A table grace is a small prayer of gratitude—or table grace is the quality of a table that is set with love and attention, which invites guests in through the grace of its arrangement. Either way, table grace is a way of making a meal a moment of connection and care.
How do you express grace at the table?
I don’t, really. I generally eat lunch and supper with my family and sometimes breakfast as well. None of them would be comfortable with me praying at that time. While we do set decorations on the table at certain times of the year (Advent/Christmas, spring equinox/Easter, sometimes Halloween), they generally annoy my father because he thinks the get in the way. Thus, I’m not going to push for them at other times in the year. Eating a meal together is about as much grace my family can muster.
I’ve noticed that there are some of my friends who often want to say grateful words at the beginning of a meal. They are usually of a thankful nature that represents having the grace of enjoying the food that is available and the people who are together. I sometimes recognize my company in this way. I like the style of those who are of Latino extraction; in Peru, for instance, at the END of a meal, when the party is leaving from a restaurant, they often take their leave from the other guests by saying to them: “Buen Provecho!” which means “enjoy your meal (too)”. The sense of community in this way provides a good feeling among all!
That’s interesting. Here in Germany, it’s common before a meal to wish someone a good appetite or that the meal will taste good – not the whole restaurant full of strangers, but people one knows even when they are not eating at the same table or the same time. My family in particular doesn’t do so as often, however.
Thanks, Martin, for your response. It makes me remember that people in different parts of the world often have similar customs even though they vary in style. It is said that in regard to folktales, there are different versions of the same theme many times, such as the Cinderella story.