Editing Dinner

{{Short description|Largest and most formal meal of the day}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Redirect|Dinner time|other uses|Dinner Time (disambiguation){{!}}Dinner Time}}
{{Distinguish|Diner}}
{{Meals}}
'''Dinner''' usually refers to what is in many Western cultures the biggest and most formal [[meal]] of the day. Historically, the largest meal used to be eaten around [[noon|midday]], and called dinner.<ref name=oed>{{cite OED|dinner}}</ref> Especially among the elite, it gradually migrated to later in the day over the 16th to 19th centuries.<ref name="mcm">{{cite web|author1=McMillan S|title=What Time is Dinner?|url=http://www.history-magazine.com/dinner2.html|publisher=History Magazine|access-date=31 December 2017|date=2001|archive-date=8 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208184059/http://www.history-magazine.com/dinner2.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The word has different meanings depending on culture, and may mean a meal of any size eaten at any time of day.<ref>{{cite web |work=[[The Food Timeline]] |first=Lynne |last=Olver |author-link=Lynne Olver|title=Meal times|url=http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq7.html#mealtimes |access-date=2 April 2014}}</ref> In particular, it is still sometimes used for a meal at noon or in the early afternoon on special occasions, such as a [[Christmas dinner]].<ref name=mcm/> In hot climates, the main meal is more likely to be eaten in the evening, after the temperature has fallen.

==Etymology==
The word is from the [[Old French]] ({{circa|1300}}) {{lang|fro|disner}}, meaning "dine", from the stem of Gallo-Romance ''desjunare'' ("to break one's fast"), from Latin {{lang|la|dis-}} (which indicates the opposite of an action) + Late Latin ''ieiunare'' ("to fast"), from Latin {{lang|la|ieiunus}} ("fasting, hungry").<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=dinner Etymology of "dinner"] from Online Dictionary. Accessed November 11, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=dine Etymology of "dine"] from Online Dictionary. Accessed November 11, 2009.</ref> The [[Romanian language|Romanian]] word {{lang|ro|dejun}} and the French {{lang|fr|déjeuner}} retain this etymology and to some extent the meaning (whereas the Spanish word {{lang|es|desayuno}} and Portuguese {{lang|pt|desjejum}} are related but are exclusively used for breakfast). Eventually, the term shifted to referring to the heavy main meal of the day, even if it had been preceded by a breakfast meal (or even both breakfast and lunch).

==Time of day==
===Ancient===
Reflecting the typical custom of the 17th century, [[Louis XIV]] dined at noon, and had [[supper]] at 10:00 pm.<ref>Strong, 250</ref> But in [[Europe]], dinner began to move later in the day during the 1700s, due to developments in work practices, lighting, financial status, and cultural changes.<ref name=mcm/> The fashionable hour for dinner continued to be incrementally postponed during the 18th century, to two and three in the afternoon, and, in 1765, King [[George III of the United Kingdom|George III]] dined at 4:00 pm, though his infant sons had theirs with their governess at 2:00 pm, leaving time to visit the queen as she dressed for dinner with the king.<ref>"Text adapted from ''The Conversation Piece: Scenes of fashionable life'', London, 2009", at  [http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/search#/1/collection/400146/queen-charlotte-1744-1818-with-her-two-eldest-sons "Johan Joseph Zoffany (Frankfurt 1733-London 1810), Queen Charlotte (1744–1818) with her Two Eldest Sons  c.1765"] on the Royal Collection website.</ref> But in France [[Marie Antoinette]], when still [[Dauphine of France]] in 1770, wrote that when at the [[Château de Choisy]] the court still dined at 2:00 pm, with a supper after the theatre at around 10:00 pm, before bed at 1:00 or 1:30 am.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=A7E-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA110 quoted in] ''The Origins of Contemporary France: The ancient régime'', by [[Hippolyte Taine]], Bk2, ch.1, p. 110 in this edition</ref>

