Christmas day- what time do you have he main meal? Have you eaten yet?

[speakout]

Dinner? Late lunch? I know it varies.

We had bacon butties at 11am, then main meal will be at 4pm. So a late lunch. Not a time we normally eat, but it's christmas. and at 4pm it will be dark, so candles will have impact. The rest of the evening will be spent on the sofa/call the midwife/chocolates etc.

Toast at 8, crisps and chocolate and not sure we'll have Xmas lunch today - maybe tomorrow as it's 4 now and noone is hungry. Might have a G&T in a bit whereupon my interest in cooking will pass....

5pm here

We had scrambled eggs and smoked salmon at about 9am, then drinks and nibbles at friend's around 1ish. Going out for an Indian around 6pm,

Had lunch out, started at 1pm and just got back (one hour round-trip)

We were up at 6am and had a small pastry each then. Then scrambled egg on toast for 9.30pm, lunch for 3pm, and may have some nibbles later.

Normally 1pm but had to travel midday today so having it in about half an hour (5.15). Can’t wait !

We started nibbling on cheese, crackers and jams about 2.5 hours ago while finishing up the cooking. We finished eating about 45 min ago. OH is already snoring on the couch. We still have the trifle to go though. We'll probably have that while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas or episodes of The Crown.

We ate at 2, to fit in with my ILs who always drive over (about 50 mins away). They dont like to drive home too late so we have it then.

When dh gets home from work, so around 6.30. My MIL does it for 3/4pm, as we were always up at work for 6am or earlier waiting until late afternoon was awful. My mum does it for 1ish which seems far more sensible!!

Stollen and Buck's Fizz in the morning, prawn cocktail around 1pm then we ate at 3.30pm

Tea and toast for breakfast at 9, nibbly bits with drinks at 12 when relatives came to visit , dinner at 3 - no pudding yet, we'll have that later with optional cheese and biscuits and turkey sandwiches.

Turkeys cooking but to be honest don't really want it, we always have ours late but might just have it tomorrow instead now

We had ours early this year due to DH having to leave for work at 2.30pm (working till midnight and perhaps beyond).
Soup at 12, starter at 1 and main meal 2pm.
Needs must, I'm just so glad he got to see the DC get their gifts and we got to eat together as a family.

Roast just went into the oven, 5.15pm. It is scheduled to be ready by 7-ish.

We slept late (Father Christmas comes on the 24th, 25th is just a stocking) so had breakfast at 9.30am and I refuse to have a large meal during the afternoon as I just don't like savoury food mid-day.

We ate at 1400! Originally planned to eat at 1330 while toddler was napping as we didn't think he'd eat anything (he already had his lunch at 1130) but he actually woke as we sat down and even ate a piece of turkey (and a few blanket-less pigs. And a biscuit from the gingerbread house).

Haven't got round to pudding yet - DP isn't well and is really not feeling it so I'll probably have some Yule log once toddler is in bed (he's had enough chocolate for today and it turns out he likes Christmas cake as well, unlike his father ).

I was always brought up on Christmas lunch between 1500 and 1600 after a minimal toast breakfast and stocking chocolate but toddler was super clingy yesterday and prep would have been a nightmare with him hanging off my ankles.

We had ours at around 1 pm. Prefer it that way as I hate eating a huge meal late on. Still completely stuffed but will pick at leftovers later

We ate our main meal at about 2:30pm, and there's leftovers this evening if anyone is still hungry.

We didn't do a traditional Christmas meal at all. Had bacon sandwiches around 11.30am, then little snacks like chocs and crisps. About an hour ago had some duck goyzas followed by cheese and biscuits. But then we've not had any guests and it's only three of us. I just hate all the faff of cooking and washing up afterwards.

1.30pm here

2.30pm here as that's the latest the children could manage (almost one-year-old and 3-year-old). From 3.30/4 they're getting grumpy and can't be doing with overtired children at the dinner table!

We're going to push it back as they get older, though.

I'm still full now, and we've not had pudding...

Dinner at 7pm. We had smoked salmon bagels and bucks fizz for lunch which was lovely but we'll be ready for the big roast by then.

Was supposed to be at 2pm, but put it back to 3 as both dc had a nap.

At home or with my family we'd do breakfast 9ish, sausage rolls/mince pies 11.30, Christmas dinner 2pm, presents/choc 4pm, tea (sandwiches & cake) 6ish, nuts/snacks through evening.

At PILs this year who do breakfast 8am, light lunch 1pm, chocs 3pm, Christmas dinner 6.30pm, pudding still to come after kids in bed.

I prefer my family's way as I guess that's what I'm used to but also it feels like the whole day has been taken up with food prep for MIL (offers of help firmly rejected) and the children were too tired to eat much by dinner time anyway. They also haven't had presents from PILs as they've been too busy and they missed the children opening their other presents. On the plus side we don't get the stuffed feeling we'd get at my mum's.

Ate 7.15pm in the end. We enjoyed Dr Who though I'm aware it was a bit shit for the aficionados.

MIL just said she wishes she'd done the main meal at lunch time and a lighter meal later so I'm glad it wasn't just me being ungrateful.