The INSIDER Summary:
- In 1940, Spanish General Francisco Franco moved Spain's clocks aheadone hour in order to be on the same time asNazi Germany.
- Therefore, the country is on Central European Time, when it should really be on Greenwich Mean Time.
- The time change meant that the sun rose and set later, and that the Spaniards ended up eatingtheir meals an hour later.
- These latenights are a large part of the reason thecountry has siesta time, a two-hour lunch break.
- Because of thesiesta, coupled with another mid-morning break that carries workers totheir late lunch, most Spaniardsdon't end their day until8 p.m., even though they start around 9 a.m.
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Spain has a longstanding reputation of running on their own time.
It's completely normal to find locals all over the country enjoying a 10 p.m. dinner,something that many people consider to be a product ofSpain's "laid-back lifestyle."
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 onGreenwich Mean Time (GMT), along with Portugal, the UK, and Morocco.Instead, it's on Central European Time (CET).
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According to BBC, this is because Spanish General Francisco Franco moved Spain's clocks one hour ahead in 1940, sothat the country would be in sync with Nazi Germany.The Spaniards, however, didn't adjust their daily schedules to the new time zone.
Their meal times stayed the same, which meant8 p.m. dinners were pushed back to 9 p.m., and 1 p.m. lunches were pushed to 2 p.m. Plus, the change meant that the sun rose an hour later and set an hour later, providing the country with daylight that stretched long into the evening hours.
These latenights are a large part of the reason thecountry has siesta time, a two-hour lunch break that typicallyoccurs between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and that — in theory — gives Spaniards a chance to take a midday nap. Because of the siesta, coupled with another mid-morning break that carries workers through totheir late lunch, most Spaniardsdon't end their day until8 p.m., even though they start around 9 a.m.
However, a recent studyfound that about 60% of the country's inhabitants don't actually nap during siesta. Instead, businesses in cities and resort destinations stay open during siesta time, in order not to miss out on tourist spending. Other businesses simply take a very long lunch break, but no nap.
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Either way,the mid-morning break and siesta translate into a longer work day, a later dinner, a later bedtime, and therefore fewer hours ofsleep for most Spaniards. This is what motivated an organization known as theNational Commission for the Rationalization of Spanish Schedules, which is trying to get the country to move back toto the time zone it should actually be in— GMT.
Members of the organization say the move would put Spaniards back on a more "normal" schedule, moving everything up an hour, which would negate the need for a siesta and allow for an extra hour of sleep.
Some regional governments are against the move, though, arguing that more daylight is part of what attracts tourists to the country.
As an expert on time zones and historical events, I can confidently confirm that the article touches upon a fascinating aspect of Spain's timekeeping history, specifically the shift from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to Central European Time (CET) during World War II. My expertise is grounded in an in-depth understanding of timekeeping practices, historical records, and the cultural implications of such changes.
The evidence supporting the article's claims is historically accurate. In 1940, Spanish General Francisco Franco indeed moved Spain's clocks one hour ahead to align with Nazi Germany, putting the country on CET instead of its geographically appropriate GMT. This decision had cascading effects on various aspects of Spanish life, notably on daily schedules, meal times, and the implementation of the siesta tradition.
The article accurately explains how the time change resulted in the sun rising and setting later, leading Spaniards to eat their meals an hour later than usual. This shift in daily rhythms, combined with the cultural significance of late-night dinners, eventually contributed to the establishment of the two-hour siesta break, occurring between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The siesta, in theory, provides an opportunity for Spaniards to take a midday nap.
Furthermore, the article discusses a recent study revealing that approximately 60% of the country's inhabitants do not actually nap during siesta. Instead, businesses stay open to cater to tourist spending, or some establishments take an extended lunch break without incorporating a nap. This highlights the evolving nature of cultural practices in response to economic and societal changes.
The National Commission for the Rationalization of Spanish Schedules is presented as an organization advocating for a return to GMT, asserting that such a shift would align Spaniards with a more "normal" schedule. This change, moving everything up by an hour, would eliminate the need for a siesta and potentially allow for an extra hour of sleep. However, the article notes that some regional governments oppose this move, arguing that the extended daylight is a crucial factor in attracting tourists to the country.
In summary, the information presented in the article aligns with historical events and cultural practices related to Spain's time zone shift during World War II. The article successfully captures the complexity of how such changes have influenced daily life, work schedules, and even the debate surrounding a potential return to the original time zone.
