Feast Days And Potlucks

Reader Contribution by Cindy Conner

Feast days are when we celebrate special occasions with special foods. I think whenever we eat food we have grown ourselves in ways that replenish the earth is a cause for celebration. If you don’t grow it yourself you could acquire it from growers who are following sustainable practices. You can find some of those growers in your area at www.LocalHarvest.org. We need to pause in reverence for what we are about to eat to remind ourselves what a gift it is to be able to grow this food to nourish our bodies.

You could declare a feast day, even if it is only you at the table, but gathering with others makes it even better. Potlucks are a great way to celebrate occasions. Everyone brings food to share and takes the leavings back home. Too often at gatherings, however, the plates, silverware, and cups are disposable, generating large bags of trash. It doesn’t have to be like that. Since everyone is bringing their large dish of food, they can just as well bring their own non-disposable plate, silverware and cup. Provide a compost bucket for food scraps and there is no trash, making your celebration a zero waste event. If you are planning a large event you can get more ideas by searching “zero waste events” on the internet. Some organizations trying to green up their act are looking at diminishing or eliminating trash at their gatherings.

You don’t need to attend a potluck to take your own table service. Whenever I go to a gathering with food I take my own plate, silverware, and cup. I have often been the only person in line holding a non-disposable plate brought from home, but that opens the way for a conversation on the matter — if anyone notices, that is. Some years back my daughter made me a kit from her old blue jeans that contained two dishes, two each of spoons, forks, and knives, and two cloth napkins. You can see it in the photo. I used to grab what I needed from the cupboard each time, but having the kit at the ready makes it easier to remember. If your car usually transports you to these events, you might leave such a kit there so you will always be prepared. Read more about feast days and potlucks at Homeplace Earth.

Learn more about Cindy Conner and what she’s up to atwww.HomeplaceEarth.wordpress.com.

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