middagstid

Middagstid is a term used in Swedish and Norwegian to denote the part of the day when the main meal is eaten, typically the dinner in the evening. The phrase captures the routine of gathering to eat and is influenced by cultural norms, work hours, and daylight variations.

Its components come from middag ('dinner') and tid ('time'), so middagstid literally means the time of the dinner. The expression emphasizes the period rather than a precise hour.

Regional and temporal variations exist. In many contexts the main meal is eaten in the evening, while in other traditions it may be earlier in the day; thus middagstid may refer to different time ranges depending on culture and season. In contemporary everyday speech, people might specify the exact hour instead of using the term.

In media and literature, middagstid can appear when discussing dining customs, restaurant hours, or family routines. It tends to be more formal or traditional and is less common in casual modern conversation, where specific times or more everyday words for dinner are used.