Walking down the streets of Spain in the late afternoon you might double check your watch, confused to see tables full of Spaniards enjoying what looks to be lunch. No, the jetlag isn’t making you hallucinate. In Spain, lunch still occurs much later in the afternoon than most other countries, usually around 2 or 3pm. Not only are Spanish lunches late, they’re also long. Lingering over plates of paella or  jamón until 4pm or later is not unusual. This also means that dinner in Spain often begins around 10pm, resulting in late nights around the dinner table.  

While many would attribute to this abnormal meal schedule to Spain’s laid-back attitude, the real reason behind their late mealtimes is much less chill. Spaniards have been living in the wrong time zone for over sixty years. While Spain is geographically supposed to be on GMT– like Portugal and the U.K.–it actually is on CET (Central European Time). This is because in 1940 dictator Francisco Franco changed the time zone of Spain to that of Central Europe in solidarity with Nazi Germany. Ever since, Spaniards have been living an hour ahead of their geographical time zone. Meaning 2pm in Spain is actually 1pm, explaining the infamously late Spanish lunch.  

Spaniards have made the most of their off-kilter schedule and lunch in Spain has become one of its most distinctive cultural rituals. Called “comida,” which directly translates to “food,” lunch is the most important meal of the day. Traditionally three courses long, “comida” can consist of dishes such as sopa de pescado, huevos rotos, and flan for dessert. Many restaurants will have a menu del dia; a set course menu for around 15 euros. While modern life in Spain has shortened Comida on the weekdays for many, weekends are still filled with long meals surrounded by good friends, good food, and even better wine.