Xmas Day - Lunch at 4pm - AIBU

[Moonshine5]

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

4pm is fine but it's not lunch, it's dinner.

I genuinely think it's bonkers that 4.30pm is a reasonable time, but 3pm is somehow impossible.

I like to eat between 3 and 6. I never, ever eat lunch, so I'm just not hungry at lunch time, therefore whenever my family decide to eat at lunch time I don't enjoy it as much and just feel horribly bloated for the rest of the day.

Ooh that's interesting! I think it's regional as well. 4pm normal where I'm from in Scotland which is definitely not middle class! And I'm the middle class bit of the South East where I now live most people seem to eat much earlier!

I think a lot of people eat Christmas lunch around that time, ideally you would have a big breakfast and then not be hungry until the afternoon. But in our house it’s hard to do this as dd2 is autistic and has set meal times 😬.

Very normal time to eat Christmas lunch ..by the time you got up, eaten breakfast, eaten Christmas chocolate and crackers and other bits and cooked...it's around 4-5...in fact never eaten before 3.... Everyone is different...are you happy with that time

Was always about 4pm for us, as my Granny always hosted and we never ate until after the queens speech.

our varies now depending on who is hosting

edited to add when granny hosted it was in Scotland - in case that makes a difference

4pm is perfect I think, or slightly later. I like a parkrun on Christmas morning and a late breakfast with presents. Cba getting up super early and peeling carrots at 8am to make sure I'm ready for midday or 1pm. Also I hate feeling super full after the meal and everyone gets tired and sluggish afterwards so surely better to do in the late afternoon time. Also, I like to nibble on satsumas and snacks during the day.

I came on to give a similar example that @MermaidMummy06 did! SIL in this case has no kids and lives 4h away; we had a preschooler and stayed over the previous night. It didn't occur to her that a bread and cold meat breakfast at 9am and dinner at 3.30pm whilst not allowing anything at midday because it would ruin dinner 😳was NOT going to work. Especially as we had told her that DC was used to eating at 12 at nursery... apparently she thought one day out of routine wouldn't matter. Then she got upset because DC was crying with hunger at 1pm! DH put his foot down to get DC some food (huge argument) and we haven't had Christmas with them since. Even though DC is now mid teens. And DH doesn't really speak with her any more.

4/5pm for us. We usually have smoked salmon blinis and champagne during the afternoon.

Stockings
Breakfast
Church
Snacks and alcohol while opening presents
Christmas Meal
Telly
More alcohol
Cheeky little sandwich and some cold pigs in blankets
Bed

Wake up
Coffee
Quick dog run and feed
Presents!!!
Lunch/Dinner when it's ready (anywhere between 1 and 4)
Queens King's speech
Disney film whilst everyone else has a nap
They all wake up and more food

Starter 2 ish
Main course 4 ish
Dessert 6 ish
Cheese n biscuits n port 10ish
Thats when its just the two of us.
If hosting family its 2pm start for 3 courses then cheese n biscuits n port 10pm

My optimum time is 2pm. But as I have never cooked Christmas Dinner I have to go along with whatever.

Just to be clear, we are working class and have our starter a bit later than we should .

Big family Christmas, we usually plan to start around 1, but often actually start around half an hour after that. Numerous courses so usually lasts a while. Think our record was finishing at midnight?!

When it's just us 4, the first tray of food goes in the oven when we get back from church and then we just snack all day (party food stuff and not a full roast).

We eat at 1, then it’s presents in the afternoon, and cheese in the evening

I think we have usually eaten before it's dark, but there's a large window in which our Christmas lunch/dinner meal will be eaten.
Isn't this what Quality Street is for?

We do the same OP. We aim to have a fairly large breakfast and then have Xmas lunch at about 4pm and then (even though nobody is hungry) we get loads of nibbles, cheese etc out at about 8.30/9.

It's nothing to do with class, it's just when people eat their big meal of the day, can't imagine a big meal at lunch time. I'm working class in Scotland, on the breadline actually, that's why we have one big meal of the day, our dinner, at dinnertime, in the evening

Growing up it was always around 4pm for xmas dinner. That gave us time to open presents in the morning, get breakfast, a quick visit to nearby relatives, then DF could nip to the pub for a pint or two while DM made dinner.

I prefer to eat a bit later, and normally have our main meal nearer 6pm. We dont make much effort with breakfast - just pastries while opening presents. By the time we have opened presents, played a bit, got dressed, phoned family, etc the morning has gone. At lunchtime I tend to do cheese and crackers with salami, veg, fruit etc (I hate having a heavy meal at lunchtime). Then we have a few hours after lunch to enjoy playing with the kids toys, building lego, maybe a walk, before I need to start dinner.

We have starters at 1ish as usually a lot of sweets have been eaten and then mains Christmas dinner at 4/5 . Its ready when its ready but we keep the drinks flowing. Very laid back in our house and we have pudding just whenever everyone feels like it - often for midnight munchies or boxing day breakfast! We keep it chilled and stress free. The cheeseboard often ends up being part of Boxing day brunch alongside platters of turkey and stuffing sandwiches!

Unless you're Mexican the sombreros and moustaches will get some backs up!

We normally eat at around 7pm ish on Christmas Day. I certainly don’t watch the kings speech! We drink champagne with breakfast (usually fruit and a vegetarian sausage baguette for me) at around 10ish, go for a walk and then come home and all muck in with the cooking with a glass of wine. Usually some crisps and chocolate/cheese and crackers to keep us all going.

We eat dinner late but I get up at the crack of dawn and open my presents. Nothing better than waking up at 5 and shouting ‘he’s been!’ and to wake the entire house! I do not understand the type of person who can sit with the presents under the tree until noon. Not for me!

I don't know what we gone we eat but I like it to be dark and light candles