# What time do you eat Thanksgiving dinner? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 21, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451 "2010-11-21T17:08:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/1 "2010-11-21T17:08:53Z")
I grew up eating Thanksgiving dinner around 1:00 PM. I always thought that was normal, but almost everyone else I know eats it around 6:00. I can’t imagine this. It seems then your whole evening is cleaning. I know others eat dinner early, but I don’t know how common it is. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/2 "2010-11-21T17:10:27Z")
Well, we eat just after dark, so that means around 5pm here. That way we have the remains of the daylight to prep things, and we finish by lantern-light. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/3 "2010-11-21T17:12:40Z")
It took me a while on my phone, but the poll is up now. ---
**Author:** ![kapri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kapri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kapri)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/4 "2010-11-21T17:13:47Z")
This question interests me, too. Our family has always eaten holiday meals at odd times, generally chosen by my mother and her mother before her. I don’t understand it and have questioned it, only to be shot down. In my regular life–and I live alone, so am completely independent in my choice of mealtime–I eat dinner when I’m hungry, which is any time between 6 and , say, 9 p.m. But my family starts Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dinners at 4 p.m. Sometimes 5 if the turkey or what have you isn’t quite ready. This may have something to do with the amount of cleanup and also the amount of food eaten for those meals, which for me is probably about twice as much as I’d eat total on any given day. It also may reflect that fact that going to bed on an empty stomach is gross. On another note, I never get that sleepy feeling most people do after eating a large meal. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/5 "2010-11-21T17:16:10Z")
Usually around 6PM, which is earlier than when we usually eat dinner (between 7 and 7:30). I’ve seen other families eat Thanksgiving dinner anywhere between 1 and 7. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/6 "2010-11-21T20:01:20Z")
As a bachelor, I have no set time. But I would prefer the winter Holiday meals be at 3 pm to 4 pm. I answered 3 pm. any earlier, and the whole day is kind of shot. any later, and you’ll be snoozing right after dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/7 "2010-11-21T20:07:18Z")
I eat when I’m hungry and screw when the the meal is served. This is the advantage of always bringing something you like. The average schedule is meal at 12:00. Never go to any dinner without something to eat. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/8 "2010-11-21T20:21:40Z")
Usually 1 so we can get to the movies by 4. Small family - often just the 3 of us. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/9 "2010-11-21T20:25:27Z")
We used to eat\* around 6, but it’s been moved back to 5 in recent years. That allows plenty of time for someone to drive Grandma home before an ungodly late hour for her to get to bed. Also, it helps when people have more than one event to get to, because we can eat dinner together and still have time to get to the other family event for desert. I’d rather eat just a skosh later, if it were up to me, but it isn’t. One must adapt to seniors and blended families! ETA: \*dinner, that is. In reality, we’re noshing all day long on cheese and crackers and nibbly things. The nibbly things have increased in quantity and variety over the years, too! ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/10 "2010-11-21T20:30:11Z")
If I’m at my folks’ for holidays (usually Thanksgiving and sometimes Easter) we usually schedule dinner for 1:00 pm. For me, this translates to noon back home (live in central, folks in eastern). Regardless, we’ll be eating on and off for the rest of the day. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/11 "2010-11-21T20:33:33Z")
When I was a kid we’d eat at roughly 2pm. ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/12 "2010-11-21T20:43:02Z")
Depends on whether the first football game is close enough to watch the 4th quarter, or if the second game is something we particularly want to watch, but usually sometime in the 3-4pm range. It’s definitely an “only meal of the day, and we’ll be having desserts or snacking until everyone leaves around 9 or 10pm” sort of dinner, though. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/13 "2010-11-21T20:48:36Z")
early afternoon. 1 or 2 ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/14 "2010-11-21T22:44:26Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > early afternoon. 1 or 2 Same here. It allows time for travellers (me) to arrive, have a snack and a beverage, gorge on turkey dinner, rest and gorge on pie, nod off for a moment on the couch watching football, gather up and head out the door to be home in time to feed the cats their supper. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/15 "2010-11-21T23:10:18Z")
When I was growing up, we ate any time between 6pm and 8pm for holiday and regular meals alike. My husband’s family generally does the “late lunch” time, around 1 or 2pm for Thanksgiving, and possibly later for Christmas-- it all depends on how late it is when they get back from church that morning. This year, we’re hosting Thanksgiving, and I’ve decided to try and have the meal by 5pm, which is about as early as I can handle it. Considering we’re having a 23lb turkey to feed everyone, I don’t want to have to start cooking until I’ve been awake a few hours. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/16 "2010-11-21T23:16:24Z")
I have been co-opted into my husband’s family, which means 4-5 p.m. When it was my decision, it was closer to 7 p.m. As in dinnertime. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/17 "2010-11-22T06:37:58Z")
I don’t get it. 1pm? How can you be hungry enough to have a full turkey dinner by 1pm? When do people have to start cooking to have everything ready by 1pm? That’s just bizarre to me. And then you’d have to have another dinner in the evening. My family had always done Thanksgiving around 6pm. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/18 "2010-11-22T06:40:18Z")
Start at one. Finish at 8. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/19 "2010-11-22T08:32:50Z")
Wow. I thought we were really late by waiting until two for what should be lunch, but it seems that that is the most popular option. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451/20 "2010-11-22T08:34:51Z")
When the Turkey is ready. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-do-you-eat-thanksgiving-dinner/561451.md?page=2)