Why does Maine Sit Down to Dinner Earlier than Just About Everyone?

What time did you eat supper?

When I was a kid, nothing happened with food until my mom got home from work. So more often than not, we didn't eat until around 6:00pm. But our neighbors across the street, they sat down to chow at like... 4:30pm. It seemed nuts. What sort of radically heathen behavior is that? I couldn't wrap my brain around it.

On the other hand, their argument as to why was quite compelling. They had two solid reasons... 1) The husband was a fireman and worked super early in the morning. And 2) They liked to eat when it was light out because it "made the day feel longer". I had no defense to that. Of course, I was 9-years old. What could I say?

However, it would seem my neighbors weren't far off the mark.

I got curious about a thread I saw on Reddit and clicked through to the article that was talking about what time people ate dinner, on average. It turns out that we eat earlier than almost everyone else, anywhere. Maine eats dinner at roughly around 5:40pm. The only state eating earlier than us is Pennsylvania, at 5:37pm.

If you compare us to New Hampshire, we're almost 20 minutes apart. Same for Pennsylvania. they're obviously quite close to New York, but New Yorkers eat almost an hour later than them. And us, for that matter.

These days, because I sleep like crap and get out of bed at a time that some people are actually going to bed, so I eat supper quite early, even by Maine standards. But I also hate eating supper at 6:00 when I'm asleep on the couch by 7:30pm, haha. You try keeping such a crazy schedule and keeping your shape in check.

Buy your own town and make dinner time whenever you want!