres.
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28 Cranberry Salsa Recipe
Cranberry Salsa Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes
Tangy Cranberry Salsa has just the right amount of zip. It's a gorgeous snack or appetizer for any gathering, but especially for the holidays!
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Holiday Salads
Crisp, fresh, and party-friendly, and many can be prepped ahead!
29 Apple Salad
Apple Salad
Total Time: 10 minutes
With a simple citrus dressing, apple salad is packed with texture and simple, bright flavors. It's refreshing and made in minutes!
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30 Christmas Salad
Christmas Salad
Total Time: 10 minutes
This Christmas salad is filled with pops of fresh seasonal fruit and dressed to perfection in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette!
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31 7 Layer Salad Recipe
7 Layer Salad Recipe
Total Time: 15 minutes
Deliciously customizable 7 Layer Salad is filled with just the right amount of goodness. It's perfect to make ahead!
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32 Apple Pecan Salad
Apple Pecan Salad
Total Time: 10 minutes
Topped with a poppyseed dressing, fresh apple pecan salad is a delectable combination of flavors and textures.
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33 Easy Tortellini Salad Recipe
Easy Tortellini Salad Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes
Fresh and filling Tortellini Salad whips up in minutes for a delicious summer salad topped with creamy ranch dressing.
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34 Cranberry Salad Recipe
Cranberry Salad Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Simple Cranberry Salad has the perfect balance of sweet and tart. It's a delicious side dish or refreshing dessert!
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35 Pistachio Salad Recipe
Pistachio Salad Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes
This easy pistachio salad is light, fluffy, and made with just 4 simple ingredients—perfect for any holiday or potluck!
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Classic Sides
These sides are the definition of comfort food and will complete any Christmas dinner spread.
36 Fresh Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Fresh Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Total Time: 17 minutes
Fresh cranberry sauce tastes amazing with every other dish on your Thanksgiving table. Make it ahead of time for less stress!
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37 Glazed Carrots
Glazed Carrots
Total Time: 20 minutes
Tender, tasty, and ready in a flash, sweet brown sugar glazed carrots are a four-ingredient side dish that's always a crowd-pleaser.
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38 Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes
These buttery smooth BEST mashed potatoes are our go-to potato side dish for every dinner and holiday get-together. They're my FAVORITE!!
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39 Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Total Time: 40 minutes
Oven roasted brussel sprouts have a perfectly crispy outside and a melt-in-your-mouth center, and take just 10 minutes to prep!
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40 Funeral Potatoes Recipe
Funeral Potatoes Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
This classic cheesy funeral potatoes recipe is a holiday favorite, perfect for feeding a crowd with its rich, comforting flavor!
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41 Easy Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Easy Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Total Time: 30 minutes
This easy green bean casserole is a holiday classic, featuring sauce-covered green beans and crispy onions baked to golden perfection.
42 Creamed Corn
Creamed Corn
Total Time: 20 minutes
Better than the canned version, this smooth and buttery creamed corn recipe is easy, cheesy, and delicious!
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43 Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe
Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe
Total Time: 40 minutes
This is the cheesiest, creamiest, altogether best homemade mac and cheese you'll ever make! The whole family will definitely approve!
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44 Dinner Rolls Recipe
Dinner Rolls Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Our dinner rolls recipe delivers a soft, buttery best-loved recipe, perfect for holidays or any occasion and impossible to resist.
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45 Simple Yeast Roll Recipe
Simple Yeast Roll Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 12 minutes
Our classic yeast dinner rolls delivers pillowy soft, fluffy rolls that are easy to make, and perfect for any meal.
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46 Parker House Rolls Recipe
Parker House Rolls Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Warm and fluffy Parker House rolls are elevated to new heights when served with a pat of sweet honey butter.
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Festive (Non-Alcoholic) Drinks
These festive drinks are kid-friendly and party-perfect.
47 Simple Eggnog Recipe
Simple Eggnog Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
This creamy, rich, and easy eggnog recipe is the BEST holiday drink – perfect for all of your holiday parties!
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48 Holiday Fruit Punch
Holiday Fruit Punch
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
This fruity and festive holiday punch recipe is full of flavor and pizzazz for a delicious cranberry-citrus drink everyone can enjoy!
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49 Shirley Temple Recipe
Shirley Temple Recipe
Total Time: 5 minutes
The Shirley Temple drink is a fun, fizzy, and kid-friendly classic made with Sprite, grenadine, and cherries for a party punch everyone loves!
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50 Christmas Punch Recipe
Christmas Punch Recipe
Total Time: 3 minutes
Christmas punch is a deliciously fizzy and fruity drink. This festive punch is a hit with kids and adults alike!
