Holidays bring family and friends together. Sharing a meal, hosting a potluck, bringing food to add to the table, or gifting food to others brings comfort and joy. Whether seated at the table to eat together, or eating at different times, food brings conversation forth along with laughter, stories, and shared memories.
Meal sharing includes: potlucks, hosted events, deliveries in times of loss, and community-prepared meals. Shared food, bread broken together, and desserts delighted in can create community for the hours of being and eating together. Family traditions of welcoming guests to celebrate holidays can become legendary, with remembered event-day stories told at weddings, birthdays, and life celebrations for decades to come.
Potlucks. Everyone has a favorite dish to make and take to a potluck. Miraculously, there are rarely repeats and surprisingly the food groups end up being covered for well-rounded meals. Themed potlucks, dessert-only potlucks, and Thanksgiving Dinners are showered with variety when everyone brings a favorite recipe, or a flavorful store-bought treat. If cooking is not your gift, build a music playlist as a unique way to contribute to the potluck experience.
Host provides all. When invited to a fully prepared dinner, consider gifting the hostess with a bottle of wine, a sparkling cider, decorative napkins, or kitchen towels. For an ice-cream party, contribute toppings and napkins. For an outdoor dining experience, gift a candle to keep bugs and mosquitos away. When a hostess says “You don’t need to bring anything,” consider the person. Does it mean truly “bring nothing” or will the person be delighted that you brought something for another time? Host note overheard at a potluck: “If I bring a bottle of wine, I expect the party host to open it and share it with all the guests.”
Support in times of trouble or loss. Year-round, people experience challenges or losses that can be more easily managed by receiving a food dish or an entire meal. When struggling, the thought of planning a meal and making food can be overwhelming. Gifts of food that meet the person’s/family’s dietary needs can lift spirits as well as being logistically helpful. Schedule a time for the delivery or deliver the foods in animal-proof, temperature-keeping containers so the recipients are ready for this supportive gift.
Community meal-prep and sharing. Families on the go with children heading in all directions sometimes team up to prepare meals for their own and several neighbors’ families. This meal sharing approach has saved families time and money. Food-safe storage containers rotate from family to family so that everyone doesn’t have to own extra containers. What recipes can you double the batch on without having to spend extra time? Which foods have neighbors said “Love this” and you could make that food again to share?
A shared meal restores hope. The gift of food inspires joy. Making meals together and sharing mealtimes creates memories for lifetimes!
Food Gifts. Make a special family recipe, or an item that includes your recipe with the gift. A sourdough yeast starter, berries, garden produce, or a box full of food, can be good for the tummy and the soul!