These days, brunch has proliferated across the world, especially into Asia and the Middle East on Sundays, but also on Fridays in Islamic and Middle-Eastern cultures. By the 1990s, the sacred end-of-the-week brunch was offered on Saturdays, too. “Some evidence suggests the American brunch was created in New Orleans,” says Ternikar, “while others claim that during the Gilded Age, we saw brunch first take off when city socialites such as Emily Post first brunched at the infamous Delmonico’s of Manhattan.” By 1939, as brunch became rooted in American culture, The New York Times proclaimed Sunday a two-meal day. But its true origins, however, are up for debate. By the 1920s, brunch spread across the Atlantic to New York City, Chicago, and New Orleans, explains Farha Ternikar, author of Brunch: A History. At the time, Beringer’s brunch was conceived as a lighter alternative to heavy, post-church Sunday meals-though the best-laid plans can go awry. In fact, it’s hard to remember a time when brunch didn’t exist (though it first appeared in England in an 1895 Hunter’s Weekly article, “Brunch: A Plea,” by author Guy Beringer). And with good reason-from the boozy drinks to the slower pacing (breakfast begins the day, brunch is the day), to the over-the-top dishes we might not otherwise eat, brunch, when done right, can be a truly satisfying meal.