<p>When we have it at home we usually do late lunch, walk, and desserts. If people are hungry later in the evening we pick at the leftovers. When we go to the giant family reunion we eat less and go straight to desserts. I can’t remember when it starts, but it’s usually getting dark by the time the tables are cleared.</p>
<p>I aim for 4pm, but it’s usually around 3-3:30 because the turkey ends up being done earlier than I expected.</p>
<p>If working on Wednesday, it is a lot of work for a quality sit down dinner for 12 or so. Bake pies, rolls in the AM, turkey mid day. A double oven might facilitate an earlier time. The entire process takes me all day, so we have appetizers at 4 to 4:30, dinner at 5:30 or 6. Mind you, this is my friends and sometimes offspring, and everyone contributes. We talk and play games till 10 or so.</p>
<p>I’m in the 2:00 camp. No appetizers or brunch, but you can hang around as long as you like afterwards. We do the turkey and stuffing - I used to do mashed potatoes too, but realized that’s a lot easier for someone else to make. We have Sister Schuberts rolls (from freezer) for every occasion. Check your grocery, they are AMAZING!</p>
<p>I think it depends on your “culture”. I was raised in that culture that had a big Sunday dinner right after church (lunch time), and so on special holidays, we also had that huge meal at lunch time. This was also a teetotaling culture, so consuming alcohol was not a consideration. We would consume the turkey and the thousand of side dishes and desserts, socialize for the afternoon, and then chow down on cold turkey sandwiches in the evening.</p>
<p>These days, we still have the meal fairly early, around 1:00. It’s my preference, because you can eat more. 
My husband’s family puts out all kinds of snacks to nibble on for the remainder of the afternoon, such as veggies and dip, and chips and dip. Hmmm…maybe we even some candy…starting to get hungry. Now that’s the way to eat!</p>
<p>I prefer to eat my heavy meal earlier in the day than most people, so this works very well for me. I know most people have their Thanksgiving meal later in the day, but I would go crazy smelling all that good food and having to wait to eat. I would need to snack in the meantime, which is counterproductive.</p>
<p>^I agree that it’s culturally and individually based, but no matter when you have it, wouldn’t the house smell great from the cooking for the correspondingly same period of time? I mean, if you eat later, you’re going to cook later, too.</p>
<p>We do a late breakfast and then dinner around 3. We will shift ahead or back as needed to accommodate reasonable football watching (e.g. start eating in the second quarter so no one rushes the meal but can still see the fourth quarter). Most of the family will take a long walk. Dessert later. Leftovers as needed in the evening interspersed with games/puzzles.</p>
<p>We aim for sitting down between 2 and 3. That way people can travel (2 hours for many) and still relax and get back home at a decent hour. Or decide to crash on the sofa, as happened a couple of years ago! I like to have everything cleaned up by early evening so we can relax and have a turkey snack.</p>
<p>It doesn’t require me to get up early really. When I was very young, I remember my mom and grandmom putting the turkey in on very low the night before! Probably violating all sorts of food safety rules 
But even my 20+ pound bird only needs 5-6 hours to cook.</p>
<p>We ask that people arrive between 1 and 2 for appetizers/drinks and we sit down for the holiday meal around 4:00 or 4:30. The only thing we have altered over the 15 years that I have hosted Thanksgiving, is going much lighter on the type and quantity of appetizers. We found that everyone was satiated by the time dinner was served.</p>
<p>It’s usually 2 or 3 pm with my family as well.</p>
<p>We go to my dad’s family’s get-together in a small town in the neighboring state, and it’s usually like a 4ish hour drive for us. My dad always has to work on Black Fridays, so we need to leave by 8 to be home by midnight for him. </p>
<p>We usually eat the full course at 2 or 3, have a turkey sandwich at 7:30 and then fly like the wind!</p>
<p>I’m ready right now! </p>
<p>In general about 4. That gives time for a good walk in the cool air after dinner before settling in to PIE!</p>
<p>Yes, Garland, that is EXACTLY the problem. It’s the smells that make me so hungry. For someone like me who needs a hearty lunch, and then a 4:00 snack to make it until dinner, it’s torture. But if I only have to wait until 1:00??? I can do it!!</p>
<p>Does that help clarify my assertion?</p>
<p>Well, no–it still seems like the same amount of smelling-the-cooking time whether you start early or later, but no matter. It’s probably me.</p>
<p>In my family people usually show up around 2ish and dinner is around 5ish. We are pretty much done by 8ish.</p>
<p>Garland, it’s not that important, but I’ll try again. It’s all about the time of day, and how I can’t control my hunger later in the day. You probably don’t have that issue, which is why you can’t understand it. Lucky you!!</p>
<p>We must eat a lot more than some of you… we usually eat at 3 or 4 and couldn’t possibly think about eating again until lunchtime the next day. :)</p>
<p>My family never watched any parades or football. I usually serve dinner around 4. Cocktail hour starts mid afternoon. :)</p>
<p>It used to depend on whether or not I got up in time to put the turkey in the oven before church or it has to wait until I get home. </p>
<p>This year we’ll head up to my daughter’s new home immediately after church, which is a 6 hour drive, so the earliest we can eat will be 4. This will be her first ever attempt to prepare a turkey, which should prove interesting… usually she gets squeamish when I remove the guts.</p>
<p>I serve two congregations, and each partners with a Lutheran church for t-giving services (one Wednesday and one Thursday). Both told me that since we partner, I only have to preach every other year - only I preach at one in even years, and the other in odd years…</p>
<p>We usually serve dinner around 5, but it lasts forever! We take our time with appetizers, and the turkey always takes longer than we expect it to. Cocktails throughout the whole evening, of course :)</p>
<p>We have usually eaten at about 2, but this year, DD’s BF is flying in at about 4 (no one asked me ;-)). We will eat at about 6. </p>
<p>FWIW, I bought hubby a rotisserie for his grill a few years ago and got the turkey out of the oven!</p>