We always eat later - always have. Regular dinner hour - 6-6:30.

I cannot imagine myself getting everything done early enough to eat in the afternoon!

Early-ish so everyone can go their separate ways, such as off to in-laws.

Most of our holidays are dinner at 6:00 pm, but I've been trying to move that a little earlier to accomodate work schedules. Thanksgiving used to be dinner at 4:00 pm, but has gotten a bit later to accomodate drivng distance. Tiny Thanksgiving is called for 5:00 to sit down by 5:30, again, to better accomodate people's scedules. In other words, whatever works...

About noon

usually around 4pm, my children's inlaws do something earlier in day so i accommodate them

Around 3 or 4. Everyone leaves by 6 or 7 which is nice so we can relax after a frantic day.

Around 12:30 PM like you, Marilyn. Then when they want supper they can just warm up some leftovers. If I had served the big meal in the evening when my husband was alive, he would have wanted me to prepare a lunch at noon.

It varies with the participants. For Thanksgiving Friendsgiving, we usually plan to eat around 1:00 p.m. For one group at Christmas, we plan for early afternoon...2:00 p.m. or so. For the other group, we plan for early dinner at 5:00 p.m. Our immediate family does a Christmas breakfast around 10:00 a.m. so we can start cooking for the 5:00 p.m. dinner.

Around 4-5:00. If we eat too early, we end up eating another dinner later in the evening.

About 6:30 pm. Everyone stays here for the night except my sister and BIL who live 40 minutes away.

Also around 5pm....could even be later. In our family, dinner is dinner and is served at a normal dinner time. Holidays are no different from any other family dinner gathering. And no one eats lunch on those days - saving room for dinner - but there is often some midday snacking or the early appearance of appetizers :-)

My late mother seemed to think there was a law that ALL holiday meals must be served at 2PM. Of course, in order to roast a 22 lb turkey, that meant getting up VERY early! When she quit cooking them, I moved the meals to 6:30-7PM.

When they were at 2, everyone was hungry around 12-1 and was underfoot in the kitchen getting something to eat. They were also back in the kitchen at 8PM hungry again. For me, the kitchen is CLOSED after a holiday meal is served! So having it at night worked far better. No one was driving more than 2 miles so no need for it to be earlier.

This year, DD first made reservations at her restaurant for 7PM but then moved it up to 5:30. WAY too early but it's her choice. I'm quickly deciding that this is one year I'll skip being with them. I think my DD would prefer that as well - even her father is not invited to be a houseguest this year. She's just doing her "duty" by inviting me and that fine - I'd really rather stay at home and fix something I really love with wild rice.

Drinks and appetizers around 4, dinner at 5, which is super early for us, and only for Thanksgiving. All other holiday meals are at regular meal times more or less.

Anglo, I fear you are in a lose-lose situation with your daughter on this. Good luck.

Around 2:00. Everyone wants to get home before dark.

We have a big breakfast then eat the main meal around 2PM. DH does the turkey on the grill and never begins until after Mass. After cards and walks we will set left overs out about 8. It's been since the day of cooking in a brown paper bag since I heard of a turkey needing to go in before 9!! Try a plastic cooking bag Anglophillia.

Glad you posted this topic! I always have the meal at 6, but this year I have been thinking I would like to have turkey day outside, as where I live, the weather is beautiful this time of year. However, it gets dark early, and chilly. So I would like to do an earlier meal, but keep struggling with what time to do it. Every option just feels awkward to me. So, I’m interested in what everyone that has an early meal does. Lunch time? Seems too early. Mid afternoon? Tell everyone not to eat lunch, and set out apps that are a little more substantial? Early dinner?

Usually I have Thanksgiving around 4-5 , because DIL parents had it 12-1. This year her parents aren't having it till Friday. I think I will have it around 2-3. That way they can get home earlier. DD and DS both have to work the next day. Christmas, who knows.

We eat at about 1. Have never had a problem with the big turkey not being cooked in time. After dinner, those who want are welcome to take naps, walks, play games, watch football or swim. Dessert is whenever someone wants something.

