Many Russian words are unfairly 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.
Monastic table
Translated from Greek, the word trapeza is translated as a table. If we talk about the meaning of this word in Russian, then most of the explanatory dictionaries and encyclopedias determine that this is a meal associated with the monastery table. A meal in a monastery, a common table in a monastery, a dining room in a monastery - that is what a meal is. With the popularization of religious traditions in Russia, churches began to create rooms where you can dine and buy fresh pastries. They are also called refectories.
What is a meal? Russian Encyclopedia
It is interesting to define this concept from the point of view of behavior at the table, etiquette. "Meal" in the Russian encyclopedia is interpreted as a feast with the obligatory observance of the principles of goodness and piety.
According to the data, in the peasant mind the word "table"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, for some reason, they moved to another hut. 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. They were further ranked by seniority. In very large families, the table was laid twice. This is what a 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 (holiday meal, Easter meal), memorial dinner (commemoration meal). This usage of the word is not very common.
It is worth noting that there is such a thing as the "last meal", which is a special meal served to a person sentenced to death.
However, this is not a complete definition of what a meal is. These are just the most common uses of the word. The "meal of the church" is also called the lower end of the cross against the altar. It was in this place that the Love Supper was celebrated in the first centuries of Christianity.
In modern language, the word is quite common"shabby". It is understood by us as something dirty, worn out, worn out (for example, a shabby look). In church traditions, the word "shabby" is understood as simple, fraternal, everyday.
