It is not only the best meal of the week, it is often the only meal at which family members gather, talk, and eat together.
I came across this sentence last night as I was reading a book about Judaism by an American Jew. The author was obviously referring to the Friday Shabbat meal.
It reminded me of a conversation I had had a month earlier with a friend. During the holidays she had met a Belgian executive who had gone to the US on a business visit. He was there for several days and got invited to evening meals by several American colleagues. The thing that surprised him the most was that he shared a family meal in only home: that of an African-American family – who incidentally was also the only one where Grace was recited. I have no idea who the other families were.
In France family meals are an institution and if people cannot always eat lunch together they certainly try to do so for dinner. Those that do not are considered dysfunctional. In addition a lot of people do not have the TV on while eating. It is something I enjoyed as a child and still do now.
Is this totally different where you live or in your family?
Most Israelis traditionally have their main meal for lunch. However, since it’s very important to us to try and have at least one meal a day together as a family – even on weekdays – we still follow the American custom of having the mail meal for supper, when more of the family is likely to be home.
I think the American custom is slowly becoming the norm here since most moms work at least part of the time.
I look forward to our evening meals every day. I find myself explaining how I don’t like leaving my family at 7 pm. Friday nite meals are less enjoyable for me because I am too tired from preparing.
Hope you still enjoy your meal tonight despite unpacking, laundering and preparing.
I guess finding useful, reliable infortmiaon on the internet isn’t hopeless after all.
As Mrs. S. said, the main meal in Israel is lunch (is that true for Europe too?), tho for Shabbat, it seems as if things are switched. Friday night meal together is a big thing in Israel, whether a family is religious or not, while Shabbat lunch is less so. I also know families who have meat for Friday night dinner (Israelis usually have a lighter dairy or pareve meal for dinner) and a dairy lunch.
All meals are important in France!
I also know families who have meat for Friday night dinner and a dairy lunch.
That’s us tonight.