What is the most important meal in Spain?


What is the most important meal in Spain? Lunch -- The most important meal of the day in Spain, lunch is comparable to the farm-style midday dinner in the United States. It usually includes three or four courses, beginning with a choice of soup or several dishes of hors d'oeuvres called entremeses.


Why do the Spanish eat dinner so late?

Spain changed to CET after the Spanish Civil War in 1940 but continued to eat at the same time. Therefore, 1pm lunches became 2pm lunches, and Spaniards were suddenly eating dinner at 9pm instead of 8pm, and to this day, the clocks were never changed back.


What time do Spanish go to bed?

As a result, Spaniards who would eat at 1pm or 1.30pm continued to eat at their usual time (now 2pm or 2.30pm), continued to have dinner at 8pm (now 9pm) and continued to go to bed at 11pm (now midnight).


Why do Spanish people sleep in the afternoon?

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.


What time is dinner in Spain?

Dinner: 9–11 p.m. Dinner in Spain may be late, but as with all Spanish mealtimes, it's definitely worth waiting for. Cena, or dinner, is usually much lighter than it would be in many other countries.


What are the 4 meals in Spain?

A day (of eating) in the life of a Spaniard
  • Spaniards LOVE their food! In fact, the typical Spaniard probably eats more times throughout the day than most people around the world. ...
  • Spanish Meals: ...
  • El Desayuno – Breakfast. ...
  • El Almuerzo – Brunch. ...
  • La Comida – Lunch. ...
  • La Merienda – Late-Afternoon Snack. ...
  • La Cena – Dinner.


Do you tip in Spain?

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.