Timing of Christmas dinner if you have young children and go to church

[ByAndByTheWay]

Hi! I am looking for ideas of how to time Christmas dinner and how other people do it. I figured this is the right place to post for people who think about this stuff as much as I do! We are religious so will be going to church but it's a bit tricky timing it all. Last year we went to church on Christmas Eve but the service was at 6.30pm and the kids were utterly exhausted on Christmas Day from the late night and we swore we wouldn't do that this year. Church on the morning would have us out of the house from 10-12 but when would I cook the turkey? Do people leave it in the oven on low? Eat really late (which is tricky with young children and would mean planning of snacks and sandwiches for them)? Have the main meal at supper time instead? How do you do it? Should I cook the turkey the night before and warm it up? Thanks for any ideas!

We used to have a snacky lunch after church then main meal around 5.

No kids so we're a midnight mass family at the moment but we've nipped out to the pub a couple of times on Xmas day with the oven on low for an hour or two and it's all been fine! Personally I'd keep the turkey going on low whilst you're out, whack in the potatoes the second you're back and eat around 2.

We go to a 3pm children's service on Christmas Eve.

However, our (large) turkey goes in at 7/7:30 ready to eat at 1pm, so we could easily fit in church in the morning if we had a mind to.

When I was little the first job returning from church 11am-ish was to turn the turkey so it cooked evenly.

We put it in before church, but then it is usually a massive turkey, and we normally end up eating quite late. This year I'm suggesting a starter when we're back from church to tide us over till dinner.

Is there no earlier Christmas eve service? At a nearby church if not yours? We've always gone to midnight Mass and DS has slept through but he's too big to sleep through it and too little to be awake this year so we're going to go to a different parish that have a kids Mass at 5.30 on Christmas Eve.

Failing that I'd go to the earliest service on Christmas day, which is what we often did growing up. Get up, do stockings upstairs, get ready while parents stick the turkey on and all go out for an 8am service while avoiding looking in the living room. Then back by 9ish to see what santa has brought and do the rest of lunch prep - we usually ate around 1ish I think?

I would move main meal to evening around 6pm. So when back at midday do cheeses/ mince pies etc

ILs insist on Christmas Lunch (we'd usually eat much later) but Turkey cooking takes ages so it just cooks whilst we are out. We've got a crown as well and even that takes more than 2 hours. Turkey out, spuds in as soon as we're back.

If I had my way, we'd have a decent brunch before Church, then picky stuff and eat main mea around 5pm.

My mum always cooks not quite sure what time she puts the turkey on but she puts it on very low for a long time. Everything else is prepped before church (as much as possible the evening before) and ready to go in when we get back. We generally eat at half one ish i reckon.
Out of the house for two hours means either a long church service or quite a journey to church??
Does it have to be that church - we used to travel as we were a big part of the church community where we used to live, but actually now when I am back with my kids we always go to the village church.

I have genuinely always found the 6.30 vigil the best way. Even if they're tired, it's easier than the opening presents, leaving presents, church, back to cook Christmas dinner etc. Our Christmas is so much more relaxed now.

They're a year older so may cope with staying up a bit later Christmas Eve. Also, you could change their sleep patterns a few days before, ie put them to bed ten mins later each night, so they're used to going to bed an hour later.

I dont go to church but have always put the turkey in around 10am to be served at 1/1.30! Just leave it in the oven on lower heat.

You can cope with a late lunch because chocolate sees you through

We have roast for lunch every Sunday and put it on before we leave for church and get it out when we come back. Just work out how long it needs in the oven and adjust the temperature.

We always have Christmas dinner at tea time, even though we go to church on Christmas Eve. We have a big breakfast, light afternoon tea at 2ish and dinner at 6ish. I love that we have something to look forward to later on that's not just TV!

Our church service is 11.30 am so it means we won't get back home til 1pm. DM says we are not going this year as the service is at a "silly time". No other churches around. Live very rurally which is why the service is so late.

The church in our village has been closed for years as massive repairs need to happen. So no church this year.

Cook the turkey and carve in Christmas Eve. Just needs warmed through after church.

Thank you for the ideas! We are Catholic and live rurally so we have very little choice about churches sadly. The service is only an hour but allowing for getting parked, arriving early enough to get a seat, saying happy Christmas to people we know all take time so that's where the two hours come from. I think our eldest could cope with the later service now but I also have a 4year old and two year old, neither of whom ever nap and are erm, challenging after a late night. I think I will look at timing for cooking the turkey slower whilst we are out. Thanks!

We have a "tradition" now that the DC have spaghetti hoops on toast at about midday ( their normal lunch time) and then we can eat whenever we want. They love a roast so, even having had that at noon, seem to be able to find room for Christmas dinner a couple of hours later.