At the time of the [[First French Empire]] an English traveler to [[Paris]] remarked upon the "abominable habit of dining as late as seven in the evening".<ref>Quote in Ian Kelly, ''Cooking for Kings: the life of Antonin Carême the first celebrity chef'', 2003:78. For guests of [[Talleyrand]] at the [[Château de Valençay]], dinner under [[Antonin Carême|Carême]] was even later.</ref> By about 1850 English middle-class dinners were around 5:00 or 6:00 pm, allowing men to arrive back from work, but there was a continuing pressure for the hour to drift later, led by the elite who did not have to work set hours, and as commutes got longer as cities expanded. In the mid-19th century the issue was something of a social minefield, with a generational element. [[John Ruskin]], once he married in 1848, dined at 6:00 pm, which his parents thought "unhealthy". [[Mrs Gaskell]] dined between 4:00 and 5:00 pm. The fictional [[The Diary of a Nobody|Mr Pooter]], a lower middle-class Londoner in 1888–89 and a diner at 5:00 pm, was invited by his son to dine at 8:00 pm, but "[he] said we did not pretend to be fashionable people, and would like the dinner earlier".<ref>Flanders, 229–230</ref>

The satirical novel ''Living for Appearances'' (1855) by [[Henry Mayhew]] and his brother [[Augustus Mayhew|Augustus]] begins with the views of the hero on the matter. He dines at 7:00 pm, and often complains of "the disgusting and tradesman-like custom of early dining", say at 2:00 pm. The "Royal hour" he regards as 8:00 pm, but he does not aspire to that. He tells people "Tell me when you dine, and I will tell you what you are",<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=aq4BAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA1 ''Living for Appearances''] (1855), p. 1, by [[Henry Mayhew]] and his brother [[Augustus Mayhew|Augustus]]; Flanders, 230</ref> in apparent reference to [[Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin]]'s famous, "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are."

===Modern===
[[File:Filet de bœuf.jpg|thumb|A [[filet mignon]] dinner with mashed potato, string beans and mushrooms]]
In many modern usages, the term ''dinner'' refers to the evening meal, which is now typically the largest meal of the day in most Western cultures. When this meaning is used, the preceding meals are usually referred to as [[breakfast]], [[lunch]] and perhaps a [[Tea (meal)|tea]].<ref name=mcm/><ref name="perry">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/aug/03/tea-with-grayson-perry-supper-dinner |title=Tea with Grayson Perry. Or is it dinner, or supper? |newspaper=The Guardian |date=August 2012 |access-date=2013-08-15 |location=London}}</ref> [[Supper]] is now often an alternative term for dinner; originally this was always a later secondary evening meal, after an early dinner.

The divide between different meanings of "dinner" is not cut-and-dried based on either geography or socioeconomic class. The term for the midday meal is most commonly used by working-class people, especially in the English Midlands, North of England and the central belt of Scotland.<ref name=perry/> Even in systems in which dinner is the meal usually eaten at the end of the day, an individual dinner may still refer to a main or more sophisticated meal at any time in the day, such as a [[banquet]], feast, or a special meal eaten on a Sunday or holiday, such as [[Christmas dinner]] or [[Thanksgiving]] dinner. At such a dinner, the people who dine together may be formally dressed and consume food with an array of [[List of eating utensils|utensils]]. These dinners are often divided into three or more courses. [[Appetizer]]s consisting of options such as soup or salad, precede the [[main course]], which is followed by the [[dessert]].

====Dinner times ====
[[File:7-10 p.m. Tip Estes and family eating dinner. The day's work has been finished. Tip Estes has washed up and dinner is served. - DPLA - 48e35acfdd18d78294b55c50a2490c67 (cropped).jpg|thumb|A family at dinner (March 1937)]]

=====United States=====
Dinner time in the United States peaks at 6:19&nbsp;p.m., according to an [[American Time Use Survey]] analysis, with most households eating dinner between 5:07&nbsp;p.m. and 8:19&nbsp;p.m. According to the data from 2018 to 2022, the states that ate the earliest were Pennsylvania (5:37&nbsp;p.m. peak) and Maine (5:40&nbsp;p.m. peak), while the states that ate the latest were Texas and Mississippi (both a 7:02&nbsp;p.m. peak) and Washington, D.C., which ate at 7:10&nbsp;p.m. peak.<ref>{{cite news |last=Yau |first=Nathan |url=https://flowingdata.com/2023/07/25/when-is-dinner-by-state/ |title=When is Dinner, By State |work=FlowingData |date=2023-07-24 |access-date=2023-07-26 }}</ref>

