Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not understand why people eat at such strange times at Christmas?

253 replies

NumberSixtyTwo · 23/12/2023 19:20

I really don't get why so many people choose to have Christmas dinner at times they'd never normally eat a meal. Like many seem to have it at 3 or 4pm. Normally no one eats at that time so why do it on Christmas day?

Why not have it at a normal lunch time, like about 1pm, or a proper evening meal time?

Having it in between normal meal times surely just means you're too hungry or not hungry enough?

OP posts:
SteggySawUs · 23/12/2023 22:59

NumberSixtyTwo · 23/12/2023 22:53

Oh you are my people!

Show quote history

Happy Christmas @numbersixtytwo 🤩

MadeOfAllWork · 23/12/2023 23:00

Lovetotravel123 · 23/12/2023 19:28

I agree. It gets very confusing and it’s hard to work out what to eat while waiting.

All the chocolates, and the nuts, then some more chocolates, then a satsuma to feel healthy.

GymBergerac · 23/12/2023 23:12

DH and I have Christmas day just the two of us. I'm up earlyish to run with friends and he gets pretty much his only lie in of the year. By the time I get back it's about ten, we have breakfast and pressies together and then dig into the cheese and crackers and coffee with a crappy film. So it's quite common for us not to want a meal till about 4pm. It's just not a normal day.

ChilledToTheBone · 23/12/2023 23:12

We're having 4ish. Normally eat at 5/5.30 however. We have different guests coming in the evening. So want to be cleared up prior.
And my dcs would never eat xmas dinner lunchtime. We'll have late breakfast. Then a few snacks no doubt then the dinner 4pm.
Evening guests don't want food or anything as only staying a while. So least by 5 ish we've eaten and cleaned up ready to relax

GymBergerac · 23/12/2023 23:13

You can substitute a Terry's chocolate orange... It's almost the same.... 😂

ChilledToTheBone · 23/12/2023 23:14

Also youngest goes to bed 7pm as they just don't last longer . So can't eat later

MissBuffyAnneSummers · 24/12/2023 00:10

The only people who need to 'get' what time to eat are the others sharing your table.

Menomeno · 24/12/2023 04:05

For all those who can’t possibly eat mid-afternoon, how do you cope with weddings?

Iwasafool · 24/12/2023 07:26

MissBuffyAnneSummers · 24/12/2023 00:10

The only people who need to 'get' what time to eat are the others sharing your table.

Ain't that the truth.

idontlikealdi · 24/12/2023 08:44

We eat a normal Sunday lunch at 3/4, Christmas is no different.

Hobbesmanc · 24/12/2023 08:51

Dotjones · 23/12/2023 20:02

YANBU, either eat it about 1pm or leave it til at least 6:30. Scheduling it at 3pm or 4pm is idiotic, it's a sign of laziness or incompetence - they intend to have it at a normal time but they fuck up the timing so it's a very late lunch.

Wow. The Christmas spirit runs deep in you 😳. Is Christmas Day a bit like a Sunday. And lots of people have Sunday dinner later than they'd eat a lunch.

As a kid we always had Christmas dinner after the Queens speech. If you've had a cooked brekkie and snacks that's a good time. 1 pm is far to early and 6 too late.

reluctantbrit · 24/12/2023 09:39

Menomeno · 24/12/2023 04:05

For all those who can’t possibly eat mid-afternoon, how do you cope with weddings?

I hate it but it's not something I can control so I roll with it.

When we got married in Germany it was like this: ceremony at 2pm, coffee and cake (cream tea actually) at 4pm and sit-down dinner at 7pm.

Our British/Irish friends loved it, they had a chance to eat proper lunch at the hotel prior to leaving to the town hall, had decent food in the afternoon and a normal dinner.

Yikes101 · 24/12/2023 11:13

How do you know what time we all normally eat? We went out for a meal yesterday at 3.30, we usually have a Sunday roast at around 4, i often don’t get a lunch break at work until 3ish. 3-4pm is completely normal for me, although I think we’re probably eating around 1-1.30 for Christmas to fit in with other plans.

Notsurehwhattdo · 24/12/2023 16:55

HunterHearstHelmsley · 23/12/2023 21:55

I don't think anyone has mentioned weight?

Show quote history

I've mentioned it as it seems most people are eating earlier in the day and I've received comments in the past about eating 'too much, too late' as if it's gospel that you will gain weight.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 24/12/2023 18:42

Notsurehwhattdo · 24/12/2023 16:55

I've mentioned it as it seems most people are eating earlier in the day and I've received comments in the past about eating 'too much, too late' as if it's gospel that you will gain weight.

Show quote history

I see. I've never been a late eater (I graze... constantly!) so that's not it for me. I just don't like the feeling of going to bed still stuffed from my dinner. You're possibly correct for others though.

Belltentdreamer · 24/12/2023 18:43

Always have Sunday dinner at 3

Original poster
NumberSixtyTwo · 24/12/2023 18:57

I can confirm I also hate wedding breakfasts when they're at about 3pm. Chewing my own arm off by the time you get food usually.

OP posts:
NeedToChangeName · 24/12/2023 19:02

I'm with you OP. I like lunch at lunch time. Our Christmas Dinner will be 1pm

But it's not difficult to understand why others might prefer to do it differently, for so nany reasons eg travel, separated families, church, wanting just one big meal

FoodieToo · 24/12/2023 19:10

We eat about 5. We have a huge breakfast mid morning so wouldn't be hundry until then.

Maybe people who keep to their regular eating times don't eat extra/ have more treat type meals over the holiday ?

If you have a 'normal' celebration breakfast of say cereal for the kids , freshly baked pastries , a fry at 10.30 how on earth could you eat the nain Christmas meal at 1 ?

Hottenan · 24/12/2023 19:12

Breakfast is about 9.30am so we eat Xmas dinner at 2.30pm. Helps get rid of the in laws earlier too!

Gettingcolder · 24/12/2023 19:36

I was brought up with regular meal times and have always stuck with them if I am cooking. Breakfast is between 6am and 9am, lunch between 12 and 2pm and dinner between 7 and 8pm. As kids, we also had afternoon tea at 4pm when we got home from school. I often still have a cup of tea and a biscuit then to keep me going.

Christmas lunch if I had my way would be just like any other Sunday lunch at 1pm so I could get the washing up out the way in time to go for a walk in daylight then relax for the rest of the afternoon, but with family travelling etc, I have compromised and said it will be at 2pm this year, I will just go for a walk in the morning instead.

Thepeopleversuswork · 24/12/2023 19:48

I’m very live and let live by nature and I couldn’t really care less what people do but I have always found the VERY late Christmas lunch tradition a bit odd.

Wait until 4pm/5pm to eat lunch seems to almost guarantee people will get hangry/bored and tetchy and drink too much.

Each to their own but when I have had Christmas at other people’s places there’s always a bit of me that does inside when someone say “we will eat about five”…

Meowandthen · 24/12/2023 19:59

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Meowandthen · 24/12/2023 20:02

Greenpolkadot · 23/12/2023 20:50

I can't understand why people want to eat a big Christmas dinner at 8pm

You don’t have to understand. You are not invited.

Greenpolkadot · 24/12/2023 22:44

Meowandthen · 24/12/2023 20:02

You don’t have to understand. You are not invited.

Show quote history

Thank god for that,,Id hate to share a table with you,,you sound joyless