According to BBC, this is because Spanish General Francisco Franco moved Spain's clocks one hour ahead in 1940, so that the country would be in sync with Nazi Germany. The Spaniards, however, didn't adjust their daily schedules to the new time zone.
Spaniards are living in the wrong time zone, and have been for more than 70 years. So why are Spaniards living behind their geographic time zone? In 1940, General Francisco Franco changed Spain's time zone, moving the clocks one hour forward in solidarity with Nazi Germany.
Why do many people incorrectly believe that Spaniards eat their dinner so late at night?
According to an article by Food & Wine, Spaniards have been living in the incorrect time zone since World War II. Judging by geographical location, Spain is in the same area as other countries such as Portugal, Morocco, and the U.K., which all run on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
In Italy many people work later into the evening because of the long lunch break so it makes sense to eat later. To fill in the time you can always join the Passeggiata when you walk the streets so others can admire you.
La Cena means dinnertime in Spain. It also means tapas time! Contrary to dinner in other countries, Spanish dinner is light. As is the custom when eating tapas, a few plates are ordered and shared amongst friends or family.
Why do the Spanish Really Eat So Late? Time zones & Solar time | Σνlogν Science Vlogs
How late do Spaniards eat dinner?
Dinner Time in Spain: 9-11 pm
For dinner, lighter options are the name of the game. Spaniards eat salads in summer, warm soups in the winter, and omelettes or eggs (typically eaten at dinner) year-round. This is also tapas time, when people are happy to share a meal at a bar surrounded by friends and family.
Their day starts at 8:00 am and lunch is at around 2:00 – 3:00 pm. The whole city shuts down then except for tourist sites and everything re-opens at 5:00 pm. Dinner time is also very late, at 10:00 pm and unlike in the United States, they eat a pretty big dinner. Spaniards are also big fans of bread.
Parties can continue very late into the night. Give yourself the flexibility to stay a few hours after dinner has finished. Unless invited, avoid visiting your Dutch counterpart at 6pm as this is the time many Dutch have their dinner.
The Dutch eat relatively early starting from 5 to 7 p.m., families mostly eat together around the dinner table. A typical Dutch dinner meal consists of potatoes, meat and vegetables, served with gravy. Dinner is often followed by a dessert in the form of yogurt or coffee.
Dutchies like to start early, usually between 5 PM and 6 PM. There is a historical explanation for this early time for dinner, and it was influenced by the socio-economic circumstances of the 19th century. Lower social classes would eat a warm meal around midday, while the higher classes would eat at 3 PM.
Spaniards are known for staying up late due to their cultural habits and lifestyle. The concept of "siesta," a midday break, allows for a later bedtime. Additionally, the Spanish culture places a strong emphasis on socializing, dining, and enjoying nightlife, which often leads to later nights.
Desayuno: El desayuno is the first meal of the day and is the meal that most often gets skipped. Breakfast in Spain is fairly light for adults, consisting of coffee and toast or a biscuit, if it's eaten it at all.
According to BBC, this is because Spanish General Francisco Franco moved Spain's clocks one hour ahead in 1940, so that the country would be in sync with Nazi Germany. The Spaniards, however, didn't adjust their daily schedules to the new time zone.
The typical Spanish work day begins at 9am and ends around 8 pm with a 2 to 3h lunch break (the vast majority of workers go home for lunch and enjoy a large meal with their family and rest for a while). Prime-time television doesn't start until 10:30pm. Most people do not go to bed until midnight.
Punctuality is not highly important in Spain. People can arrive half an hour late to a social function with no questions raised. If someone turns up late and apologises, people are likely to respond with something like “no pasa nada” – meaning “It's not that important”.
Dutch dinnertime is known for its earliness – beginning at anywhere from 17:00-19:00 – meaning most kitchens close around 21:00. But as Amsterdam's population internationalises, there's a growing demand for late-night dining – and restaurants are catching on.
Dutch people are usually very open, friendly and welcoming. In the Netherlands, only parents and children live together. In general, they do not live with grandparents, aunts, and uncles. During meals, Dutch families usually share their adventures of the day.
Now, you might wonder why punctuality is so important for us. First of all, this has to do with trust. For Dutch people, in business, gaining trust is one of the first and single most important aspects. So, the first step towards this trust is being on time.
The average Dutch student goes to bed at 23.35 hrs. and takes 26 minutes to fall asleep. They get up at around 8.17 hrs., which means they have slept 8 hours and 16 minutes. 65% of the students say they do not have enough sleep: they would like to sleep for an hour and a half longer.
While there may at times be some amount of antipathy towards outsiders, most Dutch people are actually extremely humble, welcoming, and friendly towards outsiders. It's just that their way of being friendly is a little different from what most people are used to.
Not at all! I'm Dutch and I'm gonna feel bad if I'm not able to offer my guests any food. But don't go drop in on me when I've just finished preparing dinner and expect you'll get a plate (you might just get lucky, but more likely not). Anyway it's just bad form to come unanounced just before dinner time.
A Dutch lunch is a light meal that is typically eaten in the Netherlands between 12 and 2 p.m. It often consists of bread, cheese, and other cold cuts, as well as fruit, vegetables, and coffee or tea.
Why is the sunrise so late in Spain? Because we're in the wrong time zone. Geographically the Peninsula, the Autonomous Cities and the Balearic Islands should be with the UK and Portugal; instead, we're with Central Europe and the Canaries are with the UK and Portugal (they should be one hour behind these).
When the victorious Moors swept through Spain from North Africa in 711 AD, they conquered a nation of pork-lovers. And, because religious dietary laws forbade the Moors, like the Jews, from eating pork, the pig became a symbol of political and religious resistance.
Lunch is never before 2pm and dinner is never before 9pm. And it is more common to have lunch around 3pm and dinner around 10pm. Families with small children might have earlier dinners, but in some cases is only the children who eat early, leaving the parents to eat alone when the kids have been put to bed.
