Nap Time!

I subscribe to "Spanish Word of the Day" from dictionary.com (great site!) and today was "Siesta," one of my favorite words in any language. This is despite the fact that i`m not much of a napper. But who doesn`t like a break in the middle of the work day? Now "siesta" is a word that has found its way into the English lexicon, so i was well aware of its meaning before today. What i didn`t know was the history of the siesta:

siesta, noun
nap

"Many Spanish words come from Latin, and siesta is no exception. It comes from the Latin words ‘sexta hora’ - the sixth hour - which means noon, if you start counting at dawn. Taking an afternoon nap became much more common in Spain after the Civil War ended in 1939. There was a shortage of well-paid jobs, so men would often go to work at two different jobs, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, going home at midday to eat and rest. "

Thank you, Dictionary.com!