For me, there is nothing better than a cup of tea in the morning and a good podcast. That, mixed with some fresh air, made the walk to the subway something I looked forward too (mostly). This, like many other activities, I did every day and took for granted. I find myself now missing these simple moments that defined my past life in this time of transition. I am of course not alone, all of our daily lives have been changed. Even if you are still leaving your home to go to work daily, the core components that made up your day are no longer there. We are all mourning this loss. It could have been yoga class before work, coffee from your favorite spot or drinks at your local bar on Friday evenings - we all had our rituals in place.
As humans we depend on rituals. Whether it is through our religion or our family, we pass down words, music, actions, celebrations and ceremonies. They define our identity and how we see ourselves in the world. We take comfort in the repetition of actions and plan our calendar by the holidays that we celebrate yearly. So, granted a morning cup of tea may not be on par with a thousand year old ceremony, but you get the point.
Preparing food could be considered one of the most important rituals. Whether it is the routine nature of chopping and stirring or the meaning of the dishes served. Each meal can be seen as a ceremony and we take comfort in the practice of eating with others. Celebratory drinks or a weekly dinner at that certain restaurant are often more about the ritual than the food or drink itself.
In times of transition, we may hold on to certain rituals that bring us comfort and create new ones to fit our current reality. This week we will be talking about what food is associated with the rituals in your lives as well as the rituals lost and the new ones created.