The best part of Thanksgiving is around 6. When the sandwich makings come out. Always a good day.

Usually by six in the evening every one is gone so those that have to work the next day will have no problems. Actually, I go to bed really early if I can so it is my bedtime! I seldom eat much in the evening or supper as it is called here.

Sue

Rockypointdog, I think that sounds super!

Beware, though, changing expected meal times is HARD. It doesn't matter how many times you tell them, they'll show up when they're used to showing up. It's taken years to retrain the immediate family, and I wouldn't dare trying for the whole mob. If you're going to do this, I think it would help to have a whole discussion with each invitee (or head of family group) about how it's going to be outside during daylight hours, dress accordingly, etc. If you discuss it for awhile, rather than just stating a time for dinner, you might have better success.

We're not gorgers. Yeah, we put on a spread and people eat well, but they don't shovel down massive amounts extra. We don't worry about things like skipping a meal to prepare. More like eat a normal lunch at noon, which is a normal time, but perhaps light choices knowing there will be a feast later, and I don't remember anyone not having an appetite for Thanksgiving dinner at 4:00 pm. It helps that none of us has to work on the day.

Beware twilight and the bugs! Even though it may be cooler, there still may be mosquitoes, and plenty of other insects.

Do you have outdoor serving pieces and covers that can accomodate your meal? Tables and chairs? (Or rent?) If you have the stuff, it would be a shame not to use it! Go for it! Even if it's not entirely smooth, being the first time, at least you'll have a lot of fun memories.

For years my folks hosted Thanksgiving and Easter at their club, so that was usually 12 or 1. That’s my favorite. Then go for a walk afterwards, feels so good.

Everything’s been a bit up in the air the past few years with my parents’ declines, so to be honest I can’t remember what we’ve done!

No one in my family eats 3 squares a day....except for may be the littles. If we have a big lunch or late lunch, dinner is very light. If we are planning a bigger dinner meal, then seldom does anyone want a real lunch. I am going to a family dinner tonight and my lunch was an apple with a couple of hunks of cheese. I rarely eat both breakfast and lunch.....it is usually one or the other.

As to getting home before dark, unless you were having a Thanksgiving brunch, it's not gonna happen! It will be quite dark by 4pm here, as late as the date is this year. And no one lives that far away that a short drive home in the dark is much of a burden.

I should mention that a family Sunday dinner is a pretty routine occurrence for us....at least once a month. And they are also served at our normal evening dinnertime of 6-7pm. Not sure why Thanksgiving needs to be considered any differently.

Thanksgiving is 2 ish because we have to get to the important stuff- be thankful but don't miss kickoff! And by halftime out come the snacks and desserts. Then late night is leftovers or maybe a sushi run. There are about 20 of us...It is a lot of fun.

Christmas is usually afternoon apps and then dinner around 6 or so, then gift swap and desserts.

Sunday dinners generally are around 4.

Normally about two but, this year, we have all agree to do Thanksgiving in Plymouth at a wonderful restaurant. We got a private room overlooking the ocean and a wonderful menu. I'm looking forward to it.

1230 to 130. And no appetizers either.

It varies. It used to be dictated by one sister because as she has children, any and all schedules MUST be convenient for them, (none of my other siblings are like this, they all have children and understand that they wont DIE if they are a little more hungry than usual at mealtime). My mother always complied because the rest of us are more flexible and it was easier, even though it ticked me off. And to make it worse, that sister and her family are always always always LATE, even when she picked the mealtime, and then she blames it on having 6 kids. Its a vicious cycle. Or it was. But, as all her kids are getting older, and admittedly, I have become more obstinate about it, it is more flexible.(They are still always late, by an hour or so) I remember growing up it was at 3 pm. Always. Why I am not sure. When i started cooking the meal,I was still living at home and therefore cooked the whole meal there. I could not (still cant) STAND people in the kitchen PICKING at things because they were hungry, and then when the meal was ready everyone was full. Now that i make most of the meal at my own home the day before, well, the meal is when i show up and finish it. So there.

