What time do you eat lunch on Christmas Day?

[ThankYouVeryMuchGerry]

I'm hosting Christmas Day for the first time this year and I'm not sure what time to serve the main meal.

At my parents house we never had a set time, we've eaten at 1pm, 3pm, 5pm but this year they are coming to us and I'm not sure when to serve.

My sister hosted last year (I did Xmas Eve), and when we got there at 11am, she served pastries and fruit which was very filling, and then we ate about 4pm and were comatose for the evening.

I don't want to serve pastries etc as think it will be too much food, so not sure if we should eat earlier?

My OH is doing the main meal and I'm doing everything else (including opening two dozen oysters!) and I don't want us having to get up really early.

I will have bowls of crisps, nuts and olives out before lunch, should I put anything else out?

Sorry for the rambling - I just want it to be perfect!

We eat at 3pm approx, and have big breakfast at 9, and some crisps and chocs etc out all morning to pick at

1pm, well, sorta.

I love the smell and sound of our roast cooking in the morning as DH and I open presents and get quietly sozzled !

Then we make the gravy while the vegetables cooking are in the microwave. Make sure all the side dishes are ready. Serve it all and by then it's nearer to 1.30pm

Then we open another bottle of wine and get stuck into our meal and our wine.

We call it christmas dinner and have it at about 4pm. Dessert/nibbles around 6pm. Little party nibbles are served earlier to keep the kids off the ceiling though☺️

5pm to fit in with littlies tea time. In theory they could still go to bed at 7pm, but it has never happened

I'm doing dinner early this year so we can use up the leftover meat in the evening with crusty rolls, pickles and cheeses. Last year we ate late and then were too stuffed for anything else, even dessert!

We have Christmas Dinner as an evening meal.

Lovely day, relaxed breakfast, presents, lovely light lunch (smoked salmon etc), family time, playing, canapés, champagne, the heightened drama of a dinner after dark with Christmas lights etc.

Everyone (3 or 4 families) takes it in turn to chip in with dinner prep throughout the day. No mad rush.

About 1pm. We usually have lunch at 12 and the kids can't go any later than 1pm. Then we have dinner at 6pm, so it's like a normal day for us really in terms of mealtimes.

Usually about 2.30.
Any guests coming arrive between 12 -1 so we have drinks and nibbles with presents before lunch

Around 1-1.30pm in the past. But in the last two years (DD is now a teen) we went for a long walk in the morning, had some nibbles for lunch, cake at 3pm and dinner at 7pm.

Not sure about this year. We normally always have a roast in the evening apart from Easter and Christmas but I do enjoy the fact that we are not up at 7am anymore. And I hate eating a roast in the afternoon.

Full English in the morning about 10 then clean up look a dinner timings watch a movie put dinner on around 1 and eat about six same as every other day. With nicer food!

Also around 1-1.30

It's always planned for lunch time but almost always ends up being around 2

4pm
We eat out after a long walk

1pm. Washed up ready for the Queen's Kings speech. Then out for a walk.

About 6-7pm! We're a sleepy family when we've got full bellies so have it later on then we're not all wanting Nanna Naps all day long!

1:30 any later and we'd be starving and end up filling up on junk and not appreciating dinner.

Between 2 and 4

I hosted last year. We had a brunch at around 11 and then dinner at around 3.30 pm. I then did snacks later on in the evening (crisps, dips, nuts etc)

Going to do it for 2pm this year, we usually have it around 5pm but found we were always too full, and sleepy afterwards to do anything at night.

2pm will give plenty of time to recover for dessert, alcohol and movies.

Any time between 2 and 4pm. Have a good, late breakfast and there are loads of snacks around to keep people going.

about 4 or 5 pm
leisurely breakfast

We usually eat around 1.30pm - we go to my parents.

Works well for us.

Breakfast at home and then to theirs for 12/12.30.

Lunch not long after and then we do gifts rounds theirs after lunch.

However my mum passed away this year so we are going for brunch at around 9am and gifts there after that to allow those with ILs to visit there afternoon.

We are having xmas dinner on Xmas eve

oh the King's speech!

It's always Christmas dinner in our family. A little earlier than normal dinner time, so the turkey's ready by 6pm and we are seated by 6:30.

We aim for about 2pm. We have cinnamon rolls or pastries for breakfast when the DC get up, fairly early so lunch is just a little later than normal lunchtime. It usually runs a bit late but it's on the table by 3pm. Works best for the DC so they have time to play afterwards. We find if we eat late then they don't feel like they've had enough time to play.
If we didn't have DC then we would probably eat later.