=====United Kingdom=====
A survey by [[Orlando Wines#Jacob.27s Creek|Jacob's Creek]], an Australian winemaker, found the average evening meal time in the U.K. to be 7:47pm.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/average-dinner-time-is-now-747pm-as-work-hours-eat-into-our-meal-times-6648248.html |title=Average dinner time is now 7:47 pm as work hours eat into our meal times |newspaper=Evening Standard |date=3 October 2007}}</ref>

==Parties==
{{See also|Party#Dinner party}}
{{See also|dining in}}
[[File:Oxford College women in formal dress at dinner n.d. (3193552997).jpg|thumb|Women in formal dress at dinner at [[Oxford Female Institute]], Ohio, United States, date unknown]]
A dinner party is a social gathering at which people congregate to eat dinner.<ref name=perry/> Dinners exist on a spectrum, from a basic meal to a [[state dinner]].<ref name="Gazette">{{cite web |last1=Sennett |first1=Jay |date=2013-09-23 |title=Rules of Civility: Dinner Etiquette – Formal Dining |url=https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/dinner-etiquette-formal-dining/ |access-date=2019-08-21 |website=Gentleman's Gazette}}</ref>

===Ancient Roman===
During the times of [[Ancient Rome]], a dinner party was referred to as a ''convivium'', and was a significant event for [[Roman emperors]] and senators to congregate and discuss their relations.{{sfn|Edwards|2007|pp=161–162}}

===English===
In London ({{circa|1875}}–{{circa|1900}}), dinner parties were formal occasions that included printed invitations and formal [[RSVP (invitations)|RSVP]]s.{{sfn|Draznin|2001|pp=134–136}} The food served at these parties ranged from large, extravagant food displays and several meal [[Course (food)|courses]] to more simple fare and food service.{{sfn|Draznin|2001|pp=134–136}} Activities sometimes included singing and poetry reciting, among others.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

===Formal===
The general guidelines of a formal dinner include the following:

# It requires that the participants dress in semi-formal (black-tie) or formal (white tie) [[Evening gown|evening attire]].<ref name="Gazette" />
#* Most commonly, guests will be expected to dress in [[Black tie|semi-formal/black-tie attire]]. The men wear tuxedos and women wear [[cocktail dress]]es, [[evening gown]]s, and/or [[Le Smoking|le smoking (the women's tuxedo)]]. 
#* The most formal of dinner events will require guests to dress in [[White tie|formal/white-tie attire]]. The men wear a full evening-dress ensemble (white-tie and tailcoat), and women wear evening gowns and/or [[ball gown]]s.
# A commitment to a style of formal dinner service.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-07-15 |title=Les différents types de service au restaurant {{!}} Propos de Chef |url=http://www.propos-de-chef.com/conseil-maitre-hotel/differents-types-de-service-au-restaurant/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715123048/http://www.propos-de-chef.com/conseil-maitre-hotel/differents-types-de-service-au-restaurant/ |archive-date=2011-07-15 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-07-21 |title=Table Settings |url=http://www.butlersguild.com/index.php?subject=45 |access-date=2023-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721172956/http://www.butlersguild.com/index.php?subject=45 |archive-date=2011-07-21 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Le Service à l'anglaise |url=https://www.planete-cuisine.com/46/encyclopedie-le-service-a-l-anglaise |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=www.planete-cuisine.com |language=fr}}</ref>
#* Service rendered in the Russian style, or [[service à la russe]]. A manner of dining where each course is brought to the table sequentially, and the food portioned on individual plates by the waiter. The Russian style of service is usually perceived to be a more formal method.
#* Service rendered in the French style, or [[service à la française]]. Traditionally, it can be defined as a manner of service that is rendered via serving various dishes of the meal, all at the same time in an impressive display, and the guests serve themselves from the serving dishes – similar to that of a [[buffet]]. However, French style service can be rendered in a variety of methods/sub-styles.
#** [[Gueridon service|Guéridon service]], also known as "tableside service" or "from the cart," is a relative blend of the French and Russian styles, where every dish is portioned by a waiter at the tableside. It involves the cooking or finishing of foods by a waiter (or maître d'hôtel/captain) at the diner's table, typically from a special serving cart called a guéridon trolley. Gueridon service offers a higher style of service to the guest.
#** Other styles include banquet, buffet, and assisted buffet.
#* Service rendered in the English style, or service à l’anglaise, is usually viewed as a slightly trimmed down version of Russian style service, but has a strong emphasis on the professionalism of the servicing personnel. The English style of service is also known as "butler service."
# An appropriately formal setting/dining room.
# There are [[Course (food)|multiple courses]] served.
# There is a [[Seating plan|seating protocol]].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Breast of chicken dinner.jpg|Casual dinner in western restaurant 
Our (Almost Traditional) Thanksgiving Dinner.jpg|[[Thanksgiving dinner]]
File:Christmas table (Serbian cuisine).jpg|[[Christmas dinner]]
USDA dinner cropped.jpg|A formal American dinner setting
File:Thai Airways airline meal-dinner.JPG|An airline dinner meal
File:Asian food.jpg|Japanese dinner 
File:Jacques Lameloise DSCF6580.jpg|Dinner [[nouvelle cuisine]]   
File:Cassoulet mit Gans und Bohnen 1.jpg|[[Cassoulet]] for German dinner
File:Tradicinis didkepsnis restorane STEAKHOUSE HAZIENDA.jpg|[[Beef steak]] at a [[steakhouse]] 
File:STS-129 ISS-21 Crew at the Galley.jpg|A dinner in space aboard the [[International Space Station|ISS]] during [[STS-129]]
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Food}}

