What does sobremesa mean?

upon the table Sobremesa (Spanish: “upon the table”) is the Spanish tradition of relaxing at the table after a heavy meal. It begins after dessert is served, and typically lasts between half an hour and an hour. ... The 'sobremesa hour' is one of Spain's main TV primetimes.

What countries do sobremesa?

This post-meal socialising (usually after lunch, although it may happen after dinner too) can last for hours, and is such an integral part of eating in Spain that there's a Spanish word for it: sobremesa. Literally meaning 'about table', there is no translation of this word or concept in English – and for good reason.

What is the custom of the sobremesa?

The sobremesa is a Spanish tradition that involves spending time relaxing after a meal to drink coffee or digestive liquor or to just continue hanging out chatting at the table after eating. The ritual is a consequence of the heavy Spanish lunch, often made up of a first course, second course, and desert.

How do you use sobremesa in a sentence?

This sobremesa site gives a longer definition: "Time spent in conversation, digesting, relaxing, enjoying. Certainly not rushing. Not reserved for weekends — though it can be longest on Sundays — even weekday and business meals have sobremesa. For Spaniards, how we eat is as important as what we eat."

Where is sobremesa practiced?

Spain While it's true that post-meal chatter is a staple of private dinner parties around the world, sobremesa is a distinct cultural tradition that originated in Spain.

Why is dinner so late in Spain?

According to Food & Wine, Spaniards have been living in the incorrect time zone since World War II. ... Even after the war ended, clocks never changed back. Spanish meals, work days and even television programming were pushed one hour ahead, hence the later days.

Why is dinner too late in Spain?

In reality, though, there's a very logical reason behind Spaniards' late-night eating habits: the country is actually in the wrong time zone, a phenomenon that dates back to World War II. Given Spain's longitude, the country should be on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), along with Portugal, the UK, and Morocco.

What time do Spaniards 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).

Do Spaniards still take siestas?

The exact time of day varies depending on the locale, but the most common siesta time is between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Some towns in Spain take siestas very seriously. Businesses close their doors for several hours in the late afternoon for lunch and a siesta nap.

Why do Spaniards eat so late?

According to Food & Wine, Spaniards have been living in the incorrect time zone since World War II. ... Even after the war ended, clocks never changed back. Spanish meals, work days and even television programming were pushed one hour ahead, hence the later days.