Essentially it's cranberry jelly. We have to have it every year because, well, because we have it every year. I make the raw cranberry relish as well, which I much prefer.

Holiday dinners in the US are often served early to mid-afternoon. This may be a continuation of the old farmers' tradition of having the largest meal of the day at lunch time. But I suspect that in many cases it's either an adjustment for family or guests who must travel home after dinner, or to get dinner over with early so that the men can watch the football games that are inevitably on during the afternoon. Football, like chocolate, is one of those great mysteries of life that I just don't get, but there it is.