Bless Your Books Blog

By Courtnee Turner Hoyle:

When I was young, my deeply southern grandfather referred to the meal around noon as lunch or dinner, but almost everyone I know says that dinner is the evening meal. I adjust my references for each person, as when I say “dinner” and they consider it to be supper time, they get confused.

Supper is usually a light meal, and people enjoy it in the evening. Even though dinner may be served at the same time, it is usually more involved, as it may have more courses or heavier portions.

Guests who visited a home could expect a supper or dinner, and the time of day had an impact on their expectations. Suppers were usually earlier in the evening and more informal, while dinners were formal and mostly occurred later, between six and nine in the evening.

So why did my grandfather sometimes say he was eating dinner around noon?

In the past, the mid-day meal was sometimes the largest of the day. Due to the quantity of food, it was considered a dinner.

So, you can say the type of meal you mean with confidence!

Now, I’m going to make dinner. As I have to prepare at least three different meals for six people, I think that qualifies as a dinner.

Share your favorite meal of the day and what you call it.