What time do you eat at Xmas day?

[supercaliforniasurfer]

We usually eat at 3ish, but was debating about moving it to lunchtime this year as it sometimes feels a bit late for the DC.

Just wondered what other people do?

Currently
9ish - breakfast
3pm - the big dinner
7pm - buffet

I think dinner/buffet are too close together at the mo.

The reason we do a 2.30 lunch is that we don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to get the turkey in, and don't have to start on the rest till after midday, makes a lovely relaxing morning. The fact that it means no evening meal needed is a bonus, dinner, and clearing up is all over by about 4.30 and we're free to relax again for the rest of the day.

dont usually bother with breakfast since i moved in with dp. might eat whatever sweets i get in my stocking

dinner usually 5ish at the in laws. usually get there for about 3ish and hang around as it's always late.

sound ungrateful i know but when i lived at home christmas dinner was always 12ish and tbh im staved by 5!

ive decided we are having some form of dinner at 12 this year to stop me being a moody bugger because im hungry and sick of waiting.

i forced myself on mil last year helping which passed the time a bit and she didnt seem to mind.

We were having this conversation earlier. My kids will be 15 months and 3.5 at Christmas so quite small. Last year we ate at 12.30 but I was booting out late morning visitors (in laws invited for coffee and cinnamon rolls at 9.30/10am but didn't arrive till gone 11) to serve my starving and getting knackered 2 year old and deal with the baby. This year I proposed moving it to 4.30pm but we've decided to keep it at 12.30 and if ds2 is asleep (currently on two naps but may well be on one long lunch nap by then) so be it. Visitors will be told in advance that we will be eating at 12.30 and are welcome from 9.30-11.30 / 12 (we do see them at other times over Christmas but they request to come Christmas morning). I need my time to get over the big roast and work up to evening sandwiches.

Champagne and nibbles (in lieu of a starter) from 12 - think Tapas bits

lunch about 1.30

Light stuff about 7pm - cold cuts, cheese, salad etc

We do breakfast , ( no fixed time , we have a 19 and 21 year old )
Lunch about 1 which is starters , pate , smacked salmon , garlic bread etc
Christmas dinner about 6pm , pud at about 9

Us, MIL and 4 year old.
Wake up and dressed in our Christmas outfits. Down to open ds's stocking which includes chocolate for him to nibble on.
9ish breakfast smoked salmon and croissants or something.
11ish crack open th champagne
12ish lunch of some sort of fish platter
Open pressies
4:30ish supper. Rib of beef and all the trimmings followed by pudding.
Finish pressies and ds in bed by seven.
Chill out with more wine and a cheeseboard during the evening.
No tv allowed on Christmas Day so we have music on and chat and drink!

Breakfast around 10.30am, lots of canapes around 2pm then dinner at 5pm ish. Cheese board and chocolate later for supper.

When we were little we would have dinner when it was dark - which I loved. To me it meant the best bit was saved til last.

What I've done the last couple of years is have the big Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve afternoon as its getting dark. Then Christmas Day is blissfully free for lounging, playing with new toys, trip to the park and eating cold cuts and leftovers whenever we feel like it. I love it!!

When the DCs are older I'll do 11am brunch, 4pm dinner.

Breakfast: croissants or pain-au-chocolats about 11.
Lunch: vegetarian roast dinner 2.30- 4 p.m.
Supper: cheese board and fruit 7- 9 p.m.

Cinnamon rolls while we open presents

Lunch at 1300 so we've finished before the Queen.

Sandwiches/Cheese & Crackers in the evening if necessary after all the the chocolate

Varies - used to be around 7pm when I was growing up, I quite like having a formal evening meal.

But I also like going out for a walk after a huge lunch - this year we are going to my DB's who says lunch will be around 1pm - sounds fine.

"Amazed by how many of you eat Christmas dinner at lunchtime! Dunno how you could have it all cooked in time."

It's not difficult. I'm only cooking for 3. I do a lot of the prep the night before. We don't have small children or millions of presents to open either.

"Dinner at 5pm. Then later will be snacks, cheese, leftovers - nothing cooked and just help yourself."

Do people really have room for more food after eating a huge Christmas dinner at 5?

Selection box goodies for breakfast maybe smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for adults. Big meal around 4:30/ 5 ish. Then I don't feel the need to do a buffet tea. The main meal lasts for a while. And I always offer dessert but we hardly ever have it.

We aim for after the Queen's speech but always end up late. My late (in every sense) MIL once served up at midnight long after my DC had gone to bed. I was upset at the time as was DC's first Christmas but we have laughed about it since. If hosting the secret for me is not to start drinking but it's difficult to stick to. This was MIL's downfall too!

For me and both DS's, the cheese and biscuits and nibbles are the best bit so we try for breakfast (bacon and rolls or salmon and bagel) around 7:30am, dinner for 1/1:30 and then cheese etc around 6- but that's on going so whoever isn't hungry at 6 can eat when they are.

Breakfast at 9-10am, usually consisting of celebrations, aftereights mints and smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

Big dinner at around 3-4 and I mean big.

7 onwards, nibbles, such as homemade MONSTER sausage rolls, cheese, pickles, general party type food.

Drink throughout

Nickname it's more picking at things and its there if anyone wants it. Dh will usually have something and I'll have cheese and biscuits later on. We don't have starters or puddings either so will have finished eating by 6, and don't usually go to bed til the wee small hours.

Besides, there's always room for cheese at Christmas

Usually around 3 or 4pm. We don't have breakfast on Christmas day either though unless you count scoffing sausage rolls, cashews and Quality Street basically from dawn.

DD(2) will have a bowl of cereal and some milk on waking as usual, around 7.30/8.

Then we'll have proper breakfast (bacon and avocado sandwiches or smoked salmon bagels) around 9.30/10.

Starter around 2.

Main course after the queen and then another break before pudding.

Pre-DC we'd start around 4pm but have brought it forward and spread it out a bit over the day.

No evening meal as we're still stuffed! (Cheese board and chocs available if anyone wants them, though)

I have no kids so go to mum and dads for xmas.
Generally, mum wakes us up about 8 because she's excited and want to open her presents (she's 58 ) we make her wait until we've made a brew and it's fun to torture her

Then dad does bacon and egg butties about 9.30 / 10.

Xmas dinner about 2.30 / 3

Leftover ham / turkey sandwiches at about 8 ish, with pickles and stuff.

Plus mince pies / oranges / selection boxes as and when

Breakfast 8ish with stockings.
Church.
Nibbles and sherry 11ish.
Some presents.
Lunch 1-4ish (big, long, slow lunch!).
More presents.
Some kind of exercise even if it's just rolling out of the door for a half mile stagger.
Ham and tongue sandwiches and Christmas cake at 6ish.

Dinner at 3pm-ish but a lovely savoury breakfast in the morning and mince pies in between...

We have our Christmas dinner around 1pm. DC1 is 4 (DC2 will only be 8 months) but even without children I wouldn't want to eat any later than 2pm as I'm a bit funny about meal times and wouldn't want to wait til 3 or 4pm to sit down to a big dinner. Like to try and go out for a little walk afterwards too!