Kelly Ripa Causes Stir With Controversial Thanksgiving Dinner Statement

Kelly Ripa has caused a divide amongst her fans with her controversial Thanksgiving dinner statement. The controversy began with a statement she made on her show Live with Kelly and Ryan, saying that Thanksgiving dinner should happen later in the day because it’s supposed to be during dinnertime.

This statement came after an article from The Atlantic which stated that 4 pm is the best time to eat Thanksgiving dinner, which is notably pretty early for a dinner. However, it’s not uncommon for families to do holiday dinners earlier in the day.

Kelly Ripa and her controversial Thanksgiving dinner statement

“I do not understand everyone’s obsession with having Thanksgiving dinner at 2 p.m. Then you’re hungry at 6 p.m and 7 p.m. and 8 p.m, and then you’re eating, and then you’re binging, and then you’re having leftovers,” she adds, noting that leftovers should be left for the following days and not snacked on through the rest of the night.

Fans weigh in with their comments

Ryan and guest Kevin Hart both agreed that it makes no sense to eat Thanksgiving dinner earlier in the day. However, this whole commentary had fans divided online. One says, “Some people have to work all day on Black Friday and aren’t afforded the luxury to have a choice.”

Another says, “Every family has their own traditions,” first agreeing with Kelly, then adding, “until we started accommodating my daughter and eating sometimes as early as noon because she had a late shift at work.”

thanksgiving turkey — Public Domain Pictures

Let’s get a discussion going—what time do you eat Thanksgiving dinner? My family typically has it around 4 pm, and then we head over another family’s house as they do Thanksgiving later in the evening. Regardless of time, ’tis the season to give thanks.