Supper facts for kids

Supper is usually a lighter meal eaten in the evening. Long ago, the main meal of the day was called dinner. It was often eaten around midday, like lunch is today. But over many centuries, especially in the 1800s, dinner started to be eaten later and later.

When dinner was still an early meal, people often ate a lighter supper in the evening. This wasn't always the very last meal of the day. Sometimes, there might even be a tea later on! For example, in the 1600s, King Louis XIV would have his main dinner at noon. Then, he would eat supper at 10 p.m.

Even when dinner moved to the early evening, supper was still a common meal. People might have supper after a dance party or other evening events. Imagine a ball in England in 1791: 140 guests were served supper at 1:00 a.m.! They would have had their main dinner at home many hours before. Some very fancy balls served supper even later, like at 3:30 a.m. in London in 1811.

Today, what "supper" means can be different for different people. Sometimes, it's a light snack or a small meal in the evening. This might be after or instead of dinner. But often, "supper" is just another word for the main evening meal.

What Does "Supper" Mean?

The word "supper" comes from the French word souper. This word is still used for the evening meal in places like Canadian French, Swiss French, and Belgian French. It is also connected to the word "soup." You can see this in Scandinavian words for soup, like soppa or suppe. The German word for soup is Suppe.

How People Use "Supper" Today

Today, the word "supper" can mean different things. Sometimes, it depends on a family's habits or where they live.

• Late-evening snack: For some, especially working families, supper might be a small snack eaten late at night.
• Informal family meal: For others, "supper" is a casual family meal. This meal is often eaten in the kitchen or a family dining room.
• Different from "dinner": The word "dinner" is often used for a more formal meal. This could be a "dinner party" with guests from outside the family. Such a meal would usually be eaten in a formal dining room.

Supper in North America

For a long time, especially in farming areas of North America, there was a clear difference between "dinner" and "supper." This was common in the Mid-West and the American South until the 1900s.

However, today, most people in the United States think "supper" and "dinner" mean the same thing. They usually prefer to say "dinner" for the evening meal. During World War II, even the U.S. military used the terms breakfast, dinner, and supper for their meals.

In most parts of the United States and Canada, "supper" and "dinner" are synonyms. But "supper" is seen as an older word.

Regional Differences in Canada

In some parts of Canada, like Saskatchewan and much of Atlantic Canada, "supper" means the main meal of the day. This meal is usually served in the late afternoon. In these areas, "dinner" is the meal served around noon.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, "dinner" can mean the noon meal. But it also refers to special meals, like "Thanksgiving dinner" or "Christmas dinner." The evening meal there is called "supper."

Community Suppers

The word "supper" is also used for special community meals. These are often held by churches or other groups.

• Fowl suppers or fall suppers are common in Canada. They often feature turkey.
• Pancake suppers used to be a tradition in the United States, often given by church groups.
• Bean suppers were a tradition in New England, especially in Maine. These meals featured baked beans.

Images for kids

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  Wedding Supper by Martin van Meytens shows dessert being served. This was at the wedding of Princess Isabella of Parma and Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor on October 5, 1760, at Hofburg Palace.