It’s Sunday and you just woke up about 30 minutes ago. You’re thirsty. You’re hungry. You might even still be a little drunk from the night before. You roll over in bed and grab your phone — NEWS FLASH — it’s blowing up with texts from your friends. IT’S TIME FOR BRUNCH, MY LOVELY!!!
We’ve all been there before. Brunch. That ubiquitous & fantastic weekly meal. It’s our favorite meal of the week, to be honest. Brunch means you can sleep in a little more, shower (or not) and meet your friends/family for a leisurely post-breakfast/pre-lunch/maybe-dinner feast. It’s genius.
So as you all get up and decide what to wear to brunch today (because we all know the number one rule of brunch is looking totally put together but in a super casual way) let’s discuss the origins of this beloved past time. Let’s discuss the history of Brunch.
In honestly, the true origins of Brunch are a bit hard to find. Devout foodies swear up and down that the meal has its roots in England’s hunting and the meals men would devour before setting out. These sumptuous, multi-course meals boasted a smorgasbord of manly eats including chicken livers, eggs, meats, bacon, fresh fruit and sweets. (Sound familiar??)
Others have suggested that Sunday brunch derives from the practice of Catholics fasting before mass and then sitting down for a large midday meal. We were raised in a catholic setting and don’t remember fasting before Sunday Mass, but we can see where this would totally fit in.
Historically, brunch — the mix of “breakfast” and “lunch”—first appeared in print in an 1895 Hunter’s Weekly article. In “Brunch: A Plea,” British author Guy Beringer suggested an alternative to the heavy, post-church Sunday meals in favor of lighter fare served late in the morning. ”Brunch is cheerful, sociable and inciting,” Beringer says. ”It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.”
This new foodie movement really caught on in the United States in the 1930s, supposedly because Hollywood stars making transcontinental train trips frequently stopped off in Chicago to enjoy a late morning meal. It was a meal championed by hotels since most restaurants were closed on Sundays and, with church attendance flagging after World War II, people were looking for a new social outlet that also let them sleep in a bit. Restaurants soon hopped on the bandwagon and began offering the decadent spreads of food and signature morning cocktails, such as Bloody Marys, Bellinis and Mimosas. Bottomless, please!!!
“Sunday dinner became important because it was the only time people could eat together as a family unit during the week at the onset of urbanization and industrialization, 150 years ago,” according to Stanford University professor Carl Degler in a 1980 Chicago Tribune article on the rise of America’s brunch culture. He also pointed to another social change that might be responsible for why Sunday brunch became so popular here. “After World War II, large numbers of American married women entered the workforce for the first time. [...] Married women needed a relief on Sunday, too, thus the rise in popularity of Sunday brunch eaten out.”
So heard, right there.
And there you have it – The (supposed) Origins of Brunch!
If you ask us, Brunch really developed it’s roots thanks to 4 lovely ladies from Manhattan. You know what I’m talking about, girls. I’m talking about some good old-fashioned SATC AM kiki’s.
We’re hoping that by now you have figured out your brunch-ing ensemble. Have a mimosa (or 3!) for us and enjoy your brunch today!
xo.TLVO
