It is evident that no living being can survive without eating. However, when it comes to people, not only the very fact of consumption but also the foods we consume and the ways in which we consume them make an impact on our lives. For us, eating is a process that can be very sacred, and it has traditionally been accompanied by rituals varying from culture to culture all over the world.
In order to expand on the topic, it is reasonable to try to take a deeper look at the notions of tradition and ritual. According to Cameron, traditions are objects, concepts, or patterns of behavior that continue to the present from the past (163). What motivates this continuation is people’s attachment “to a quality of pastness,” which enables them to want to preserve something and carry it forward (Cameron 163). There is no tradition without a person willing to hand it down. Consequently, if rituals have traditionally gone hand in hand with eating, that means that people have fixed affections upon them accompanying the process.
In its turn, the term ritual seems to be a more complex one. Crittenden, in the Food as Ritual video, notes that the field dedicated to the study of rituals presents a number of conflicting definitions of what it is. However, when using it in a discussion about food, ritual is considered to be a meaningful activity performed by a person in a particular way – be it a sequence or an accompaniment for an event. Crittenden argues that people need more than simply fueling – they need nourishing. That means the process of eating should be going with self-respect and a sense of purpose – and this is what rituals help to accomplish.
One example of rituals that we follow without thinking about it is the Easter activities we engage in every year. When my mom and I, alongside some other members of our extended family, get together to dye eggs, we perform rituals that have a history so long it predates Christianity. Hunting for eggs, which I do with my cousins, and filling small plastic ones with sweets are rituals that we in the United States adopted for Easter as well. Evidently, we also feast, as well as people from other countries – for example, Crittenden speaks about glorious celebrations featuring lots of different dishes that take place in the Czech Republic at Eastertime.
It is curious to note that rituals do not only include feasting – fasting is also one and it is integral to many cultures and religions. Everyone seems to have a friend – or at least know someone – who practices Islam and some of them choose to fast during the month of Ramadan. During that time, people refrain from eating during the daytime – more precisely – from dawn to daylight. Moreover, those who practice Jainism not only cease to eat but also aim at having no desire to eat whatsoever. My grandmother knew someone who practiced Jainism and, when asked about how tough it was, they answered that it was extremely tough but definitely worth it in their eyes.
Unfortunately, as both Cameron and Crittenden note, traditions and rituals distinctive to America explicitly have always been scarce. Cameron assumes that it is due to America’s desire to distinguish itself from Europe and find a separate identity, which has not fully come together yet (165). Crittenden indirectly concurs by saying that American eating culture is generally non-existent. Luckily, what one can always do is try to make up their own small rituals and incorporate them into everyday life. That is guaranteed to turn a mundane activity into something special and, therefore, make life a little better every day.
Works Cited
Cameron, Catherine M. “The Marketing of Tradition: The Value of Culture in American Life.” City & Society, vol. 1, no. 2, 1987, pp. 162-174.
Food as Ritual. Episode 21 of Food, Science, and the Human Body. Narrated by Alyssa Crittenden. The Great Courses, National Geographic, 2017.