Time of day.

[Madmonks]

We know when morning ends and afternoon begins ( it's in the name ...after noon!) but when does afternoon end and evening begin? When does evening end and night begin? When does night end and morning begin and why do we say that the early hours of the morning are in the middle of the night?

[grasscarp]

Afternoon turns to evening around 6pm in the way people describe things. Meeting early evening would mean anything from about 6pm onwards. Night is just a description of when it gets dark. Summer evenings extend quite a long time until nightfall. The early hours of the morning are still in the dark, so it can also still be described as nighttime. All this is only my opinion I hasten to add.

[Madmonks]

Grasscarp, why 6pm? Also if 12pm is MIDNIGHT ( the middle of the night) then why is 1am known as one o'clock in the morning and not one in the night?

[Trevilino]

The problem with time is that there's only a.m. and p.m. so anything a.m is described as in the morning even if it's in the middle of the night e.g. 1:00 a.m which is actually night as far as I'm concerned.
At the equator you'll have 12 hours daylight and 12 hours sunlight. Not been to the equator but it probably gets dark around 6pm and light around 6am making 12.00a.m the middle of the dark period or night (Hence midnight). I think it's all a matter of opinion but a general rule of thumb would be morning - 3 a.m. to 12 p.m, afternoon 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., evening 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and night 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.
As I said it's a matter of opinion and I don't think there's any logic applied whatsoever.

[Madmonks]

This may, or may not , be of help to anyone trying to get a definitive answer to this brain burner!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Parts_of _a_day

[grasscarp]

OK - so when I said 6pm you questioned me as to why. When wikipedia, which is written by amateurs says it you think it is so good you want to show us!

[Madmonks]

Grasscarp,
don't get so touchy. I only asked why you think it is 6pm. I didn't say you were wrong . Anyway Wikipedia doesn't give 6pm as a definitive time for evening to start, it gives a range of 4-6pm. What was intended as a thought provoker has been taken as a challenge to integrity and isn't worth getting worked up about, please take this in the lighthearted way it is intended.

[grasscarp]

My comment was meant in a jokey way too. That's the trouble with the written word - we cant add tones or smiles!

[Madmonks]

ok :-)