Many historians believe that brunch can trace its history back to the "hunt breakfasts" of 1800's England. The meals would be composed of hearty, filling, and calorie dense foods to give men the energy the needed for numerous hours of hunting. 

    Hunt breakfasts in the 1800's didn't look much different than a meal that one might find in their favorite brunch spot today. Hunters would feast on multiple courses of assorted meats, chicken livers, eggs, fruits and sweets. Many historians believe that the tradition was brought over from England with immigrants, and evolved into the brunch we know now. 

     There are, of course, other ideas about brunch's origins. Another theory is that Sunday church-goers would fast before mass, and thus be voraciously hungry after church. This led to large, diverse spreads of food after church that included foods from both breakfast and lunch, to satiate appetites of all varieties. 

     Both of theories are widely accepted as the two most likely reasons brunch came about, but they are only part of the reason for its widespread popularity. While a good amount of the popularity for brunch comes from the obvious reasons such as convenience and social reasons, there were also a couple of other factors that helped boost brunch's reputation. 

     The first of these factors was the stars of 1930's Hollywood. When working on transcontinental projects, Midwestern restaurants became places that the rich and famous would frequent in the early afternoon, often after a long morning of traveling from one coast to the other. Chicago, one of the largest hubs for train and air transportation became one of the American centers for brunch.

     The burst in popularity that finally cemented brunch into its place in American culture came around during World War II. With married women entering the work force in staggering numbers, many women would relieve themselves of household duties on the weekends, making brunch a logical and relaxing way to feed a family on Sunday mornings, especially after church. 

     Brunch today is a far-cry from it's practical hunt-fueling roots, as it has become more of a social event, despite the brunch-goers reasons for partaking in the mid-day meal. No matter the motivation behind it, it's clear, brunch is here to stay.