Why is dinner so late in Spain?

Why do they eat so late in Spain? Spain's famously late mealtimes are due to the fact that the country has been geographically in the wrong time zone since World War II! During all that time, Spaniards have eaten at the same time they always have in regards to the position of the sun in the sky.



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Lunch: 2–3:30 p.m. Merienda (Mid-afternoon snack): 5–6:30 p.m. Aperitif: 8–10 p.m. Dinner: 9–11 p.m.

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In the northern nation of Norway, residents prefer to get their eating done relatively early in the evening. In fact, the normal time for middag, a Norwegian supper of hearty dishes like stews and mutton casseroles, falls in the early-bird-special time frame of 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

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Italy is known for it's very late meals - lunch is about 1.30pm (earliest!) and dinner depends on the season - it can be as late at 11pm! One of the reasons for such late dinners, is so that the members of the family can wait for each other to come back from work and sit down at the table all together.

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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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La Cena (dinner) – And finally… dinnertime. It's widely known that people in Spain like to eat late, and Barcelona is no exception. Around here, some restaurants catering to tourists can open around 6 or 7, but most really tend to get going around 9:00pm.

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