To prefer Christmas dinner rather than Christmas lunch?

[SparklyMistleToes]

A bit of a pointless post really, but saw another post discussing Christmas meals and the majority seemed to all have their Christmas meal earlier in the day. I grew up eating Christmas dinner in the early evening (so let's say 4:30pm onwards, but mostly 5pm-6ish). Now that I cook it I tend to serve it between 5-6pm as well.

I couldn't imagine having our main Christmas meal at lunch. Each year we have a decent size Christmas brunch followed by an afternoon of cooking and a relaxing while the children play with their toys. And then dinner between 5-6pm.

Why do people prefer a Christmas lunch? If you eat so early don't you get hungry again in the evening?

Also what time do you all get up and start cooking for your meal to be ready at lunch time?

Does anyone else prefer a Christmas dinner to a Christmas lunch or AIBU? I just feel like it's so much more pleasant and relaxing to end the day having a nice sit down meal followed by dessert and watching TV and then relaxing and winding down. I think I would feel a bit lost if I had my meal at lunch.

Yeah I'm not proud of it, but I have to admit, if we had to start cooking Xmas dinner to be ready for the evening, we'd be half cut! Guarantee at least one element would be left in the oven

I can't believe people eat anything after Christmas dinner, whatever time it's eaten!

Thanks for this - I’ve never heard of ‘Christmas lunch’ and thought I was going mad! I did wonder if it was the old north-south thing, but even then Christmas lunch sounds weird.

Christmas dinner at 1pm here. Party food for tea.

My family (my parents anyway) have always eaten Christmas “lunch” at 3/3.30 ish so that’s what o think is normal. We’d have snack type stuff earlier on - cold meat or something- to keep us going. I don’t really feel like a roast earlier than that but k think that’s because it’s how they do things.

Id say my wider family (aunties and uncles etc) might have theirs at more like 2, unless my Dad was there and persuaded them differently 😂

When I’ve been hosting when with exh or just with kids we’ve eaten at a similar time to my parents.

We’re not morning drinkers in my family so would want a glass of champagne or so from maybe 1 ish and that works well with later lunch.

Children get up maybe 8 ish for presents now they’re older and by the time we’ve done that’s had breakfast, everyone washed and dressed it’s probably 11!

We don’t watch the Queen/ King as all republicans. I’ve never seen a Christmas speech even though I’m not deliberately avoiding it as such, just doesn’t factor into our day

The Queen's/King's speech can't be watched in this day and age by more than 8m people.

We have ours as an early dinner - usually 6ish. I hate a big meal and/or drinking at lunchtime as makes me feel rotten for the rest of the day. So far prefer a glass of wine and food later.

We have Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. Did it when DC were younger and Christmas Day was spent helping build Lego sets and play with toys rather than spending ages in the kitchen prepping and washing up.

Xmas day is then smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for breakfast, hot sausage rolls late morning and anything anyone fancies the rest of the day.

Kids won't let us change it now!

Breakfast is bacon rolls with brie and cranberry sauce about 9am, then smoked salmon, pate and prawns with hovis toast about 2pm. Dinner is served about 6pm but no starters, dessert if you've got room, then later on its just things to pick at like cheese and crackers or chocolates.

Well as I do all the cooking , I choose when it’s served which is early evening ( 5-30 - 6 ish )
We go and see the inlaws in the morning , home and tend to have starters for lunch ( pate, prawn cocktail etc )
I like to watch the Queen , and will definitely be watching King Charles first Christmas speech
We have grown up DC though , and the excitement of all the opening isn’t there anymore ( sadly )

My son is up at 6 am on Christmas Day no keeping him in bed. Parents come over about 10 and then leave about 1. They don't stay for the meal.

We have our meal about 3 pm. Everyone does theee own thing being happy with whatever Santa brought.

Growing up we had Christmas meal about 5pm. Now my kids want it a bit earlier so we have it about 3.30 or 4pm.

When I lived in Canada the xmas meal was always in the evening. Since moving to the UK I love the afternoon late lunch xmas meal! Evening feels too late, everyone's tired etc. Lunch is perfect, you can chill out afterwards

Because I have to cook at the house of my 91 year old grandparent, and I have a DD who goes to her dads mid morning on Christmas so we get up extra early (like 5am) to enjoy the morning together. Having eaten breakfast at 5.30-6am I'm usually starving again by 1pm.

This is me too. I'd rather eat the big meal later but I can't relax until after it so I enjoy Christmas more if we eat earlier.

Plus my MIL would be horrified by Christmas dinner rather than lunch, the daft old boot.

Growing up dinner was at 1pm on the dot.

Now it is about 2pm, we don't like turkey so have gammon and put it on at about 10.30am.

Our DD gets up at silly o'clock so presents are opened in the morning, then when she is settled playing we phone relatives - Christmas day is our day and we stay at home.

Dinner done and dishwasher on, we don't want to be tied to the kitchen and I don't like eating late in any case.

My DH is working Christmas eve and Boxing day so Christmas day is a day for our family.

And if peckish later there is always leftovers.

I cannot eat late, I would not enjoy it, but each to their own and we all do what works for our own household.

I do Christmas dinner for about 2.30 otherwise Christmas day would be spent cooking or waiting to start cooking which isn't at all fun or relaxing. Eat and drink around the table til about 4pm then a quick clear up leaving a clear run for presents and playing games all evening.

You are correct
Lunch and dinner refer to types of meal i.e. a small or a large meal, irrespective of the time you serve it

Always bugs me that one.

Lots of people call their middle of the day meal ‘dinner’ though, even if they just have a sandwich.

This is true
They're still wrong
Its a lunch. If they had a large meal, it would be a dinner

Same here, a full Christmas dinner in the evening is too heavy, we eat at 2pm and later on we'll have some ham and a cheeseboard with pickles if people are still peckish.

We have ours anytime between 3-5 depends how much prosecco I’ve drunk 😂
We do have smoked salmon, scrambled egg and muffins at about 1000-1100 tho!

As a kid it was presents at the crack of dawn, dinner at lunchtime and loafing in front of the TV with chocolates until bedtime. As an adult I follow my stepmums Danish Jule tradition and it's a morning walk, light brunch, dinner at about 6 and presents after. On the 24th 😁. We do have stockings in the morning to keep the kids amused until later though and then we spend Xmas day playing with their new toys and eating fried leftovers 😋

Christmas Dinner is always served after queen's speech in my house then cheeseboard out in the evening

I like to eat around 2-3. Too early and you have to get the meat in the oven almost as soon as you open your eyes. Too late and there isn’t enough time for a wind down, tv, game etc afterwards. It probably depends on the ages of your guests, if anyone is travelling, and how many you are feeding. I generally have 14-18 altogether which tends to generate quite a lot of washing up. I can see it would be lovely to sit down 6 adults at 6o’clock and have a nice meal followed by a 15 min tidy up and still have 4 clear hours until bedtime. Start adding young children, elderly people, people who want to be home 2 hours away by 9pm and people who are going on to a party but want to be fed and see their dgc first and 6pm isn’t so stress free and appealing.