Many Russian words are unjustly forgotten. In particular, to answer the question of what a meal is, many of us will need some time to think. Of course, each of us knows that this word means a certain meal. However, not everything is as simple as it seems at first glance.
Monastery table
Translated from the Greek word trapeza translates as a table. If we talk about the meaning of this word in the Russian language, then most of the explanatory dictionaries and encyclopedias determine that this is a meal associated with the monastery table. Eating in the monastery, a common table in the monastery, a room for eating in the monastery - this is what a meal is. With the popularization of religious traditions in Russia, churches began to create premises where you can dine and buy fresh pastries. They are also called refectory.
What is a meal? Russian encyclopedia
An interesting definition of this concept in terms of table behavior , etiquette. The "meal" in the Russian encyclopedia is interpreted as a feast with the obligatory observance of the principles of piety and piety.
According to the data, in the peasant consciousness the word “table” was associated with God's throne in the church. This piece of furniture was perceived by ordinary people as a shrine, it was he who was brought into the room first when they moved to another hut for some reason. Putting it in a red corner, people always said a prayer on four sides. Directly "under the saints" sat the head of the family or a respected guest. Further placed by seniority. In very large families, the table was set twice. This is what the Russian meal looked like until the end of the 19th century.
General concept
Along with the fact that this word was widely accepted in church circles, in traditional Russian culture, a meal also meant a joint meal (together with family members or a group of people) and even a form of everyday communication between people.
It is also known that the word "meal" could be used in relation to festive food (festive meal, Easter meal), funeral dinner (funeral meal). This use of the word is not very common.
It is worth noting that there is such a thing as “last meal”, which is a special meal served by a person sentenced to death.
However, this is far from a complete definition of what a meal is. These are just the most common uses of the word. The “table of the church” is also called the lower end of the cross against the altar. It was in this place that the Supper of Love was celebrated in the first centuries of Christianity.
In modern language, the word "shabby" is quite common. It is understood by us as something dirty, worn, worn out (for example, a shabby appearance). In church traditions, the word "shabby" is understood as simple, fraternal, everyday.