Past to Present: Food and Its Connection to Celebration
Food has always been an important part of our lives. Not only do we consume food every day (second breakfast, anyone?), it is also featured prominently in festivities and celebrations. Besides filling us up, why do we celebrate with food? The reason is simple. It’s because food brings us closer. It unites us. Sharing a meal over a dinner table can give us a shared point of relevance. It doesn’t even strictly need to be sharing the same food. Food gives us a reason to occupy the same space at the same time, an example being a cafeteria at lunch break. Therefore, food, and the need to eat to survive, has bound us together. We bring different food along wherever we go depending on the occasion, such as in picnics, and we are keen to try out different foods while on vacation. Food is highly appreciated and integrated into our lifestyles, and all it takes is a simple search on YouTube to pull up numerous recipes and tutorials. It is not uncommon nowadays to see social media feeds peppered with restaurant or café recommendations, and there have been many blogs dedicated to reviewing good food. And it isn’t only while we’re living that food is important. The importance of food has been prevalent in our lives since childhood, and it remains relevant throughout our lives. Even in death, the importance of food carries into our afterlife. As National Geographic puts it, “Consider the cultures that leave delicacies graveside to let the departed know they are not forgotten.”
