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.

We eat at 5pm as I don’t want to eat a full meal at 3pm or earlier.

Another Australian here.
Chocolate and Nigella's muffins for breakfast.
Lunch 1-1.30.
Nap in chairs or go for a walk.
There is no dinner!

We eat around 4:30, starting to prep at around 11. We have breakfast and then a few nibbles around lunchtime but the cooking is a leisurely affair and it's ready when it's ready, but we don't host. I can't imagine eating a full Christmas meal at lunch time and then bringing out more food at tea time or even a full on buffet. We often struggle to even have dessert!

I really like this idea of another year. Like really
, really like it!

Christmas lunch all the way for me!

Growing up we'd have lunch around 1 or 2pm

Now as an adult I much prefer this as we're usually up early with the kids so my midday I'm starving!

I wouldn't like eating a full Christmas dinner at 7 or 8pm, would dread the indigestion!

Our finely honed Christmas timetable:

Stockings at 8
Church at 9:30
Lunch prep
Family arrives at 1 - Champagne and canapes
Christmas lunch served at 2
After lunch walk at 3:30
Under the tree presents at 4:30
Fiercely competitive games
Smoked Salmon, salad & cheese at 8
Guests depart by 9

Growing up (and still now when we're with dparents/dsis), lunch started around 1pm and basically lasted the rest of the day! At least 3 or 4 courses, plus cards/games around the table in between. I think the record was an 11.15pm finish..

Get up as close to 7am as we can manage with DC for presents. Which last a few hours. Then family arrive, and more presents and general merriment. Turkey goes in. Once everyone is happily playing with toys etc the focus switches to the dining room table setting, cooking etc. Dinner whenever it’s ready but it’s usually dark so after 4pm. Dinner lasts until 9-10pm usually.

Dinner is the only meal served on Christmas Day, just like Sundays, so we don’t eat breakfast or lunch. Not going to stop anyone from eating something picky if they want to but there are no other planned meals or we’d not have space for the big one.

Im English and have never seen the Queens speech and guess now I never will!

I prefer a late lunch - 2 or 2:30 ish. Turkey sandwiches at 8pm ish. I am 51 and English and have never watched the Queen's speech! Don't reakniw what time the cooking starts as I have never cooked Christmas lunch/dinner

I’ve carried on my parent’s tradition of a later Christmas dinner - around 7. Think it’s started as my mother was not prepared to get up at stupid-o’clock to get a bird in the oven.

I also love having something to still look forward to on Christmas Day: stockings in bed first thing, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and church in the morning, canapés and big presents for lunch, nap and then dinner. Cannot wait.

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing do it!!! You'll never look back 🥂

Champagne is with the hot sausage rolls btw...

We had ours around 1ish growing up, now we host and have a DS we try to do similar.

Turkey goes in first thing, or goose goes in as we leave for church, and we do stockings and big presents straight away, then church, home and take the meat out, cook the other bits, play with DS and eat lunch. We’ll call relatives, watch the speech, play games then have our evening meal, which is usually more like a tea of ham and turkey sandwiches, Christmas cake and cheeses. Then we play more games, graze on chocolates and all the treats, then go to bed.

It’s people who fail to understand the etymology of the word Dinner or the fact that meal names refer to the type of meal not the time at which you eat it. Lunch refers to a light meal. The Christmas meal is not a Lunch. It is a Dinner. The principal meal of the day is Dinner no matter what time you eat it.

I've never understood eating at 12.30! My god - what time are these people getting up at to put their turkeys in and get everything ready?! 🤣
We always aim to eat at 3, but it's usually been closer to 5 (or even as late as 10pm!) in more recent years

We’ve always had our Christmas dinner at 4 / 5 / 6pm.
Mass. Big breakfast. Gifts. Drinks / chocs. Dinner. TV / reading / chatting. Drinks / snacks.

Dated a farmer once, who wanted his dinners at 1pm. No from me!

Oh thanks! That was definitely vital info in my book - must have the champagne!

Hmm traditionally Sunday dinner is at about 1pm so Christmas dinner is just a Sunday dinner but on whatever day Christmas falls.

We always had if at lunchtime traditionally - as others have said, finished in time for coffee with the queen's speech at 3. Also re: breakfast if you have young children you're absolutely not having your breakfast at 10am ha ha. But also fancy Christmas breakfast was never a thing either, just toast or later (in the 90s!) maybe croissant.

Now we still do it at lunchtime because of DC and grandparents (suits them both), but I would have it later eg 4pm if it was a teens and adults only Xmas. I'll probably shift it back as everyone gets a bit older and I have more say 😂

Re getting hungry later - yes but the tradition would be a picnic type tea of salad and sausage rolls, picky party foods type thing that everyone would just take what they wanted. A mini buffet.

In my part of England dinner time still means the middle of the day meal, later meal is tea. We have Christmas dinner about 1pm then a buffet kind of tea later on.

We're (mostly) not English and never ever have a large meal in the middle of the day. We do tend to eat Christmas dinner quite early though - 6 or 6.30 - probably because after a day of Christmas indulgences I can't face cooking after 7pm.

Inlaws do this and I am not a fan ! No evening food, no time for games because everyone is too bloody full, the cook is grumpy because they've missed the day.

We always used to eat in the evening growing up but I do now prefer to eat nearer 'lunch time'. I really like to be able o get out for some fresh air and a walk after such a big meal ... or alternatively I could eat less .

The very normal things people ‘can’t imagine’ on mumsnet makes me wonder how adults can be so lacking in imagination, to be honest.

I don't celebrate Xmas but one year a friend's mother was having a hard time so we invited her to stay.

On the 25th my friend went to get a drink at about 4.00 am, he dropped a bottle of champagne and woke us all up.

So we opened presents.

Then as we were all awake I started cooking.

We had eaten by 11.30 and we all went back to bed for a couple of hours.

I love that you asked if people felt hungry later. If you're hungry later in the day you're not doing Xmas dinner properly!!

We tend to do it lunchtime (1ish) as we see other family at different houses for a buffet in the evening.

This year we've decided to do our family (me Dh and kids) Xmas lunch on Boxing Day as we never want to eat the buffet or eat out of obligation and then feel sick!! So we plan a light lunch or late brunch and then my mums house for buffet later. She'll have over catered anyway!

When we used to cook dinner for others I prefer lunch as then people bog off earlier (after some heavy hints....looking at you DM!!) and I can watch shit tv with Dh and drink gin.

I don't invite people for the big meal anymore. Just like it to me me, Dh and dc.