Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Xmas Day - Lunch at 4pm - AIBU

349 replies

Moonshine5 · 19/11/2023 18:56

Following heated debate and reading a variety of threads. What say you Mumsnet community?
🎅
AIBU - that's a ridiculous time for Christmas lunch
YANBU - perfectly normal you heathens (note this is a light-hearted thread)

OP posts:
cardibach · 19/11/2023 20:13

ISpyNoPlumPie · 19/11/2023 20:10

Well the kids will be up at 5am so it’s a midday lunch for us. Three courses, done by 2.30/3-ish (including all the tidying up). Then I can put on my pj’s and do fuck all for the rest of the day.

We have pastries for breakfast, and tea is turkey/ham sandwiches, cheese board, Christmas cake. Have whatever you like from the fridge (I’ll not be getting up). I like the idea of a later lunch but I think I’d be cooking/cleaning up all day.

Kids up at 5 confuses me. None of ours (by which I mean me and my sister and any of our children) have been up that early. By the time they understand Christmas enough to be that excited they are also capable of understanding they need to stay in bed until a more reasonable time. It’s better for everyone if people aren’t strung out an knackered.

PrincessHoneysuckle · 19/11/2023 20:13

Too late for me it would lay heavy on me all night

cardibach · 19/11/2023 20:13

PrincessHoneysuckle · 19/11/2023 20:13

Too late for me it would lay heavy on me all night

4 pm?
When do you normally eat your main meal (when it’s not Christmas)?

Crikeyalmighty · 19/11/2023 20:14

Around 4.30 here-started this during covid and realised we much preferred it as didn't feel stuffed and slothish all afternoon

I do salmon and blinis and mince pies around 1.30

And xmas pudding or cheese and biscuits and fruit and cake around 8pm around 2 hours after the dinner

VWT5 · 19/11/2023 20:16

Sunset is 4 p.m. on Christmas Day.
That timing is perfect.

WhatsThePurposeOfLife · 19/11/2023 20:16

We have pancakes and streaky bacon for brunch and Xmas dinner at 3pmish and then cheese, crackers, grapes, chocs later on.

EnthENd · 19/11/2023 20:16

Do you mean the big turkey meal, or the other non-breakfast meal?

AdoraBell · 19/11/2023 20:17

The last few years we’ve ended up not eating until 7/8pm due to DH having his family on Zoom for a family meeting- 2-3 hours. This year I’m going to cook the turkey on Christmas Eve.

GuitarGeorgina · 19/11/2023 20:18

Timing is perfect. We always have it 4-5 ish. I’m not hungry enough at 1pm, and it allows time for a leisurely dog walk before cooking.

Matronic6 · 19/11/2023 20:18

We do Christmas lunch between. 3-4. Then have cheeseboard around 9ish!

Findaway · 19/11/2023 20:20

We eat at 1pm and then graze on nibbles at 6pm.

Viviennemary · 19/11/2023 20:21

It's maybe a little late. Around 3 would be ideal.

Nicorobin · 19/11/2023 20:21

It's Christmas dinner not lunch, so dinner at dinner time, 6pm onwards. Big brekkie then Christmas dinner at dinnertime

Mammyloveswine · 19/11/2023 20:22

Always around 3/4!! Like a Sunday dinner! Mid afternoon!

Presents first thing, bacon sandwich then a nice walk whilst meat is cooking..

Kitkatfiend31 · 19/11/2023 20:22

Normal here. Breakfast followed by meal prep then presents. Bucks fizz etc with party nibbles to keep us going then dinner once it's ready! The evening is for chocolate! (and cheese).

Alwayswonderedwhy · 19/11/2023 20:23

Fine if you're not having guests. We eat around 2 and would be either hangry or full of snacks if we had to wait until 4.

Whiteday · 19/11/2023 20:24

Perfect time!

cardibach · 19/11/2023 20:24

EnthENd · 19/11/2023 20:16

Do you mean the big turkey meal, or the other non-breakfast meal?

Which other non breakfast meal?

TotalOverhaul · 19/11/2023 20:24

YANBU - loads of people eat Christmas Dinner at that time. Personally i hate it as I get so hungry for lunch and end up pigging on chocolate, but it is very normal.

We eat Christmas Dinner in the evening and have smoked salmon bagels and scrambled egg for breakfast then a light lunch of soup with crackers and cheese. By dinner time people are hungry and then can nod off in front of a film. Keeps the day free for walks, church service, present opening without getting sleepy from the food.

cardibach · 19/11/2023 20:25

Nicorobin · 19/11/2023 20:21

It's Christmas dinner not lunch, so dinner at dinner time, 6pm onwards. Big brekkie then Christmas dinner at dinnertime

Why so hung up on class marker meal names?

Wintersgirl · 19/11/2023 20:25

We like ours around 2.00pm otherwise any later we're not hungry enough to enjoy the Suffolk ham with chutney, the cheeseboard followed by copious amounts of Quality Street and After Eights in front of the box!

Snippit · 19/11/2023 20:25

as a child my mum had Xmas dinner ready for 12 noon, i hated it, far too early. I arrange our dinner for around 4pm, after a relaxing breakfast, opening pressies, walking the dogs, it seems reasonable. It is called Xmas dinner and not LUNCH 🤓

PeapodBurgundy · 19/11/2023 20:25

I do ours around 3 so I don't spend the entire day doing food. As PP have said, it's neither lunch nor dinner, which is precisely why we eat at that time. I do sausage/bacon buns on Christmas morning which is heartier than our usual breakfast, and eaten much later due to not having to be up and out for school/work (none of us are really up for eating on a morning, so it tends to be a cereal bar/apple/yogurt etc) the DC are allowed to pick something from their selection box mid morning, then we eat Christmas Dinner at 3. We eat pudding later on (about 5 ish), then anyone hungry after that will pick at leftovers or make a turkey sandwich or similar. It works for us, and I get some of the day to enjoy because I'm not in the kitchen all day doing meals.

Megifer · 19/11/2023 20:25

We have ours at about 7pm 😬

Wintersgirl · 19/11/2023 20:27

As PP have said, it's neither lunch nor dinner

Exactly, it can be what you want...