Morning is the period of time at the start of the day, usually considered to be between sunrise and noon. But when exactly does morning end and the next part of the day begin? There is no definitive or official answer, as different people and organizations draw the line in different places based on factors like sunlight, typical wake times, and breakfast hours. Here’s an in-depth look at the different ways of defining the end of morning.
By Sunrise and Noon
A common definition based on sunlight is that morning ends at noon, or 12:00pm. This fits with the general conceptual divide of the day into morning, afternoon, and evening. Under this definition, morning starts at sunrise, covers the first half of the daytime, and ends at the middle point between sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and noon are relatively objective markers and provide a simple way to split the day in two. The exact solar noon, halfway between sunrise and sunset, does change throughout the seasons. On the equinoxes in spring and fall it aligns closely with 12:00pm. But around the solstices in summer and winter it can be up to 30 minutes earlier or later depending on location.
By Typical Wake Times
Another way to look at morning is in terms of human activity cycles. From this view, morning could be considered to end after most people have woken up and started their day. This may be anywhere from 9:00am to 11:00am for the average person depending on factors like work and school schedules.
For example, those who rise early for work may consider morning to end at 9:00am when the workday is underway. Students may think of 11:00am as the transition from morning classes to lunch and afternoon classes. Most people are awake by 11:00am at the latest, so this is a reasonable endpoint for the behavior-based definition of morning.
By Breakfast Hours
Breakfast is strongly associated with morning, so the hours for breakfast can also help define when morning transitions to afternoon. Traditional breakfast hours are from opening time until 11:00am at most restaurants and cafes. Some may stop at 10:30am and a few at 10:00am. Using this metric would place the end of morning somewhere between 10:00am and 11:00am.
Breakfast food and coffee are common morning routines for many people. So once breakfast is over, psychologically the morning mindset also comes to an end. The exact timing will vary by personal habits, but using breakfast as a marker is a logical way to signal the transition from morning to afternoon.
By Culture and Location
The end of morning also depends on cultural and geographic factors. Different areas around the world can have different concepts of when morning transitions to afternoon based on local lifestyle and climate.
For example, in equatorial regions the sun rises and sets at nearly the same time every day, so sunrise and noon are not as relevant. Places like Singapore and Indonesia often rely more on the clock to define morning and afternoon. In many tropical areas, morning is often considered to end between 10:00am and 11:00am when it starts to get too hot for many activities.
In cultures that wake up very early like farmers, morning may end sooner, like around 9:00am. But late rising cultures like Spain and Portugal may consider morning to run until noon or later. Local work hours can also influence the perception of when morning becomes afternoon.
By Language and Region
The terms used to describe periods of the day also provide clues for when morning ends. Here are some examples for different languages and regions:
- English – morning, afternoon, evening
- Spanish – mañana, tarde, noche
- French – matin, après-midi, soir
- Italian – mattina, pomeriggio, sera
- German – Morgen, Nachmittag, Abend
- Dutch – ochtend, middag/namiddag, avond
- Portuguese – manhã, tarde, noite
- Russian – утро, день, вечер
- Arabic – صباح, بعد الظهر, مساء
- Hindi – सुबह, दोपहर, शाम
- Chinese – 上午, 下午, 晚上
- Japanese – 午前, 午後, 夕方
The divisions between morning, afternoon, and evening are not always precise. But we can see some trends and similarities across languages and cultures. In most cases, morning transitions to the afternoon sometime around midday or early afternoon, after typical breakfast but well before evening.
Official Definitions
Various official organizations have also weighed in on the definition of morning to establish guidelines for statistical analysis, policy, transportation schedules, and more. Some examples include:
- Nautical Time – Morning is defined from midnight to noon.
- Travel Schedules – Public transportation often uses a morning timeframe of 5am to 9am.
- Work Shifts – The overnight “graveyard” work shift runs from midnight to 8am. The daytime “morning” shift runs from 8am onwards.
- circadian clock – The human Circadian rhythm has a morning peak of alertness between 8am to 11am.
- Stock Markets – The opening hours of major stock exchanges are around 9:30am to 4pm local time.
These definitions vary but most center on a morning timeframe of 5am to noon at the latest. Transport, business, medicine, and other fields tend to define morning based on human factors like travel habits, work schedules, and biological rhythms.
Religious Definitions
Some religious and spiritual traditions also consider morning in relation to rituals and prayer times. For example:
- Islam – The Fajr morning prayer happens just before sunrise.
- Hinduism – The pratahkal morning prayers are done between 5am to 8am.
- Christianity – Morning prayers like matins are usually performed between 6am to 9am.
- Judaism – Morning prayers called Shacharit often start around 8am or 9am.
These faith-based definitions tend to see morning ending sometime between 8am to 11am. But the exact times can vary between different denominations and local customs. Religious definitions add a spiritual dimension and meaning to the concept of morning.
The “Late Morning” Period
While there is no universal agreement on when morning ends, there is a broad transitional period that most agree is late morning. This is the time between 9am to 11am for most places and schedules. The late morning fits between the peak morning hours and the unambiguous start of afternoon:
- After most people are awake and active.
- After breakfast but before lunch.
- After the commute but before the midday slowdown.
- Late morning is too late for “early morning” but too early for “afternoon.”
So while the exact endpoint of morning may be vague, late morning is usually defined as that transitional period after the most characteristic morning activities have ended.
Conclusion
In summary, there are many ways to define when morning transitions into afternoon based on sunlight, human activity cycles, language, culture, and official guidelines. While there is no definitive answer, some general trends emerge:
- Morning is widely considered to end sometime between 9am and noon.
- Most definitions center on late morning between 9am to 11am as the transitional period.
- Noon or 12pm is a common marker for the end of morning based on sunlight and timekeeping.
- Cultural wake times, breakfast hours, and religious rituals also influence perceptions.
- Work schedules and transportation services often use morning cutoffs between 9am to noon.
So in the end, the exact time morning ends will depend on individual needs and preferences. But late morning from 9am to 11am covers the transitional period where morning is winding down and afternoon is on the horizon.
