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Pedants' corner

Christmas 'lunch'

(88 Posts)
MawBroon Fri 15-Dec-17 08:01:27

I am entirely with the “main meal” school of thought. Lunch is, or always was, a “light meal” (“luncheon” or even further back “nuncheon”)
The reference to Christmas Lunch is like a sort of inverse snobbery or reaction to the (shock , horror,) old”working class” reference to dinner as a daytime meal.
I know we are all different and it doesn’t matter what you call it, but a Christmas Lunch sounds a lot lighter than a Christmas Dinner and a bit precious when it’s a restaurant.

ninathenana Fri 15-Dec-17 07:57:13

Evening meal is dinner in our house which is when we have our cooked meal. Lunch is a sandwich or soup. That's how it was growing up too.
We eat Christmas "dinner" despite the fact it's usually on the table about 2 pm.
There is no right or wrong, it's up to you.

BlueBelle Fri 15-Dec-17 07:53:59

Because they have moved to a modern trend Jane doesn’t make it right or wrong just movement Maybe in the cities and richer circles than mine it’s always been dinner at night but personally I think it’s a generational thing We had school dinners my kids had school dinners my grandkids have lunch in the canteen

Jane10 Fri 15-Dec-17 07:28:56

lemongrove no, not been at the punch just irritated at personal opinion being expressed as the 'correct' one!
Interesting that all restaurants and other eating establishments have a lunch menu for midday meal and a dinner menu for evening meal. Just saying...

BlueBelle Thu 14-Dec-17 15:15:18

Well for me growing up (not very posh) we had dinner at dinner time, which was anything from midday to one o clock We never had dinner at night that was supper we had breakfast dinner tea and if wanted a very light supper ( for me it used to be a packet of smiths crisps and a cup of milk )
We had dinner time at school and a Sunday roast dinner at onish
In later years people have called dinner, lunch and cut tea out altogether so it’s become breakfast, light lunch and evening meal ( which isn’t called dinner by us even now) I can only ever see dinner as a midday thingy hence school dinners, dinner ladies etc However I do go out ‘to lunch’ (which is lighter than dinner) with my friends

CherryHatrick Thu 14-Dec-17 15:10:02

I agree with Witzend. Breakfast is the first meal of the day; dinner is the main meal of the day at whatever time you take it, and the other meals are either lunch, tea or supper.

Teetime Thu 14-Dec-17 14:46:30

Ah but Sunday lunch is just a roast dinner not unlike the main Christmas Roast Turkey meal. I have to say we call it Christmas Dinner but it lasts all day with us from about 2pm for nibbles break for the main event, break for pudding taken at about 6ish, horses doovers about 8.

lemongrove Thu 14-Dec-17 14:41:10

Jane10....unusually punchy post from you tchgrin have you been at the punch?

Jalima1108 Thu 14-Dec-17 13:30:03

I don't care as long as someone else cooks it wink

Jane10 Thu 14-Dec-17 13:27:50

Nah! Lunch is lunch. Christmas lunch is at lunch time.
In some parts of the country 'dinner' is what some people call the midday meal. In other areas dinner is the evening meal.
Trying to impose your personal opinion on others as being the absolutely correct one is more self opionated than pedantic. Fair enough it's your opinion. Just not mine.

Jalima1108 Thu 14-Dec-17 13:26:39

We're going to one a bit later today and it will probably be served at about 4pm
So Christmas tea? With, I hope roast potatoes, sprouts and goodness knows what else!
grin

lemongrove Thu 14-Dec-17 13:10:47

Yes, Christmas dinner, even if eaten at lunchtime.

Witzend Thu 14-Dec-17 12:52:23

Yes, I know this is uber-pedant, real grumpy old bag territory, but it really grates on me to hear or read the traditional Christmas meal referred to as 'lunch'.
To me, the main meal of the day is dinner, no matter when you have it, and if the tradional turkey blow-out isn't a main meal, I don't know what is.

On a lighter note, I have finally made my Christmas puds and they are boiling away merrily with Classic FM carols in the background. ?