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What time do you have Christmas lunch/dinner?

52 replies

HansHolbein · 26/11/2025 09:01

First time hosting this year, which we are really looking forward to.

When it’s just us, we have it whenever it’s ready.

Just wondering when other people eat on the day?

OP posts:
OopOop · 26/11/2025 11:25

Pearlmaster500 · 26/11/2025 11:19

I’d say 2/3 is a late lunch 😂 5-6 has to just be dinner time surely

2-3 is my normal lunchtime! 4-5 would be a late lunch, 5-7 early dinner, 7 onwards would be our ‘normal’ dinner time.

Prelim · 26/11/2025 11:33

Pearlmaster500 · 26/11/2025 11:19

I’d say 2/3 is a late lunch 😂 5-6 has to just be dinner time surely

I don’t know anyone who eats their dinner at 5pm!! Most people aren’t even home from work at that time. We don’t have ours until about 9pm, so 5-6 is very early for us!

reabies · 26/11/2025 11:35

Between 4-5, as the kiddos have dinner then most days anyway so try to keep them on schedule. We do normal breakfast and then oven snacks/beige buffet type things for lunch, so no one is starving by 4. I then usually have a second wind turkey and trimmings sandwich before bed. Can't bloody wait.

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Jugendstiel · 26/11/2025 11:36

We have it in the early evening. I love this tradition. It means no one is getting up at crack of dawn to sort out the turkey, no one has the stress of feeling like they should be in two places at once- prepping veg and helping DC set up their new presents.

We wake up, do stockings together over coffee, then have bucks fizz and bagels with smoked salmon and scrambled egg. Then we get dressed and do presents under the tree. After that, go for a walk or if the weather is foul we just chill - reading new books, listening to new CD's, building new Lego, trying on new clothes etc. If people are hungry, there is home made soup, a good cheese board, Christmas cake, mince pies, yule log for a light lunch. After that, I start prepping dinner. DS1 starts laying the table, we listen to carols, watch a family film while the turkey is cooking, or play games.

Then have drinks before dinner, traditional roast - no starter. Pause to do some Christmas quizzes and silly games we make up every year. Then flaming pudding. Chat, slope off to have long baths, read some more and off to bed.

DC are adults now, though. And we go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve so don't usually attend church on the day.

When they were younger, still the same, but more focus on playing with their new toys and a frosty walk to work off too much excitement. We also staggered the present opening through the day a bit.

Calliopespa · 26/11/2025 11:44

Growlybear83 · 26/11/2025 11:19

We used to eat at around 4pm because we had both our mothers with us who claimed to be dying from hunger, despite always eating half their body weight in M&S party food at about 1pm. Now it’s just the two of us, we eat at around 6pm.

It is always the people not cooking who tend to be dying of hunger I have noticed!

purplecorkheart · 26/11/2025 11:47

We were normally 6pm but one of our guests is elderly so prefers to be home early so we now are around 4pm

Zempy · 26/11/2025 11:48

About 2

TheGrimSmile · 26/11/2025 11:56

About 2.30/3pm

IsntItDarkOut · 26/11/2025 12:00

When I was growing up, 12 on the dot. When DH I moved in and cooked more like 2/3pm. Now we have DD 5/6pm as she eats better later.
One year at MIL it was 8pm after being denied food all day (and it was horrible).

Catpiece · 26/11/2025 12:01

Just me, dh and ds2 for Christmas dinner this year. No rush. Ds will go to pub to meet mates. I’ll have drinks indoors while it’s all cooking. Probs dish up about 3.30 to 4pm x

Pearlmaster500 · 26/11/2025 12:04

Prelim · 26/11/2025 11:33

I don’t know anyone who eats their dinner at 5pm!! Most people aren’t even home from work at that time. We don’t have ours until about 9pm, so 5-6 is very early for us!

I did used to eat later now I’ve got a newborn and 2 under 10 I’m doing one dinner for everyone and one dinner only 🤣 so we eat when the little people eat lol god knows what time I’ll get our Xmas dinner on the table 🫣

HeadyLamarr · 26/11/2025 12:05

6 to 7 usually. No one gets hungry because there's been a big brunch earlier.

Yourcatisnotsorry · 26/11/2025 22:26

1ish. It’s always been lunch in our family so we just continue that tradition but I think a tea/dinner time would be easier for the flow of the day and nicely followed by a film and bed. After lunch the men usually fall asleep 😒 My elderly parents won’t drive in the dark though and my nephew has a very early bedtime so it will remain at 1pm for us.

Makingpeace · 26/11/2025 22:29

Whenever it's ready, hosting or not! The 2 and 5yo will be hungry by 12. Lunch probably won't be anywhere near ready then.

We always tell guests to arrive from 11am and always have nibbles available. And sherry.

Eat around 2pm, usually? Depends how many guests/how big the turkey is/how long it takes to cook it.

CandyCaneKisses · 26/11/2025 22:34

2pm decided by my parents who host.

Mynumberone · 26/11/2025 23:18

About 5ish

AgnesMcDoo · 26/11/2025 23:19

start about 3-4pm and it takes hours

we are very laid back about it

Iwantsandybeachesandgoodfood · 26/11/2025 23:27

We eat around 2.30. I can’t relax until the cooking is all done. We usually do sweet things a couple of hours after savoury has finished.

mondaytosunday · 26/11/2025 23:32

Around 4ish. My parents did it at 5.30 but I think we can’t wait that long! We tend to have a sizeable breakfast then nothing til the main event.
@Fatiguedwithlifemy son will walk the dog, my DD will cook (for the first time this year), and I do the table etc. Not interested in going for a walk after all the prep and eating!

HansHolbein · 26/11/2025 23:58

Thank you all very much. I was thinking around 1500ish, but I may bring it forward to 1330ish. Get it done!

OP posts:
ItsFridayIminLoveJS · 27/11/2025 00:03

Dinner time.. about 2 ish.. if it's not ready by then it's not a problem. My daughter and her wife will be cooking it.. l will be playing board games with the Grandkids.

localbutterfly · 27/11/2025 00:05

I aim for 4 PM, which is neither normal "lunchtime" or "dinnertime" for us (or most people), just the specific time for Christmas dinner. It gives people who are coming on the day a chance to do their normal Christmas morning routine, and also allows visitors to get home not too late, even if they stay for a few more hours (we usually do a cheese board right after dinner, and then sweet things like pie, cake, etc. about 90 minutes later). We do the walk in the afternoon, perhaps around 1-2 PM.

MoonWoman69 · 27/11/2025 00:35

Only me and him, but I always do it for around 2pm, I'd never last out til tea time or later now! If he's off work, I've started making the main meal at lunch time and it suits us both better. We can just have something light for tea.
Then it's sandwiches in the evening and all the other bits if and when we feel like it.

TooBigForMyBoots · 27/11/2025 01:22

5.30 - 6pm.
Around our usual dinner time.

MayaPinion · 27/11/2025 03:08

Usually about 3pm. We have brunch about 10-30am after presents. Brunch is usually formed from elements of a full English without the effort of a full English - so rolls with a mini buffet of sausages, bacon, and scrambled eggs - maybe some pigs in blankets , etc.