The value of a family dinner
What part of the day does a family come together the most? Most families
choose to meet each night for a collective dinner. A nation's culture and
religious beliefs alter the dinner courses, time of the meal, and seating
arrangements. For example, Indian people eat in a their own unique dishes and
practice their own customs, which are separate from those of Japanese families.
Unspoken rules vary within the type of enviroment, diverse cultures and
different age groups. National traditions, each individual family's daily
routine and religions partake in the way people eat all across the world. A
family from Japan eats in a circle, and typically without chairs. Not to mention
the particular foods they eat differs from other countries. To compare, people
from India generally sit around a rectangular tables, with the older male
sitting at the end. In general sitting at the end of the table displays
knowledge and dominince over others. Not only different do nations play a role
in the family's routine, so can religion. For instance there comes a time of the
year when Islamic peoples have to fast from sun up to sun down. When they do
eat, before sunrise, they have a gigantic feast. They have everything from
chicken, vegstables, steak, fruits, and even desert, the same is also done after
the sun down for dinner. Aside from the table arrangements and food choices,
the age of the family members influences the expectations.
Age groups play a major role in table organization. The older generations
control the meal: the time, seating, and food options. Often the family, most
often the women, cook all day to prepare the food. They take pride in feeding
all of their children, and possibly grandchildren, a home cooked meal. Unlike
the older generations, the youth usually prefer a fast, efficient meal in order
to return to their previous actions. Studies show at least 2-3 times a week a
family goes out to dinner, or picks up fast food to take home. Eating out
depends on family's ability to afford the meals and the amount of time spent.
Amongst families, the younger generations are not as settled and cannot pay for
such extravagant outtings. Hectic lifestyles revolving around small children
force families to minimize the expenses and food preparation time. Coming from a
large family, I can tell you from experience. Growing up with four children to
feed, my mom felt the pressure to provide a well-cooked meal each day. Whether
it was going to basketball, football, or soccer practice, or possibly my sisters
dance practice or softball practice, we found it very difficult to find the time
to sit down every night. In some families differences in age, religion,
cultures, and income affect family dinners. Some families may hold divergent
beliefs in all aspects of life, but find the time to sit around a dinner table
and eat as one unit. In contrast, families love and value eachother just the
same but do not participate in family dinner every night of the week. No matter
the circumstances, family dinners bring all of the members together as a
unit.