What time do you eat your main Christmas meal?

[bantuknots73]

I don't celebrate Christmas but growing up I always loved hearing what other families do on the day. All the people that celebrate in my family usually have their Christmas meal around 8/9pm. Most of my friends and their family usually have their Christmas meal anywhere between 6-9pm. However my English friends tend to have their meal around 12-2pm.

It was always a running joke in school (and still now between us friends) that it's a black thing to have your Christmas meal really late in the day whereas white people tend to eat earlier on instead. Obviously this is just a generalisation based on our friendship group but I wondered what everyone else does. How does the eating arrangements work in your household?

4 pm, we call it early dinner, goose goes in just after midday, DH aka Rick Roux takes over kitchen so I am on MN.

Oooo this is all really interesting to me (how sad😂)
So it seems that most people just kind of go with the flow instead of having a set time in mind on when to eat. It also seems like it depends on who's round for Christmas and if you've had a big breakfast or not!

Growing up it was about 5.30. After presents and mass we'd have brunch do no one would be hungry any earlier. I've usually done it around 4-4.30, though today my son requested we do it about 2ish. I couldn't finish my plate because I still had (early) brunch!

About 1pm. Don’t tend to eat breakfast so woukd be too hungry to have it any later.

We had rolls with square sausage and potato scones for breakfast. Toast and pate at lunch. Soup will be at 6ish and dinner around 7ish

About 6 - we make it a very early dinner, rather than have it at lunchtime.

Haha was just speaking to my friend about this.

It was about 3pm and he said he was looking forward to Christmas dinner (I’d eaten by now btw).

So I responded saying ‘huh, you’ll have enough space to fit it in?’ thinking they had already eaten & were preparing to go for seconds.

He responded saying that his family were still cooking preparing the meal. They at around 5pm but apparently have had it later.

Though I am self-isolating I refused to eat my Christmas meal late. And here is why…one Christmas a couple of years ago I went to my brother’ house for Christmas Day. He started cooking around 10am and I foolishly thought lunch would be served at around 2pm. It was ready at 5pm, I was hungry & the novelty had faded for me.

So never again! Haha.

12.30/1

Love to have it all done and cleared, and then long walk, film, games
Otherwise I find it just hangs over everything all day

Disclaimer…. We’re not big foodies!

2pm. We sat down at 4.30pm

Had our main course at 6ish. Having a break now before pudding!

When it's ready but usually late after, early evening. We had our starter at lunch time today and ate the main at 6pm today.

1pm sharp

We normally aim for 3-4pm so we can relax in the evening with pudding and cheeseboard.

Today we had a lie in until 10am for the first time in about 25 years (youngest was up at 9am but he’s 11 so we asked him to give us an extra hour!) so after present opening it was midday before we started our traditional pancake breakfast and got showered and dressed, We didn’t put the Turkey on until almost 3pm so ate at 6pm. Too late IMO, just about to do the pudding before Call The Midwife, but will probably not bother with cheeses which I look forward to!

About 1pm, then leftovers in the evening

We have ours around 2pm before dsd goes home and pudding around 5/6, we'll have turkey sandwiches later on if we get hungry.

I love Christmas Dinner but it's a lot of work and after being up early with the dcs I'd rather have it early and be able to chill rather than be clock watching all day for when I need to put the turkey in and then having to clear up at 6/7 when I'm ready to laze around in pjs.

2 pm as that fits in best with the logistics of our day. We went to church this morning then the 5 of us (DH. 3 AC) sat and opened presents. The

big turkey lunch followed. Once we’d cleared everything away, we had a long and hilarious game that all could join in with: our young adult son has a learning disability. After a break, we came back together and watched a film and had a very light tea / snack. As my DH said, it was one of our best Christmas days.

Like another pp, I wouldn’t want preparations for the meal hanging over us all day and we have a very light breakfast if up early enough so are hungry by 2 pm.

6pm.

We ate at 5pm today. I didn't start any prep til 3pm. None of us are hungry much earlier in the day after a latish breakfast.

We aim for between 1-2pm.

So usually around 3pm in reality. Just like today

3ish

3pm so we can relax nap and then eat cheese and play games in the evening.

The ones that eat 5/6…. Don’t you then have a load of kitchen clearing to do when really you just want to settle down?

We have ours by 1pm latest. Sort out the kitchen, then walk and games, then leftovers on kitchen table with paper plates. No cooking whatsoever. Evening is the time we flake in front of a film, knowing that you have a kitchen in need of a big sort out would drive me crazy!

3pm ish with us. A decent breakfast and then we don’t need anything until then. Sometimes don’t bother with dinner

Growing up 1230. This year 8. We’re trying to find our own Christmas rhythm, and I prefer lunch because then the rest of the day is a lazy one. I was quite stressed trying to fit in presents, a dog walk and two meals yesterday.