In my family, we always ate for lunch at around noon. When I married my husband, I found they eat for dinner/supper around 5 pm. I much prefer eating it at noon. I suppose it's what you are used to.

We always eat around 2. Afterwards it's fun to watch every one sit/lay around and moan because they're so full, especially the men. lol Of course afternoon football is part of the menu.

Oh, yes - early afternoon. Then football and in the darkness of evening, raid on the refrigerator for leftovers and then pie.

DH's family always ate Thanksgiving dinner in the evening and I hated it. Everyone was sleepy, a little drunk and filled up with appetizers by the time dinner rolled around. Part of the reason was DH's mother's disorganization and part of it was some weird Yankee notion about formal dinners.

We're a 4pm thanksgiving dinner family. That way I can get stuff ready in the morning, everyone has plenty of time to get here. We tell people to come anytime after 2pm and/or stay after dinner for more visiting. Besides we like to take a break between dinner & dessert.

Late afternoon around 4-4:30. My neighborhood has a tradition of playing a “turkey bowl” every Thanksgiving mid-morning. Whether we host or go to my parents’ we are never ready to eat any earlier since we don’t get back from the game until just before noon. This gives us time to get showered/cleaned up and drive to my parents or if hosting, finish the last minute prep. We don’t have much for appetizers so we have room for the meal and dessert.

We'll be gathering at 2 pm, and likely eating by 2:30 or 3. No football, we'd rather converse.

6pm, like any other day. I like it formal and to me that means candles and evening. Plus, if it were earlier, I'd have to get up earlier.

I prefer after 5p. I don’t want to be up cooking at dawn! Recently we’ve been doing Thanksgiving at my sister in laws house, she loves to cook so I’m great with that. Now that kids are getting older and are getting married or are in serious relationships it gives them the option of making it to both houses, one around noon and the other around 5p. Once they start having kids of their own I guess it will get changed yet again.

I love to eat around 3 or 4 p.m.. Occasionally through the years that hasn't worked. We gather around 1 p.m., prepare the sides, have conversation and catch up on any news. I'm in Canada. This year it worked out that we ate around 6 due to the fact that the turkey was a third bigger than usual and was not ready on time for the first time in years. My daughter remarked that it was a normal time. Not for me!

Noon.

5pm.. and we gather around 3pm. I wouldn't do it any other way. It allows everyone to enjoy the prep without getting up at 2am and it allows those who travel time to get in.

1:30 - 2 ish.

If we are hosting we have have the meal at our usual time or a bit earlier, so between 5 and 6. We have been invited to some people's houses as early as 2, which makes for a different dynamic. For us it's a dinner party, earlier it becomes an all day gathering, which has its charms as well (though not the part where people are watching football on TV- that has zero charm to me.)

Everyone's invited at 3 pm which for my family means rolling in somewhere by 4 ;). We'll eat around 5. My daughter is flying in and arrives at 10 am so I don't want to be stressing to get food on the table at noon.

My gang is pretty good about showing up, socializing, eating then going home which I appreciate. So I can get everything cleared, cleaned up and stored without staying up late or being too exhausted.

We tend to gather in the morning, but do not eat until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Gives food and tummy time to calm down before bedtime.

Our friends will arrive about 2 PM and we'll eat at about 5. Growing up Thanksgiving dinner was at 2 PM just like Sunday dinner. Do people still have Sunday mid-day dinner? It was the norm then but I didn't continue the tradition.

We usually do early afternoon - 1 or 2 pm is perfect. Plenty of time to enjoy the meal, have a break before dessert, and go back for a sandwich around 8pm (which is our normal evening meal time). I do most of the prep the day before and I roast my turkey spatchcocked at a high temperature, so it doesn't take 6 hours.

Ugh....are small extended family is basically all local and my parents like to host...but mom doesn't care to deal with all the prep & clean up, etc. So for the past 15 years or so we've done Thanksgiving at their country club, lol. They have a great chef, so the food is quite good, but doesn't have that Norman Rockwell feel. :) And the worst part is my parents like to reserve the first seating...which is freaking 11:00 am!!! I keep telling myself, "at least we are all together, my kids can see their (few) cousins, and no one had to polish the silver...but good grief! 11:00am!!

A very small group this year so we’re gathering at a nice restaurant at 12:30.

Heppy Thanksgiving everyone!

I grew up with the 2-ish Thanksgiving, but for the 20ish years we've lived in Texas, we've celebrated with friends here who gather about 5 and eat about 6:30-7:00. And I have to say, I MUCH prefer it. Nobody has to be up at the crack of dawn, people can go to the downtown parade in the morning, etc.. We alternate hosting, and this year it is at my house, and I love having all day to get ready.

We usually have a 10-12 lb. turkey, so it cooks on convection roast fairly quickly, usually about 2 1/2 hours. So, we eat around 2. If it's a nice day, we like to take a walk outside afterwards. Not sure what temps are going to be yet. Just MIL, us, and the cats, so it's a quiet day unless you count the cats crying for turkey.

We have always had Thanksgiving dinner at 6 pm. The table is set with the good china and silver. Everyone dresses nicely. Not uncomfortable clothes, but no t-shirts. We sit around the table with coffee and pie and talk to each other. Football after dinner for those who who are interested which does not include me!

My late mother was convinced that 2PM was the "right" time. I hated that - everyone was back in the kitchen at 7 looking for something to eat, and in my mind, the kitchen was CLOSED for the day. So, I moved it to evening - usually around 7PM. DD now does it at that time - no getting up at 6AM to get a huge turkey in the oven, no one back in the kitchen after the big meal. We like it at that time. Football has never played any role in the time of the meal.

We eat around 6 pm. I have soup and hummus with vegetables available from lunch to late afternoon for people who come over to help or entertain me while I prepare.

I've mentioned this before and highly recommend it, if your group has a good sense of humor: we keep a spreadsheet listing who was in attendance, what was served and how it rated, awards, the entertainment, and suggestions for next year. Part of the entertainment is to re-read the spreadsheets from other years. We've been keeping a written record since 2003. We also keep a spreadsheet for Xmas meals.

We have a best dressed and best hair award. Sometimes people win most improved dresser. A best shoe category was suggested, by a person wearing the best shoes, but that didn't get any traction yet.

The family gathers at 4:30-5:00 and we eat at 6:00 which is about as late as we dare with little grandchildren. The table is formally set and autumn decorations and floral arrangements are set out. I love Thanksgiving. The families have the day to relax, no gifts or expectations but togetherness and a lovely repast. We are in Canada so celebrated in mid-October.

From arrival to departure. This time I think we're heading down there about 4.