Lunch
[4] The OED records the words "nuncheon" and "nunchion" with the meaning "drink" or "snack" in various forms since the Middle English period.
During the Middle Ages, the main meal of the day, then called dinner, for almost everyone, took place late in the morning after several hours of work, when there was no need for artificial lighting.
In England, during the late 17th and 18th centuries, this meal was gradually pushed back into the evening, creating a greater time gap between breakfast and dinner.
The meal was relatively light, and typically included left-overs from the previous night's dinner, which were often plentiful.
As late as 1945, Emily Post wrote in the magazine Etiquette that luncheon is "generally given by and for women, but it is not unusual, especially in summer places or in town on Saturday or Sunday, to include an equal number of men" – hence the mildly disparaging phrase, "the ladies who lunch".
[6] Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1861) – a guide to all aspects of running a household in Victorian Britain, edited by Isabella Beeton – had much less to explain about luncheon than about dinners or ball suppers: The remains of cold joints, nicely garnished, a few sweets, or a little hashed meat, poultry, or game, are the usual articles placed on the table for luncheon, with bread and cheese, biscuits, butter, etc.
If a substantial meal is desired, rump-steaks or mutton chops may be served, as also veal cutlets, kidneys...
[7]With the growth of industrialisation in the 19th century, male workers began to work long shifts at the factory, severely disrupting the age-old eating habits of rural life.
Stalls and later chop houses near the factories began to provide mass-produced food for the working class, and the meal soon became an established part of the daily routine, remaining so to this day.
In Japan, lunch (昼食, chūshoku) often consists of rice or noodle dishes such as ramen, soba and udon bowls.
Additionally, other Japanese lunch options include quick and convenient foods like onigiri (rice balls), sandwiches, and instant noodles, catering to busy individuals.
In Australia, a light meal eaten in the period between 10:30 am and noon is considered morning tea; an actual lunch will be consumed between 12 and 2 PM.
In Finland, lunch is a full hot meal,[a] served as one course, sometimes with small salads and desserts.
Dishes are diverse, ranging from meat or fish courses to soups that are heavy enough to constitute a meal.
It is usually a savoury dish consisting of protein (e.g., meat), starchy foods (e.g., potatoes), and vegetables or salad.
In Portugal, lunch (almoço in Portuguese) consists of a full hot meal, similar to dinner, usually with soup, meat or fish course, and dessert.
Being the main meal of the day everywhere, it usually consists of a three-course meal: the first course typically consists of an appetizer; the main course of a more elaborate dish, usually meat- or fish-based; the dessert of something sweet, often accompanied by a coffee or small amounts of spirits.
[a] In the United Kingdom, lunch is typically a small meal designed to stave off hunger until returning home from work and eating dinner.
Drugie śniadanie is eaten around 10:00 am and is a light snack, usually consisting of sandwiches, salad, or a thin soup.
It is usually a savoury dish, consisting of protein (such as meat), starchy foods (such as potatoes), and a vegetable or salad.
In the capital of Sofia, people usually order takeaway because lunch breaks are too short to go in place.
Lunch is also eaten as a light meal at times in the Middle East, such as when children arrive at home from school while the parents are still out working.
[25] In the United States and Canada, lunch is usually a moderately sized meal generally eaten between 11 and 1.
During the work week, North Americans generally eat a quick lunch that includes some type of sandwich, soup, or leftovers from the previous night's dinner (e.g., rice or pasta).
Children often bring packed lunches to school, which might consist of a sandwich such as bologna (or other cold cut) and cheese, tuna, chicken, or peanut butter and jelly, as well as in Canada, savoury pie, along with some fruit, chips, dessert and a drink such as juice, milk, or water.
In the United States, the three-martini lunch – so called because the meal extends to the amount of time it takes to drink three martinis – has been making a comeback since 2010.
[26] In the United States, businesses could deduct 80% of the cost of these extended lunches until the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
In Brazil, lunch is the main meal of the day,[f] taking place between 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Brazilians usually eat rice with beans, salad, french fries, some kind of meat or pasta dishes, with juice or soft drinks.
