Xmas Day - Lunch at 4pm - AIBU

[Moonshine5]

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)

We always eat at this time so I’m voting YANBU.

We usually have dinner about 2ish, but there will be around 20 this year, with everyone doing their bit of cooking. We're going to have it later (4pm) so that we can all enjoy Xmas morning at home with the dc and there's no big rush to get out of house.

4pm is perfect. Big special breakfast around 10. Plenty of snacks if you need them. Make use of the light to get the kids some exercise and fresh air and allow chefs to get some time in peace. Actually feel hungry for the Christmas lunch / dinner! Long boozy meal. Cheese 9 - 10pm. 👌

We have ours at 6ish but have 'starters' at 12 - prawn cocktail, calamari, smoked salmon blini, fake caviar, smoked trout, salad etc. I'd never manage a full roast before supper time.

we always have Christmas main meal at 4ish.
Could be an hour either side depending on whether stuff is burning or whether I’ve forgotten to put the roasts in…….

There’s so much going on I’m not sure I could even contemplate having a defined time and as everyone has already plunged into their stockings and mince pies whose actually hungry

Between 3/4pm here. Couldn’t eat a full roast at 1pm.

I can't be arsed to mess with my kids routine for one day so we eat the same as every other day! Lunch about 12.30, then a 'picky tea' about 5.30. I'd never dream of eating at 4 any other day of the year!

We have it when its cooked. And I get up and start cooking when I feel like it.
Tbf most of the prep is done the day before so theres not a great deal to do. And after all that I like to go out for Christmas dinner. It's my preference but not anyone else's.
Usually eat about 5 or 6pm.

It was always before or after Christmas Top Of The Pops in the old days. Tradition and priorities 🤣

Exactly this. 4pm allows for fresh air and the wine not being cracked open too early allowing for an evening of games. Lovely.

@Katypp

most adults don’t want a big lunch at 1pm to be fair. You have a nice breakfast maybe, few glasses of Buck’s Fizz. You don’t wanna be cooking and eating for a rigid 1pm schedule

Totally agree! People eating a full Christmas dinner at 12:30 blows my mind! I love faffing in and out of the kitchen all day while the kids play and wine flows!

@JettyB123

its a special day - let the routines go!

Usually around 3 here.
We put the bird in the slow cooker on low overnight on Xmas Eve.
On Xmas day we just chuck some frozen roasties and pigs in blankets in the air fryer and micro veg in the microwave when we get in from the pub at around 2.30.
Xmas day breakfast is a bowl of cereal then shower, dressed and out.

Prefer early afternoon. I grew up with it being more like a five, six or even seven o' clock start every year and everyone was bad tempered/starving and or feeling ill from snacking on chocolate all day. Much prefer Christmas lunch with an evening buffet.

I cook the Turkey the day before as the oven only cooks properly on 2 shelves so leaves room for spuds and stuffing on Christmas Day.

Need more info! Age of kids is important. My parents insisted on doing 3pm Christmas lunch when my child was aged 1-4 and used to eating lunch at nursery at 11.30am, then napping 2-4pm. So I'd sneak him a sandwich early, put him to nap, then be told off by DPs for depriving them of precious grandchild, or risk no nap and spend all of lunch with a child on my knee.
I wait with bated breath to see if lunch will be a sensible time when DSis has kids
If kids are all age 7+ and likely to be full of chocolate anyway, I think it's fine.

Depends completely on ŷour circumstances surely?

As a child with shift working parents we had ours at all times of day/night. We even had Christmas dinner, and some pressies from Father Christmas, on Christmas Eve. Never did me any harm

We have lunch at 2pm. For me, the idea of eating at 4pm is bizarre, but if it works for you then go for it!

Just let any guests know what time food is going to be served to prevent rumbling stomachs.

That’s when we usually eat on Christmas Day. Champagne and canapés at midday. We don’t normally bother with breakfast or supper.

I remember as a child having breakfast at 9, lunch at 1, tea at about 5 and then supper at 8. At least one child threw up at some point during the day!

I prefer to eat Christmas lunch somewhere around lunchtime, not mid afeernoon or in the evening. I like to have a nap and a walk before it gets dark, and get cleared away so I don't spend the evening tidying up. We aren't rigid about the time we eat though.

And I like to nibble on leftovers in the evening.

@user1497787065

im not surprised! Why so many meals?!

The later, the more civilised for me

You’re surprised that millions of people watch it ?

We eat Christmas Dinner at dinner time so 12.30/1ish.
Then usually just a very light tea at tea time so cheese/crackers etc

Do people who have Sunday Dinner also eat this at tea time? As every pub I know does Sunday Dinner at dinner time (12-2.30ish).