In French culture, the cinq à sept tradition historically referred to the time of day when lovers met for a tryst. This concept emerged during France's (1871–1914), operating under unspoken social rules that allowed for extramarital affairs provided they were conducted with sophisticated discretion.
: Meeting for dinner at 8:00 p.m. was seen as crossing a line into a serious relationship that might threaten a primary marriage.
The concept has inspired two major cinematic works that explore the weight of these two hours. Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962) - BFI