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51 Mint Julep Recipe
Mint Julep Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ready in minutes, this copycat non-alcoholic mint julep captures the magic of Disneyland in one refreshing drink!
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Sweet Finishes
You have to end the Christmas day feast on a high note with these classic desserts.
52 Italian Christmas Cookies
Italian Christmas Cookies
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Traditional Italian Christmas cookies are a festive version of a classic – flavored with almond extract and covered in a simple almond glaze.
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53 Yule Log Recipe
Yule Log Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
This yule log recipe is a traditional holiday dessert made from a chocolate cake rolled with a chocolate filling. It's beautifully tasty!
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54 Turtle Cheesecake Recipe
Turtle Cheesecake Recipe
Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes
Turtle Cheesecake has a delicious crumbly crust, chocolate layer, cheesecake layer and to top it off, chocolate ganache, pecans and caramel!!
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55 Pistachio Dessert Recipe
Pistachio Dessert Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 18 minutes
Delicious pistachio dessert has a crunchy shortbread cookie base for the perfect combination of crunchy, creamy, sweet + salty.
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56 Peppermint Chocolate Delight Recipe
Peppermint Chocolate Delight Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Deliciously fluffy layered Peppermint Chocolate Delight is simple and kid-friendly. It's our new favorite Christmas dessert!
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57 Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Buttery, sweet, and moist – this sticky toffee pudding is a MUST have treat! It takes several steps but is well worth the work!
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58 Crème Brûlée Recipe
Crème Brûlée Recipe
Total Time: 50 minutes
A fancy restaurant-quality crème brûlée is easy to achieve at home!! Just 5 ingredients to create a sugar-crusted creamy vanilla custard!
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59 Buttermilk Pie
Buttermilk Pie
Total Time: 1 hour
Our classic Southern buttermilk pie features a sweet and tangy custard filling prepped in just 5 minutes with a flaky premade crust!
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60 Peppermint Brownie Trifle Recipe
Peppermint Brownie Trifle Recipe
Total Time: 40 minutes
Beautiful Peppermint Brownie Trifle is a festive chocolate and peppermint dessert topped with crushed candy canes!
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61 Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
Bake up our favorite soft and chewy gingerbread cookie recipe with just a few simple steps – they're perfect for decorating and sharing!
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62 Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe
Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
This chocolate cream pie has two types of chocolate in a creamy custard, topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls!!
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63 Spritz Cookie Recipe
Spritz Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 21 minutes
This buttery sweet spritz cookie recipe is festive and fun to make, a pressed cookie adaptable to any occasion with various shapes and colors!
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64 Christmas Trifle
Christmas Trifle
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Indulge in chocolate and peppermint flavors with this beautiful layered Christmas trifle, a favorite holiday dessert that feeds a crowd!
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60+ Best Christmas Dinner Ideas
From show-stopping main dishes to sweet treats, as well as ideas for every course, this collection of Christmas dinner ideas has it all!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple slices in juice, divided
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries
- 1 (12-pound) fully-cooked, bone-in spiral ham
- 1 box round wooden toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking dish with foil that hangs off the edges about 10 inches on two sides.
- Drain juice from pineapple rings can (a little less than 1 cup of juice), and add to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, along with honey, brown sugar and cloves. Bring to a boil.
- While mixture is heating up, make your cornstarch slurry, by mixing together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until there are no more chunks. Once mixture is boiling, add to the pineapple mixture and cook for a few minutes until thickened to the consistency of a syrup. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Place ham in the prepared foil-lined baking dish. Baste the ham on all sides (even going in between slices, if possible) with the syrup. Then, add pineapple slices on top of the ham using toothpicks. Place cherries into the centers of each ring and secure with toothpicks. Re-baste the top of the ham where the pineapple rings are with the syrup mixture. There should be a little syrup left over – do not discard, but set aside.
- Wrap the foil in the pan up over the top of the ham and pinch together at the top and push up on the sides. Foil should be around the ham but not pressed up against it.
- Bake for 2 hours and 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 140 degrees.
- Re-baste with the last of the syrup right after removing from the oven, and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting off spiral slices and serving.
Notes
Recipe Tips.
- Don’t skip the foil tent. It keeps the ham moist while baking.
- Be sure to buy a fully cooked bone-in spiral cut ham and not a compressed dinner ham. If the ham is frozen, allow 4 to 6 hours per pound to thaw in the fridge.
- Baste generously. Make sure to get syrup in between the spiral slices so every bite is flavorful.
- Use leftover ham to make anything from quiche to soup to sliders.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g, Calories: 40kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 0.04g, Fat: 0.01g, Saturated Fat: 0.003g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.003g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.004g, Cholesterol: 0.03mg, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 10mg, Fiber: 0.03g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 0.1IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 0.1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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