The First Question
On all other holidays , we participate in some ritual prayer or activity . Why on this holiday is the only ritual a meal ?
This year , as we sheltered in our homes during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic , many of us came to understand in ways we may not have before the power of sharing a meal with loved ones .
Some of us found ourselves joyfully eating dinner as a family far more than we had before .
Some of us found ourselves eating alone for weeks , even months on end .
Some of us took up baking and cooking as a way to soothe our anxious minds and hearts .
Some of us who feared going to grocery stores to shop found ourselves wondering how we would get food at all .
One thing is for certain : the pandemic has made all of us think a lot more about food and meals and the importance that they hold in our lives . As we share this special feast together , let us take a moment to appreciate what it means to have both food to eat and company with whom to eat it . Let us recognize the power of coming together to break bread as a community .
All great change in America begins at the dinner table .
RONALD REAGAN
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