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 Russian, 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.
