HOW DO WE SHARE A MEAL
This question provokes a variety of images in our minds, especially during the current state of our world. For many of us, our traditional meals and the way in which we enjoy this time together has changed over the last 6 months. A dining table used to be a place where families would come together and chat about their day, while enjoying a meal together. However, today we are spending all our time at this same table. Working, studying, schooling, eating, playing and cleaning. This leaves us with very little conversation topics, and for some, a lonely meal time.
Our current foyer display was an opportunity to discover similarities and differences in the way we share meals. At a sit-down dinner, the family reminisces about the many events they have shared over the day and the years. Sometimes the stories are short, other times long winded and sometimes embellished!!!
At the eucharistic meal the community reminisces about Jesus and retells this story during the ‘Liturgy of the Word’. At a table at home the family shares food and drink; at the eucharistic meal the community shares the story of Jesus and remembers his love, care and sacrifice for us through the body and blood of Christ.
The members of the Catholic community include everyone; old and young, men and women, boys and girls; all held together in a ‘Holy Communion’, united in their belief in Jesus, their Catholic faith, in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and in their common sharing of the one bread and the one cup.
During this Remote Learning time our Junior students have been learning the different words for fruit, vegetables, drinks and other food items. They are also starting to look at how the Japanese culture shares a meal together. The Japanese use chopsticks in place of knives and forks and they often sit on a tatami mat around a low table.
The Japanese show great respect for those who made the meal by saying the words- ”ita da ki masu” prior to eating. Not that dissimilar to Catholic families saying ‘Grace’ before a meal. The Year 2 students made some Felt-Sushi before we commenced the Remote Learning Program for a second time. We are grateful for their contribution to this display.
Many parallels can also be made with our local indigenous communities and their meal sharing traditions. Even children who live in the heart of Alice Springs will often venture out to see extended family on weekends and experience eating around a fire, under the stars and engaging in their traditional language.
The aboriginal women gathered the plant foods, garden foods, eg. yam, taro, cassava, wild yams, eggs, shellfish and small animals whilst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men fished and hunted for larger land and sea animals such as dugong, kangaroo and turtles.
Learning about daily survival, including food-gathering practices, began at an early age for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. From the time they are born, children are included with the collection of food and other daily chores. Perhaps since the Covid-19 restrictions have come in place there has been a change in your children contributing more to the household chores too? (Let’s hope so!)