In Italy, siesta — known as riposo in the North and pisolino or pennichella in the South — is when many Italians break between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. According to one blog about Italian culture, “Italy is a world apart from the striving for productivity and efficiency no matter at what cost [to] Western society.”
We appreciate all the countries out there that are setting a good example for the rest of us.
You’ll walk the streets and see shops closed, with shop owners sometimes sitting outside and enjoying long, long lunches and conversations with their friends and family.
An Italian riposo might look like a first course, il primo, which could consist of rice or pasta, and a second course, il secondo, which could include fish or meat. On the side, you’ll have il contorno, like a veggie or fruit. Many Italians will make a meal or pop into a local shop (one that stays open, of course).
We imagine it might be difficult to figure out stores hours in places that honor the siesta.
Do you wish you had a two-course lunch?
In Morocco, lunch, or el ghda, is traditionally the biggest meal of the day, according to Lonely Planet. It’s also followed by a nap — and the whole thing can take three or four hours. You might eat cous cous, merguez (lamb), or tajine (a stew), which definitely sounds filling enough to warrant a nap. I mean, who doesn’t feel a little sleepy after a big lunch?
Greek lunch breaks might also surprise people around the world.
In Greece, the long lunch break may last about three hours. Lunch is their biggest meal of the day, consisting of meze, or small plates. These include feta cheese, olives, veggies, and souvlaki, according to Reader’s Digest. This sounds like a well-balanced meal that hopefully leaves Greeks feeling refreshed after chowing down.
Though, long lunch breaks may soon become a thing of the past in Greece.
However, according to Olive Tomato, a Mediterranean blog, the Greeks are more and more now mirroring a western approach, which means the longer breaks are diminishing. The same is true for most of the Mediterranean. Now, even though the break time is decreasing, we truly hope that the delicious food stays the same.
Please, don’t take away the meze!
Please, America, stop influencing everyone!
Over in China, employees get a lunch break around noon and 2 p.m., just as we do. However, it’s a bit shorter and more rushed — BUT they take a nap as well, which is commonly built into the lunch break experience. In fact, China just started putting stock into the power of a nap, according to NBC. Some people nap right at their desks, too, depending on the office culture.
As for food, the Chinese will eat noodles, rice, or meat.
In Brazil, lunch and dinner are important — not only as times to refuel, but to enjoy a nice, meaningful food experience. The Brazilians view food as sacred. And they make a great point. Eating lunch isn’t solely about taking a break and eating. Our lunch breaks can provide us with time to have meaningful conversations with friends and coworkers.
It’s also about the power of human connection.
According to The Brazil Business, “This is so strongly intricate in the Brazilian popular culture as a whole that it is extended to the business environment: on a Friday after work, most Brazilians would rather meet their colleagues at a bar, a pizzeria or a ‘churrascaria’ than inviting them to go golfing or playing soccer.” Honestly, we’d also prefer pizza over golf any day.
As for where Brazilians go for lunch…
When people want to have a working lunch, they’ll often go to a “rodízio,” which is a Brazilian restaurant where waiters bring a variety of foods to the table — like meat on swords — and you eat as much as you want for one price. If this sounds intense, just know that many Brazilians eat this for lunch!
Rushed lunches still happen all over the world.
There are still many, many people who eat rushed working at their desks — despite the growing evidence that this doesn’t make a person work harder or happier. Just take a look at Japan: Male workers eat meals prepared by their wives at their desks pretty often, according to a study done by Asahi Aoyama Happy Research Group.
Many male employees also often buy a bentō or bento box (as we refer to it).
As for the women…
Interestingly, many of the female employees went home for lunch. They’d also buy a bentō nearby — if they couldn’t go home. A bentō provides full nutrition with a portion of carbs, like rice or noodles, a meat or fish, and some sort of veggie. This bento box looks so good:
Fun fact: The bentō used to be hand-carved in wood! It also goes all the way back to 1185.
And then there’s the rest of the world — you know, the people who are eating sad, store-bought or leftover-made lunches at their desks. The #SadDeskLunch hashtag exists for a reason. These might include carrots…. and peanut butter?
And pasta with….chips? This just doesn’t look good.
Sadness truly abounds during lunch breaks.
According to a global survey of lunch breaks, people also bring food that saddens the rest of the office as well. The most disgusting and overwhelming food aromas come from “fish, curry, burnt popcorn, boiled eggs, and pig’s feet.” Or, you know, you can eat two hot dogs at your desk and gross everyone out. That pack of fake cheese really seals the deal of grossness here:
Yeah, we hear you saying WTF.
During your next lunch break, try to take a few hints from countries around the world. If that means allowing yourself to get up and walk around for 20 minutes, do it. If that means eating lunch outside under a tree, do it! And if it means convincing your boss to let you take a nap — definitely do it.