Thanksgiving dinner time?

[C99]

What time do you eat dinner on Thanksgiving? I'm hosting for the first time, so I pretty much get to set the time. Growing up, we ate in the late afternoon. In DH's family, it's always been at the usual dinner table. I am thinking of making it more like lunch time, because I don't want to listen to 3 kids pester me for 6+ hours with "when are they going to get here?" I was thinking 1 o'clock? I'll be serving for 7 adults/4 kids, so I figure it should take about 3-4 hours to cook a turkey.

[wencit]

In our family, it's also always been at the usual dinner time, around 6:30 or 7PM.

[Twoboos]

We usually do a weird in-between time, like 2. Then you have time to digest before going to bed, or go back for more, LOL!

Caveat: we are Italian so there's usually a pasta course involved too (lasagna or ravioli's)... it's allotta food. I can't wait!!!

[m448]

Noon or lunchtime. Growing up it was always for dinner but then I married my husband, a southerner who ate at noon. I loved being able to eat, digest, nibble and socialize without having to drag dinner prep out for a whole day and then cramming in a bunch of carbs and sugar in the evening.

[willow33]

We also eat around 2pm. Gives the whole family time to stay and chat, make room for dessert and still get home a reasonable hour.

[alexsmommy]

Around 4pm. I want to be wrapped up with the kitchen by 6pm so I can collapse in a food coma.

[Seitvonzu]

growing up it was 2ish. i try to do that, but it really depends on so much. i try to make a heartier breakfast thing than usual and then nibbles, and then the late lunch and dinner is leftovers if anything. yumyum.

[sunshine873]

Somewhere between 1 and 4 usually.

[Melaine]

We usually do a weird in-between time, like 2. Then you have time to digest before going to bed, or go back for more, LOL!



:yeahthat: I'm pretty sure we just do that because it's hard to get it ready any earlier.

[trentsmom]

We (my family, my parents, and a family friend) eat around 3pm. That gives us (mom and me) time to have a semi-leisurely morning to finish making the food and then time to get cleaned up. DH and my dad are in charge of keeping DS1 and DS2 occupied.

[Sillygirl]

4 pm around here. Otherwise you're too tired to eat after cooking for so long.

[SnuggleBuggles]

A slightly earlier dinner time, like 5 vs our normal 6:30. No one wants to get up really early and cook!

Beth

[infomama]

Noon for us this year. We work it around nap time.

[melrose7]

We have a big get together of everyone, aunts, uncles, cousins, so about 30 people. We have always done a dinner time, around 5:30. Our parties go late though so we'll be there til at least 11:00 which still gives us time to digest and have gone back for more. And lots of time to go through all the papers and see who wants to meet who out to shop in the morning. Or go to the outlets for the midnight shopping.

[brittone2]

This is the first year in a while I won't have to work around nap time most likely (I totally just jinxed myself). My family always had Thanksgiving dinner in the afternoon. Like 3ish? So we've kind of stuck w/ that. I like to have the evening to relax (and when not pg imbibe a little wine...) and know that the cleanup and mess are all done, kwim?

[Tondi G]

Our family always tries to make it for 6pm but it often doesn't end up happening till closer to 7/7:30. So ours is Dinner time. We have a honeybaked Ham and rolls as well as cheese and crackers etc out for people to snack on and just hang out till dinner is ready. Last year we played the Wii and everyone had fun while we were waiting for the bird to be done.. worked out great!

[ellies mom]

Whenever my husband gets the meat cooked. He always waits for the last minute to get whatever he is cooking into the oven so we usually end up eating at 7-8pm.

[hillview]

This year we are doing 4:30 or 5 after DS #1's nap.
/hillary

[gatorsmom]

We will eat around lunchtime which my dad calls "dinnertime." My ILs like to do it later in the afternoon which is hard because you don't know if you should eat lunch or hold off for the bigger meal. My grandmother used to serve the meal for supper which means you go to bed on a very full stomach. So, I am serving at lunchtime so that it's still early enough in the day to recover before bedtime AND so I can pick at it all day long afterwards. :D

[MoJo]

Growing up, it was around 1 or 2, and as a child, it was really hard to wait that long (since lunch was usually noon or even earlier) with the great food smells. Mom didn't seem to mind throwing the turkey in the oven first thing in the morning, and then we'd have leftovers if we were hungry that evening.

The past several years, it's been disappointing to arrive at Mom's house (after a three hour drive) and find that nothing has been started--so I end up doing it all while being hungry. I think I'm skipping it altogether this year, because I can't do the work or the going hungry during this pg.

[Penny's Pappa]

My family has always eaten Thanksgiving dinner around 1-2pm. Leaves plenty of time for an afternoon nap before everyone has to hit the road!

[doberbrat]

Growing up it was around 4. which was really annoying b/c we didnt get served lunch so by 4pm, we were STARVING!

We shoot for a slightly early dinner like 5pm so we're on a similar schedule to the rest of our lives.

[wellyes]

1 p.m. so that everyone can go back for heated-up round two at 5-6 p.m.

[Corie]

Growing up, we ate Thanksgiving dinner in the late afternoon. And we
ended up snacking on junk all day because we were starving and then no
one was hungry for turkey.

So, the first thing I did when I had my own family was change the time.
We now eat Thanksgiving at our usual LUNCH time. Works great for
everyone! :)

[mamicka]

1 p.m. so that everyone can go back for heated-up round two at 5-6 p.m.

:yeahthat:

[egoldber]

Growing up, we always ate it as a late lunch.

My DH and his family rebel at that (mainly I think because they couldn't get the meal all together at that time). They used to aim for 6:30/7, but sooooo often it ended up being closer to 8 or 9 before things were ready. They now typically aim for 5 and usually we eat by 7. Sigh.