page_title: Dinner
section_title: Dinner parties
hierarchical_section_title: Dinner / Dinner parties
caption_attribution_description: English: Persistent URL: digital.lib.muohio.edu/u?/snyder,3280 Subject (TGM): Women's education; Dinner parties; Location: Oxford, Ohio Elizabeth Hamilton is in the back row, left
context_page_description: Dinner usually refers to what is in many Western cultures the largest and most formal meal of the day, which many Westerners eat in the evening. Historically the largest meal used to be eaten around midday, and called dinner. In Western cultures, especially among the elite, it gradually migrated later in the day over the 16th to 19th centuries. However, the word "dinner" can have different meanings depending on culture, and may mean a meal of any size eaten at any time of day. In particular, it is still sometimes used for a meal at noon or in the early afternoon on special occasions, such as a Christmas dinner. In hot climates, people have always tended to eat the main meal in the evening, after the temperature has fallen.
context_section_description: A dinner party is a social gathering at which people congregate to eat dinner. Dinners exist on a spectrum, from a basic meal, to a state dinner.
caption: Women in formal dress at dinner at Oxford College, Ohio, United States, date unknown
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