This Is the Best Time to Serve Thanksgiving Dinner, According to 35,000 of Our Readers

If you're hosting Thanksgiving dinner, you've likely already decided what sides you plan to make and how you will prepare your bird. But one decision you might still be uncertain of is what time to serve dinner.

While some people prefer to eat their Thanksgiving meal at lunchtime and spend the rest of the holiday napping off the tryptophan, others prefer to eat later in the day. To help settle this debate, we asked our Instagram followers when they think Thanksgiving dinner should be served. 

While the results were mixed, one thing is clear: our Instagram followers think Thanksgiving dinner should start during the late afternoon or early evening. 

In total, 34,828 people responded to our poll asking what time Thanksgiving dinner should start. Of the respondents, the majority (13,586) believe the meal should begin between 2 to 3 p.m. Coming in at a close second was the 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. time slot, which 13,007 people voted for. 

The least popular time to eat Thanksgiving dinner is after 6 p.m. Of the poll respondents, only 9 percent (3,152) believe you should eat this meal late in the evening. On the other hand, eating Thanksgiving dinner too early is also a no-no, according to our poll results. Only 5,083 believe this special dinner should begin from 12 to 1 p.m. 

No matter the results of the poll, the best time to serve Thanksgiving dinner is always the time that works best for you and your family. If you need the entire day to prepare your meal, eating later in the day may be ideal. But if you have family members who have multiple Thanksgiving dinners to attend or the family has other activities planned, perhaps serving the meal earlier is more convenient.