Timing of Christmas Dinner

[CiderGlider]

I see more and more people moving their Christmas dinner to Christmas Eve and I totally understand the logic. But....I'm not ready to do that-I always host and have dinner at 2pm.

On reflection, I know I'm spending all day in the kitchen and not with my children (aged 9&6). By 5pm I am shattered and just want to flop on the sofa.

I'm thinking of moving it 5pm so I can spend the morning/early afternoon out of the kitchen and with the children. Anyone want to share their experiences of Christmas dinner timings!

I much prefer a later Christmas dinner, around 4:30/5. We have a big breakfast around 10am so eating late isn’t an issue.

It makes the timings a lot easier, no chance I’m getting up early to prep a turkey!

It's all in the preparation. Do most on Xmas eve

We eat at 5pm.

we eat at 2, but we have rib of beef so I don't need to stick that in early. I peel the veg, parboil the spuds, make stuffing and yorkshire pudding batter a day or two before, so it's just slinging everything in the oven/hob at the appointed time.

I do a lot of prep of Christmas Eve and we eat around 1pm in Christmas Day.

We are up and out to 9am Mass so breakfast is usually done by 8am. The kids have some chocolate after Mass and then are hungry for lunch. After lunch is cooked, served and tidied up, I don’t go back in the kitchen for the rest of the day (unless to pour alcohol!)

We eat when its ready - sometime between 2 and 4!

Do all the prep on Christmas Eve. Once the turkey is in it's just a matter of putting stuff in at the right time and then there's maybe one frantic hour!

I messed up my timings last year and felt as though I’d spent all day in the kitchen. I was then cross with myself, and went in martyr mode and did all the clearing up by myself. I essentially ruined my own Christmas, and I fully admit it. This year has to be better!!

My sister does it at 4pm and I don’t like it - we miss Room on the Broom or similar

We do all the prep in advance too. I have a small crowd over so preparation is key!

I suppose it depends how many you’re catering for. Usually it’s just me, DH and our 2 DDs so we just have it at normal lunch time and it’s fine. I don’t find it much more work than a normal roast but we have a crown rather than whole turkey etc. I find it’s the last half hour that takes up my time as everything seems to need doing then but by then the girls have opened their pressies and we’ve played some family games so they’re quite happy to play while we finalise the food!

Stockings in the morning, then lunch at lunch and then presents under the tree after lunch. Then film and picnic tea. Helps make the day last and lets them appreciate their presents more

I am with treesunset on this, we have our days exactly the same but all food prep on Christmas Eve too.

WE used to aim for Dinner after it's Dark but finished before Dr Who.

Now they (DH and DS) don't watch Dr Who, it's just After Dark.

We have a kitchen/lounge/dining room.
So I can set the table , do some vegetable peeling , watch the soaps and just faff about .

Last year DH binge watched Peaky Blinders on Christmas Eve /Christmas Day . He is not doing that again. I will lead a Mutiny .

By Order of the Peaky Fucking Blinders has no place in my Festive Prep .

Also same as @TreeSunset and @Kittykatmacbill

The present tradition comes from my side but has been adopted by dh side and is loved by the kids and adults

We've had ours at around 5 pm for years. Much less of a rush for the cook, and gives plenty of time to get out for for a walk.

Last year it worked well even with Gdcs of 2 and 3 added..

After a late breakfast, we just have canapés (usually M&S) at around 3, instead of starters. They help to mop up the gallons of Buck's Fizz..

I prefer a 4.30/5pm dinner that way it is not trying to eat a larger size lunch.

Last year we ate out which was a 3pm seating so dinner arrived 3.30 which was fine.

We also do stockings in the morning, then lunch at 1pm ( ish ). We then do all the presents under the tree after that. Tea is just a buffet with crackers and cheese, nibbles and Christmas cake, mince pies etc so v little work involved. We dont have that till 9pm or so.
I prepare my parsnips and roast potatoes weeks in advance and freeze and all stuffing etc done the day before so it is just a case of popping it all in after the turkey is done to finish cooking so it really keeps the work down.

No set time to eat here. I potter after breakfast, prepping things and more importantly, dp also gets involved. No one feels attached to the kitchen as we split it between us.

Stocking

Breakfast (pancakes, hot chocolate)

Walk dog

Tree presents

Soup for lunch

Walk dog/enjoy outdoor presents (scooter, remote control car etc. Last year beach rugby ball, plated with that then DH and DS went for a swim - we live in Barcelona, wasn't that bloody warm!)

Home by 4/5

Dinner between 6-7.

We don't do a traditional British roast, can't be arsed frankly, although we do pigs in blankets because they're lush. No food prepping on Christmas Eve, that's for relaxing and getting excited. Also we don't have traditional TV shows like the UK, Downton, Dr Who, Big Film etc, so we don't need to have eaten by a certain time.

• Dog gets another walk at 10pm, in case you're worried about her.

Perhaps change what you are cooking so you don't have to be in the kitchen so long? We prep veg on xmas eve and prep the veggie main (mozzarella and toast veg strudel), the on xmas day we are really just taking things in and out of the oven, and it isn't too bad. We have beef doesn't need much doing to it beyond cooking. We even premake the yorkshire mix. The only think really make on christmas day is the gravy.

My other tip is to make sure your partner (if you have one) does half!

Another Christmas Eve prepper here. Tbh I’m going to try and simplify a bit this year because this always feels like a crazy, wasted day to me.

We do Santa gifts at silly o’clock, followed by a north pole breakfast. Mass is at 12 so there’s plenty time to get the turkey started, and get showered and dressed.

We do a second round of gifts before dinner is served around 2pm. I find this works really well as the dc have something new to play with after dinner and the adults can stay at the table for ages without being pestered. (I always ensure that there’s something engrossing like lego)

Once Christmas dinner is over, I am officially off duty for the next few days. We pick at left overs and selection boxes until I’m bored enough to cook again. I enjoy the 26th/27th more than Christmas itself.

I quite enjoy being able to disappear to the kitchen and leave the dc to be entertained by gps and relatives while I faff about setting the table.

I have a list of jobs I work through in December, anytime I have a few minutes. Checking over dishes, washing glasses, ironing table cloths, etc so that on the day I only have to pull it together.

We've never eaten dinner at lunch time, so always have it at about 5pm. Though we also have it on Boxing Day!

If there’s more than one person over about 10 eating the meal, why is one person doing all the preparation, cooking and clearing up?

We have it around 2, put the turkey (prepared the night before) in when I get up, morning with the family and cooking all the other stuff starts at about 12.30. Everything possible is prepared in advance so its just a case of getting it all cooked, I prepare a timetable the night before.