* [[Early bird dinner]]
* [[Formal hall]]
* [[Snack]]
* [[Supper]]
* [[Tea (meal)|Tea]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==

{{Refbegin|2}}
* {{cite book | last=Draznin | first=Y. | title=Victorian London's Middle-class Housewife: What She Did All Day | publisher=Greenwood Press | series=ABC-Clio ebook | year=2001 | isbn=978-0-313-31399-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EdgMLML7DZUC&pg=PA134 }}
* {{cite book | last=Edwards | first=C. | title=Death in Ancient Rome | publisher=Yale University Press | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-300-11208-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ioq6GmIyLQIC&pg=PA161 }}
*[[Judith Flanders|Flanders, Judith]], ''The Victorian House: Domestic Life from Childbirth to Deathbed'', 2003, Harper Perennial, {{ISBN|0007131895}} 
* {{cite web |first=Sherrie |last=McMillan |year=2001 |url=http://www.history-magazine.com/dinner2.html |title=What time is dinner? |work=History Magazine |access-date=23 March 2015 |archive-date=8 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208184059/http://www.history-magazine.com/dinner2.html |url-status=dead }}
*[[Roy Strong|Strong, Roy]], ''Feast: A History of Grand Eating'', 2002, Jonathan Cape, {{ISBN|0224061380}}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==

{{Refbegin|2}}

* {{cite book | last=Nunn | first=J.J. | title=Mrs. Montague Jones' dinner party: or, Reminiscences of Cheltenham life and manners | publisher=J.C. Hotten | year=1872 | url=https://archive.org/details/mrsmontaguejone00nunngoog}}
* {{cite book | last=Inness | first=S.A. | title=Dinner Roles: American Women and Culinary Culture | publisher=University of Iowa Press | series=NONE Series | year=2001 | isbn=978-1-58729-332-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nzN3bRRIH-gC}}
* {{cite book | last=Meiselman | first=H.L. | title=Meals in Science and Practice: Interdisciplinary Research and Business Applications | publisher=Elsevier Science | series=Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition | year=2009 | isbn=978-1-84569-571-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r8ekAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA97|pages=97–98}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Dinners}}
* [http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=21847&dict=CALD "Dinner" definition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222113011/http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=21847&dict=CALD |date=2008-12-22 }} from [[Cambridge University Press|Cambridge.org]]
* [http://wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook Wikibooks Cookbook]
* [https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20243692 BBC article on history of dinner]

{{Meals wide}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Dinner| ]]
[[Category:Meals]]

[[ja:夕食#ディナー]]