This year I am hoping my mother will agree that a 12-1 pm mealtime will be okay. I have to be at work at 5 am the next morning because someone is on vacation that week and i am to cover her shift that day. Day shifts are pretty rough on me, rougher than they have been in years past, and i find i need more rest beforehand than i used to to be useful. They live about 45 minutes away, and i will be there early to start the turkey and other things, So I am hoping to leave around 3, 4 at the latest, get home, and get into bed.Besides, I have always thought such a big meal should be eaten at midday, then the leftovers can be picked at later when everyone gets hungry again. The only obstacle would be the above mentioned sister, who will be bringing some sweet potato thing and corn casserole. Normally i cook everything. But no matter to me anyway. I have NO reservations about serving the meal at the time it was announced that it would be served,whether or not they and their dishes are there.. They can put a plate in the microwave to reheat it when they get there. And that system doesn't seem to bother them either. It used to. She really expected us to wait, all the food ready, for her to show up and put whatever in the oven and wait for it to be done to eat. Nope. She learned the hard way.

Usually around 2:00 pm. Last Christmas due to son coming home late, it was around 9:30 pm. I think this year for Thanksgiving I'll take my daughter out to a nice restaurant. I have the day before off.

It will be at whatever time is convenient for my kids.

Hubby & I made a pact that we will be accommodating to our kids since things w/the inlaws were pretty rigid at times. We don't want to cause anymore stress at the holidays. It might not even be on T-giving day. We may not have our family meal until Saturday or Sunday.

It really does depend on what family schedules family is. For our family it is a large group who has to travel in the four hour plus range and we do stay overnight. We are lucky that the group has only one destination so that makes it fairly easy

I want dinner to be at 3 p.m. but get outvoted Sigh. So 5:30 or 6 is when we eat turkey dinner. It's too late to go for a walk and nobody gets here until 4:30 or 5... Yes dinner and then Dash that's my family.

I'm wearing them down though because a few agreed to go for a walk with me around 1 p.m. at Thanksgiving. First time! Everybody who walked said yes let's do this again. Now to work on the rest of them bwahaha!

I usually say between 4-5, but it almost always is 5-6. Our normal dinner time is 7. We don't eat lunch and put out a few snacks (YES the dreaded vege platter!)

It's very rare that our daughter and daughter-in-law get any holidays off (cop and oncology night nurse), But surprise! So we'll actually get a holiday ON the holiday for once. Not that it matters.

We usually have an early evening meal, but, like others, much depends on when the out-of-towners can get here. I just wish I could hire someone to come in and do all those late-night dishes. ( "If wishes were horses....." )

Growing up, it was usually noon to 2 or so, much depended on people arriving and when food was ready. There would always be the second meal, aka "coffee" at about 5-6pm. Would barely finish eating, getting things cleaned up before starting to reheat and put out the second spread. These were Scandinavian farm folk for the most part and you never let a guest leave hungry!

And if anyone went to the kitchen, they'd better be passing through, getting beverages or grabbing a dish towel and helping in some way! It's just how it was done! There was some simple snacks available, sausage, crackers, mints, crudite, cheese, nuts, etc so people who were truly hungry and couldn't wait could snack, but there too, there was the obligatory "eat!". And of course, have a couple drinks together.

A lot of years I worked on holidays so it would throw things off for attending gatherings or even having people over. Sometimes I'd do my own "holiday" before or after and make a special meal and invite special people to join me. Sometimes by myself. When alone I often could fall asleep so had to be careful on timing.

Mentioning the football games got me to thinking, and it hit me that growing up, we were tv watchers, but on holidays, the only time the TV would be on is for a parade or something and usually volume real low. If we needed a TV fix that bad we'd go upstairs to our bedroom but I enjoyed the company of people I didn't see too often. Never became a football fan until my mid to late teens and seldom was there a game that interested me that much on a holiday.