What is the best time to serve Thanksgiving Dinner?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>What is the best time to serve Thanksgiving Dinner? I am thinking 6pm is too late and 1 pm is too early. I would love to hear your thoughts.</p>

2

<p>We start with appetizers around 3:30 and then Dinner at 5.
When I was growing up, our family did it at noon! I have no desire to get
up early on a Holiday to start the meal…</p>

3

<p>We start with food the moment after the parades end…actually just the Macy’s day parade. Then we have lunch…and then the appetizers. Dinner is always at 7. Dessert is always served about 10.</p>

4

<p>For many of us, it depends on the football schedule. Although with the ability to time shift tv, things are more flexible.
Absent any gridiron imperatives, we loke a brunch, and then a 2 or 3 PM dinner and then after the big dinner part, comes the centerpiece of Thanksgiving,s sandwiches. Honestly, his highlight is turkey, mayo and my home-made bread about 8 PM.</p>

5

<p>Please excuse the terrible spelling that my iPad enforced I’m my last entry …</p>

6

<p>Both my own family and H’s family do it at about 2 p.m. I’ve never known anyone who served the full Thanksgiving dinner in the evening. By “dinnertime” everyone is on the way home. This year we are hosting as H plans to smoke a turkey on his new smoker. Everyone contributes so no one person does all the work. My mom did it all until we got old enough to help. I like the way H’s family does it.</p>

7

<p>We’re more the 6 pm type, with cocktail hour starting at 1 ;). Football, beer, turkey, pie.</p>

<p>Growing up, we had dinner about 1, laid around watching football, and then ate AGAIN around 6:30, making sandwiches, reheating leftovers, eating more pie, etc. 2 whole dinners.</p>

8

<p>I aim for 4/5. I have relatives who drive about two hours, so I want to be able to have a leisurely dinner, dessert, and some time after, while still allowing them to get out at a reasonable hour.</p>

9

<p>After the Detroit Lions lose.</p>

10

<p>Our family has dinner about 1 p.m. We skip breakfast for the most part so everyone is hungry by then. I think we have always done it early because my grandfather would have to go to work later in the afternoon. He volunteered to work the holiday for double pay. Of course, he retired about 30 years ago and died more than 20 years ago and we are still eating at 1:00!</p>

11

<p>As soon as the whole family can make it there! :D</p>

12

<p>I’ve hosted for 20-something years and generally start dinner at 2pm. The travelers have time to get here, stay a long time, and leave whenever they want to accommodate their Friday plans. We start eating around 2:30, then graze all day on leftovers and desserts.</p>

13

<p>We eat about 2pm. Gives us enough time to eat & clean up & still have enough interest & energy to do something after, like a movie.</p>

<p>Musicmom I can relate to that. Hs family had a tradition that they went to his grandparents for xmas eve & returned to open presents to their house at around midnight.
His parents had the expectation that we would continue that tradition with them, but I like to get up & go to bed early.</p>

14

<p>Another 2pm vote here. I can’t imagine having it at 6pm or later. I want people to make their exits around then.</p>

15

<p>My inlaws did the cocktails and late dinner Thanksgiving. By the time dinner rolled around everyone was drunk and stuffed from snacks. I like it earlier much it better.</p>

16

<p>My mom used to serve Thanksgiving dinner at 6:00 (which is when we usually ate dinner). I asked her why, and she said because she didn’t want to cook all day, serve this big meal, then hear someone say 2 hours later, “so what’s for dinner?”</p>

<p>I usually aim for 3:00.</p>

17

<p>Mini as a Michigander you are hurting me. But yep, usually after the Lions lose. :(</p>

18

<p>We have appetizers at 4 and dinner at 5. Personally, I prefer more of a mid-afternoon feast…say 3:00 for the dinner. Then a nice walk, with desserts around 6 ish.</p>

19

<p>Haha - Mini I have to admit I chuckled after that Lions comment. Our Thanksgiving dinner is always at my brother’s in Michigan - and my family - my son especially - are huge Packers fans - often the Tgiving game is Lions against Packers - often makes for a tense afternoon for the family!!! </p>

<p>The football watchers are nice about taking a break from the game for dinner - I’d say we usually eat 2:30-3 - or right about halftime. :)</p>

<p>After the game and clean-up, some family games - we are CatchPhrase addicts - and then dessert a couple of hours after dinner.</p>

20

<p>I vote for the 5:00 dinner, but people start arriving around 1:00.</p>