Why do they eat lunch late in Spain?

It may sound funny, but this is due to a complicated political reason in the past. ?It dates back to World War II when Spain was under the rule of General Francisco Franco, a dictator. In 1940, he changed Spain's clock to one hour ahead to make Spain in the same time zone as Nazi Germany.



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A day (of eating) in the life of a Spaniard
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  • Spanish Meals: ...
  • El Desayuno – Breakfast. ...
  • El Almuerzo – Brunch. ...
  • La Comida – Lunch. ...
  • La Merienda – Late-Afternoon Snack. ...
  • La Cena – Dinner.


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Lunch is the mid-day meal, or la comida as it is called in Spain, and it is the largest meal of the day. It usually comes with multiple courses, eaten between 1:30 and 3:30 pm.

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During World War II, Franco moved Spain's time zone ahead one hour to Central European Time in solidarity with Nazi Germany. Because of this, the sun also tends to set pretty late in Spain, which is part of the reason dinner (and nightlife) tends to start so late.

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Tipping in Spain works differently: The customer actually has the option to not leave any tip at all. However, restaurants expect a 10% tip on each bill—although it's not a formal rule, and that percentage is much lower than tipping practices in other countries.

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The Spanish siestas likely started after Spanish field workers started taking breaks around the middle of the day to come in out of the sun. During their siestas, they would escape the heat at the hottest time of the day and give themselves time to eat lunch and hang out with their families away from the elements.

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Traditional lunches in Spain include: Soup (gazpacho in summer or a type of bean or seafood soup in winter) Main dish (seafood, fish, meat, stew, vegetables) Green salad. Dessert, such as fruits, cheese, flan, ice cream, or pastry.

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In Spain, we eat lunch much later in the day than most other cultures, that is, between the hours of 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm. If you're an international student, you may be used to eating lunch much earlier in the afternoon, probably around 12:00-1:00.

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Siestas are common in many cultures, promoting rest and productivity during the day. A short nap can boost alertness, mood, memory, and reduce stress. Keep siestas short, typically around 20 minutes, to avoid grogginess.

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