Saying Grace at mealtimes

[TheTecknician]

This is something that went on in my primary school (first two years only) nearly fifty years ago and I believe is still a custom among Christians, at least in the USA. I just wondered if it is also a custom beyond Christianity ? Obviously I wouldn't expect atheists to participate but perhaps Jews and Muslims as they are Abrahamic along with Christians?

I'm not religious myself, just curious. Thankyou.

Even though I live alone I usually have a slightly 'special' dinner on Sunday, including saying Grace - also say it other days as the spirit moves me. I say the traditional:
Bless us oh Lord and these thy gifts, which of thy bounty we are about to receive, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

I stick with us and our even when it's just me, but also add in a prayer for all who ate round the table, or who shared food under this roof. So a bit of a sense of community.

Occasionally when strangers are visiting I'll invite them to do the Quaker thing of sharing a few moments of silence before we all dive in.

@MargaretThursday - Back in 1999, when my DD started junior school, they had a Victorian Day. She came home and told us all about it enthusiastically - the strict teacher, the chanting of times tables, the spoonful of brimstone-and-treacle she was given because she looked "very pale".

She concluded, "And then at 20 past 3, Miss T made us all sing a prayer: Now the day is over, night is drawing nigh / Shadows of the evening steal across the sky." Full stop.

I promptly sang back to her: "Now the darkness gathers, stars begin to peep / Birds and beasts and flowers soon will be asleep. ...Aaaaa-men!"

I had to make it clear to her, before she reported back to Miss T with the additional words, that I did NOT go to school in Victorian times but the late 1960s!

My dd asked my mil very loudly in the middle of a wedding (without I will add any prompting from us) "Grandma, do you remember the Great Fire of London?" 😂

My dc still enthusiastically tell people we were born "in the last century".

I had forgotten this but remember it now.

Growing up mum would say ‘shall we say Grace’ on Xmas/Easter and us kids would find it hilarious to yell ‘Grace’.

When myself and DH moved in together (we were in the mists of having to attend church to get married…) we started to do Grace before dinner. We love it. It means we all wait for everyone to be seated before tucking in and it takes just a minute to say thanks for what’s going well/our family, to ask god to bless those less fortunate and any worries that we have.

To me dinner is sacred. It might only be bangers and mash but sometimes it’s the only time of the day to appreciate the moment/family time together. We don’t say grace if we’re having take away on the sofa/out in public/having guests over (unless we know they’ll be comfortable with it).

To me it’s just a really nice thing to do. Not necessarily the religious aspect but the giving thanks to each other/what we have.

Used to sing that one at Sunday School when I was little. I thought that it went "hands together softly soap" and that the "little eyes shut tight" was to stop the soap getting in them and stinging.....