Hellobee Boards

We usually do holiday meals around 2pm - apps are out around noon

I wouldn't want to do morning because I like to be lazy at home in the mornings for a holiday

I voted brunch. I feel like then we could go out and do things with the rest of the day whereas sometimes the afternoon things can drag on and then you have to decide if you need a full dinner etc. Plus if you have little ones your day is pretty much fine by the time you get home at 6.

I am also assuming you mean holiday themed and not on an actual holiday. On an actual holiday I expect a full meal.

We usually do a late afternoon dinner. We usually gather around 1-2 for apps/drinks and do an early dinner around 4ish.

I'd prefer to be invited for brunch, because then I still have the rest of the day to do my own thing. I hate having late afternoon things looming over me and forcing me to schedule my plans around getting somewhere in the afternoon. I'd much prefer to get together in the morning!

Plus if I'm coming over around 3:00, I'd expect dinner around 5:00! Or I'd only stay an hour or something.

If you want to just do apps and drinks I would do 1-4pm. That way its after lunch and before dinner.

Make it a Holiday Open House type thing

@Mamaof2: My MIL always hosts a Christmas Eve Open House and it works out great

I would prefer the afternoon, so I don't have to worry about getting dressed and out the door on time. I would prefer to lay around and play with LO in our pj's all day. Then I also don't have to worry about messing up nap time.

My family does a brunch the day after christmas. When you have several families with kids on different nap schedules, the morning is usually a bit easier than afternoon and the kids are less prone to get tired and cranky.

It's usually something easy to prepare like overnight casseroles. and then the non-hosting families bring pastries, cookies, fruit salad, things like that.