Runners mom and I are on the same schedule. I not only host, but they all start arriving Wednesday and stay until Friday! We do pizza Wednesday. Thursday my sister does breakfast, then I out out appetizers and cocktails at 1 and this year we’re shooting for dinner at 530.
Not surprisingly I have already started getting ready.
Usually around 5-6 PM whether here or at friends. We usually have a casual breakfast in the den watching the parade. For the past few years no turkey or stuffing cooking in the oven here as we celebrate with friends so I will be preparing my pecan pie and the squash dish that I am bringing tomorrow night and that leaves Thursday to just make fresh whipped cream for the pie.
Between 5 and 6 - which is earlier than anyone ever eats except maybe the ones with really young kids,
Turkey is in the oven at 7:00 am.
Doors open at noon, dinner hits the table 2pm. The cook (my husband) is up 6am. We eat at 2 so those who want to can go hunting afterwards.
We must be unusual - both my H’s side and my side always just did Thanksgiving dinner at dinner time -ok, maybe on the earlier side, like 4:30 or 5 pm, but never any of this noon-time stuff some of you do! Oh well!
I wonder if the more formal (as in the way guest dress, the way the table is dressed, etc.) are later in the evening. Ours is in the 2-3 range, is casual and while not dictated by football, it is a planning factor - Thanksgiving is at my brother’s home - Lions fans - and while you would think they have learned it’s fruitless to watch the game - we still do!!!
It usually ends up being around two. And we usually go for a walk between the main meal and dessert. I’m definitely not interested in getting up at the crack of dawn to cook turkey!
Appetizers start about 1:00 and we shoot for dinner around 4:00-4:30.
Late afternoon, usually around 4. We don’t watch the parade or football.
We are gathering at 2pm and likely eating at 4 or 5 - no parades or football involved
Both my family and husband’s always had Thanksgiving closer to our normal dinner time. We usually eat around 5 or 6 on Thanksgiving, although many times eat around 630 or 7 if it’s not a holiday. We both grew up in small families so maybe that has something to do with it. It was not a day for a large family gathering .
We often do not cook for our Thanksgiving dinner. For many years, Denny’s was our default choice. (I actually just asked my wife whether we will go there this year.) We often finished our dinner by 6:00 pm because we did not want to stay out of our home when it’s late.
I asked one of my coworkers whether his family would cook and eat turkey this Thanksgiving. His reply? Not this year. None of his family members like to eat turkey so they rare eat turkey during Thanksgiving.
I’m with saint fan - no parade or football driving the events of the day. I’m hosting for 13. First time I will have my kids back together since July - yay!! My MIL has Alzheimer’s so her caregiver and caregiver’s mother will be new additions.
"I wonder if the more formal (as in the way guest dress, the way the table is dressed, etc.) are later in the evening. Ours is in the 2-3 range, is casual and while not dictated by football, it "
I don’t think ours is any more “formal” than anyone else’s. It’s just your typical Thanksgiving dinner. We wear jeans, albeit “nice,” polished looks instead of just ratty jeans.
We are also 2-3. My parent in-laws are older and don’t really like to stay late or drive after dark. And others have a couple of hours worth of road trips to get home. So I aim at 2 and hope it actually works out that way!
@eyemamom, I’ve already set the table, lol.
^^Me, too!
You’re all making me feel like a terrible host. I haven’t even finished cleaning the house. 
Noon. Just me, my husband and daughter.
My extended family has always eaten at noon, though. Christmas dinner, too. They’re all from Kentucky and TN, and I think it may be a southern thing to eat a holiday dinner so early. I’m in the chicago metro now, and everyone else here eats at 5 pm or later…