The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices

by Casper ter Kuile

There is no better way to build community than to eat together. For millennia, humans have shared food. First they did so out of biological necessity by sharing the spoils of gathering and hunting, and later as an expression of kinship. By sharing the same bowl, potential rivals could demonstrate that neither would poison the other. Legend has it that this is also why we clink glasses before a meal. If, as our glasses or tankards touch, the liquid inside skips over from one into another, we can all be assured of our safety! Eating together has always been how we’ve done community. It’s a space and set time to be together, and the act of eating provides interruptions that move conversation organically or help temper awkward introductions. Filmmaker Nora Ephron, who directed my beloved You’ve Got Mail, famously wrote, “A family is a group of people who eat the same thing for dinner.”