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Original poster

Christmas “dinner” - can someone explain please?

160 replies

Notcontent · 27/12/2020 11:28

I am not British although I have lived in the U.K. for some time now. For me, the main meal on Christmas Day has always been lunch. This would normally be at 1 pm or or a bit later.

On mumsnet I see a lot of people talk about having Christmas dinner, but at round 3 pm or later. Is this like a cross between lunch and dinner? I find this quite confusing...

OP posts:

blackteaplease · 27/12/2020 11:32

It's the main meal, just served mid afternoon or later. We had ours at 5pm, much less stressful to cook and gives me time to open presents with the family.

Original poster

Notcontent · 27/12/2020 11:34

But don’t you get hungry before? Or do you just have a sandwich for lunch?

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 27/12/2020 11:35

Dinner in the UK just means the main meal of the day, it could be at lunchtime (commonly working class) or the evening meal. If you have dinner at midday your evening meal is called tea and would probably be lighter. If you have dinner in the evening your lunch would be the midday meal.

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BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 27/12/2020 11:35

We have ours later in the day. Reason being is timing for hunger.

So 7.30-9.30am is gifts, chocolates etc.
9.30 ish we serve breakfast but its a more elaborate affair than usual.

This means we just aren't hungry til closer to 4. Massive roast at 4.

Desserts at 6pm.

Matilda03 · 27/12/2020 11:36

We always had ours around 1pm but my Dh's family have it more around 3-4pm. They have a large breakfast (pancakes, pastries etc) and then go to church so not back home until 12. Then presents and a walk and by that time lunch is ready. There's quite a bit of snacking so no one is ravenous but definitely hungry by lunch, they tend not to have any dinner.

Moltenpink · 27/12/2020 11:37

We had canapés at 12pm, blinis with various toppings, mini sausage rolls, olives etc etc. Then Christmas Dinner at around 4pm. It’s quite hard to cook the full works by lunchtime as the turkey takes a good 4 hrs to cook then 2 to rest.

LongPauseNoAnswer · 27/12/2020 11:37

Because it’s the content of the meal not the time of day you have it that dictates what it is called.

I sometimes have dinner at lunchtime. Took a lot of explaining to my Italian DH

Original poster

Notcontent · 27/12/2020 11:39

So I guess it means the Christmas dinner is really a very late lunch?

OP posts:

Original poster

Notcontent · 27/12/2020 11:41

Ok, thanks, that makes a bit more sense!

OP posts:

DelphineWalsh · 27/12/2020 11:41

Eat when you want to. There are no rules.

PodgeBod · 27/12/2020 11:41

Growing up we always had Christmas Dinner to coincide with the Queens speech. Just a tradition

mindutopia · 27/12/2020 11:41

I'm not from the UK originally and we still had our Christmas lunch late afternoon. The PP explains what 'dinner' means colloquially - it doesn't necessarily mean the evening meal, but more the big cooked meal of the day. But even in my home country, it would be the norm to have the Christmas lunch (called 'lunch') later in the afternoon, between 2-4pm, same as here. 12-1pm seems too early for such a massive meal and it also takes a long time to cook. I would say this is the same for any big roast meal. Our Sunday roasts are also usually around 3pm. We would just have a later breakfast and the dc would have a light snacky lunch around 12. On Christmas, there is usually food around 11-12 anyway (cold snack things) to soak up the prosecco.

PatriciaHolm · 27/12/2020 11:41

It's a bit a moveable feast, tbh

It's such a big meal that many will prefer to have a latish, substantial breakfast, then "lunch" mid afternoon (giving a little more time to prepare) and then essentially have Christmas "Lunch", with desserts/cheese etc making the meal last much of the afternoon/evening.

There is a tradition amongst some to have it finished for the Queen's Speech at 3pm, which would mean eating at normal lunchtime.

My family always did it in the evening-ish, about 5pm! And I have carried that on most of the time tbh, though earlier when hosting people who are driving home rather than staying, or who enjoy the post meal games (ex MIL....)

And of course, that's before we get into the tricky linguistic debate of whether a meal eaten in the middle of the day is "lunch" or "dinner"....

InTheDrunkTank · 27/12/2020 11:42

We have a brunch in the morning then Christmas dinner around 3pm. Christmas dinner tends to be a large meal so I wouldn't be hungry enough at lunch time.

dementedpixie · 27/12/2020 11:43

We had rolls and Square sausage for breakfast soup for lunch and Christmas Dinner at 7ish. Chocolate in between

elephantoverthehill · 27/12/2020 11:44

We call it Christmas dinner because we eat at 7.00pm.

DinosApple · 27/12/2020 11:44

Dinner is the main meal of the day, whether you eat at lunchtime or evening.

Christmas dinner in my house should be at 1pm, but usually ends up at 3pm due to distractions slowing dinner down.
We are breakfast in the morning, and everyone grazes so we're not ravenous.

TheSilentStars · 27/12/2020 11:44

I'm not in the UK and in the area of Italy I'm in nobody eats on Christmas Eve until the huge evening meal at about 8pm.
Except me, because I smuggle crisps about my person.

Lipz · 27/12/2020 11:45

I'm not in the UK but we have ours at 3pm too. It's quite normal here in Ireland too have it at this time. Lots do it later depending on how busy their morning is. By the time you do presents, shower, getting ready and mass it's nearing the afternoon. Alot of people have a fairly decent breakfast too, so that keeps you going till Christmas Dinner. Plus eating selection boxes fills you.

CorianderQueen · 27/12/2020 11:45

People vary on when they have it, my parents have it at 2pm my in laws have it at 7.30pm and we have it at 5pm.

It just means the main big meal. Also dinner/lunch are interchangeable in areas which call the evening meal tea or supper.

Plussizejumpsuit · 27/12/2020 11:47

In some parts of the country lunch is called dinner. Eg the North East.

MrsEricBana · 27/12/2020 11:49

I'm not sure it is the content that matters really, it's a regional thing, so dinner/tea, or lunch/dinner or lunch/supper. BUT on Christmas day, the main meal can be anywhere from 1-6 really and if it's later you just sone Christmassy snacks during the day.
One question though, in the above scenarios of breakfast, church, presents, walk "and then the lunch is done", who is cooking this meal then?

ChronicallyCurious · 27/12/2020 11:50

Completely different times for everyone. My friend had her dinner at 1pm and we had ours at 5pm. Our timings change every year though depending on how organised we are, if many people are coming etc. It’s just Christmas dinner because it’s the main meal of the day. We have dessert afterwards and then for my family a cheese board in the evening.

We ate before it- we got up and had champagne and orange juice for breakfast and some chocolate croissants as well as munching on chocolate whilst opening presents. My parents have bacon butties (sandwiches) every Christmas morning. So we eat all day really but as the Christmas dinner is the main meal I guess that’s why it’s called that regardless of the time.

Sparrowfeeder · 27/12/2020 11:52

We have a big breakfast, well brunch as we are late risers. Then we eat Christmas dinner at dinner time - 6-8pm usually.

LBOCS2 · 27/12/2020 11:52

We ate ours at 7pm so it was dinner. Had brunch at 11.30 (muffins with eggs and bacon), canapés at 3.30/4ish, dinner at 7.

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