You may think that the idea of everyday celebrations is a pipe dream. Who can pull off a sit-down dinner every day? It seems unworkable, both for two-parent families where both husband and wife work outside the home, and for those who are single. Shopping, cooking, cleaning up are just the tip of the iceberg. Even coming up with what to have for dinner can be challenging. And then to celebrate the spiritual dimensions of meals on top of it all?
“The meal is not something that Americans see as primary in their lives,” according to Darra Goldstein, editor in chief of Gastronomica, a food and culture journal. “Eating is something they do while they’re doing something else.” (“Takeout Transition: Restaurant used to be where folks would eat in,” The News Journal, June 19, 2007)
Phyllis Tickle writes that the changed dynamics of family life over the last three or four decades “translates to the complete reorientation of the evening hours in the family’s life. The solidifying bond of a shared meal is often sacrificed.” Tickle asserts that the change in family life also leads to the sacrifice of “the traditional time of family-based religious instruction and formation.” (Phyllis Tickle, The Great Emergence, p. 115)
We cannot turn the calendar back to the 1950s, even if we wanted to. Instead, we can re-configure mealtime. This blog is filled with suggestions for how to realistically get meals ready, tips for how meals can be more social (even for those who live alone), ideas to enhance the spiritual nature of eating, and of course recipes for succulent dishes.
Everyday celebrations are not only possible, but life-giving.
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