Is there a convention about what time of day Thanksgiving events should occur?

I mean, I don’t know or celebrate the custom & far be it for me to render any meaningful advice.
That being said though, screw convention & go your own way, drink & eat whenever the fuck you want to, enjoy & be merry.

Everyone seems to have different customs but I would say most I know start in the early to late afternoon rather than at night. When I was still going to my BIL’s, he would have people come around 1, we would eat turkey and then go out for a walk in a park before coming back for dessert. Leave around 7.

When I used to do the BigThing at my house, people would start arriving at about 2, at which time we’d break out the cheese and crackers and stuff and wine. I’d try to sit down between 3 and 3:30, start tossing people out between 6 and 7, depending on how jolly we all were.

The guests start coming about 1:00 and depending on when the turkey is done, usually around 2:00, we eat. I have celery and carrots and cheese out til dinner. They usually leave about 5.

I’ve never thought it was anything but a matter of personal or family choice.

In my family of origin in New England, Thanksgiving dinner was usually about the same time as Sunday dinner—i.e., early afternoon, after church.

In my present household, my husband and I used to plan it for that same time of day when his parents were our guests because they wanted plenty of time to visit and still get home (a half hour’s drive) before dark. We’d get the turkey stuffed and ready the night before, and I’d get up at 7:00 a.m. and put it in the oven. We devoted all morning to preparing the rest of the meal, and we’d eat about 12:30 or 1:00 p.m.

In later years, when they were gone and it was just us two, our sons, and sometimes their friend or girlfriends, we gravitated toward an early evening dinner hour so we could do our preparations during the afternoon. We’ve also scaled back to make it a simpler meal, and we do as much as possible the day or two before.

One year the oven went off while the turkey was roasting, and nobody realized it until it was all cold. We restarted everything and had to guess at how much more time we needed. We didn’t eat until 11:00 that night, probably making us the last to dine on the continental U.S.

I think that when you’re the host you get to decide, and whatever you decide is right.

Looks like there is no convention

Drinks after 12 noon.
Dinner about 5 PM.
People leave about 8 PM.

Right after dinner, everyone is stuffed. And Mom says “Who’s ready for pie?”

It’s a day that millions of people enjoy. There is no convention.

I’m not cooking for the first time in decades. We’re going to a German restaurant that serves a meal family style. Reservations for 5 pm were booked. We’re dining at 4:45. I’m going to enjoy every minute with my husband and three sons.