Do you pray before eating dinner like they do in movies ?

27 comments

1. I use to when I was more religious.

2. We did when I was a kid. I don’t anymore though.

3. No.

4. When eating at home with my family, yes. Usually not for something like left overs tho, only like cooked meals.

5. I do with the kids and my family. It’s brief and not overwrought.

   “Bless us o lord and these thy gifts which we are about to receive through thy bounty through Christ our lord amen.”

   If it’s at a restaurant we just do it quietly so as not to bother anyone. At family gatherings it’s more of a big communal thing.

   If I’m out with friends who aren’t religious I just say it privately.

6. We do, briefly. We take turns picking one or making it up. Sometimes we use prayers from non-Christian traditions, and sometimes we get out of the habit.

7. Religious people probably do.

   Nonreligious people probably do not.

8. We do.

9. No. My family is far from religious.

10. Nope!

    when my religious mother came to visit, we all sat around having dinner, and a few bites in, she gasped, “Oh my word, we forgot to say grace!” and all four of my children piped in perfect unison,

    “GRACE!”

    and kept eating. I was so proud of them.

11. No. I don’t belong to a religion and never have.

12. My family did growing up, because my parents are Catholic. It was the rote classic “bless us o lord and these thy gifts…” standard. None of my siblings nor I pray before meals.

13. No. But I have religious family members that always do. (And growing up, it was common to see and participate in.)

14. The religious members of my family do.

    The non religious members of my family do not.

    The religious members are usually in charge of major family gatherings so the non religious just chill during the prayer if one takes place.

15. Growing up, my family always has, every time. I am no longer religious so I don’t personally but when visiting my parents, they still do.

16. Growing up at my parents? yes. we weren’t even that religious but we always prayed.

    Now? I don’t.

17. My father was a pastor so I guess we fall under the religious people side of the equation. Growing up we did say a prayer before meals every time. You will hear this referred to as “Grace” or “Saying/asking the blessing”. I went to a religious summer camp every year, the campers and staff had a communal prayer that we sang to the tune of “Edelweiss” before every meal in the dining hall. As an adult working in the restaurant industry I can tell you that it is not uncommon to see people saying grace before they eat at restaurants, most people don’t make a big show out of it. The majority of the people that say grace regularly do so as a quiet personal thing with their families, as it is part if their own convictions and speaking from experience have no desire to force anyone at their table or around them to participate.

18. It’s pretty common but I don’t.

19. Yes but it’s not very formal at my house. Quick prayer when everyone sits down and then we eat

20. When I was a Christian I did. It’s pretty common.

    Edit – Common for Christians I meant.

21. Maybe it’s just because I’m in the Midwest, but praying before dinner is really, really common. A lot of people just say the standard ” bless us oh Lord…”, but other more formal gatherings will have someone lead everybody in a prayer. When everybody else bows their head, I am one of those who look around and try to make eye contact with the other heathens. A family praying in a restaurant is less common, but not unheard of.

22. I do when I can remember to but no it’s not like in the movies lol

23. When it’s Shavos, it’s time to pray. I do pray at dinner sometimes.

24. When we’re with my parents or my husbands parents we do because they do. When we’re on our own, we don’t.

25. My hippy parents sang a song in Latin that didn’t specifically mention God or Jesus.

    My wife’s evangelical family said a prayer.

    We now do both traditions at home with our kids.

26. I can’t say anything about people with other faiths, but people who are catholic definitely do. I remember praying before every meal at my catholic granny’s house, but that was because she was, ya know, super catholic.

27. Yes, but I’m a candidate for ordained ministry in my denomination.