How We Eat

My daughters laugh about it today: «We weren't allowed to sing at the table!?!«. Smacking our lips, greasy hands, elbows on the table were also forbidden – when I think about it today, I feel that mealtimes were the areas with the most rules and regulations in our otherwise, in my opinion, relatively liberal and relaxed family.

Eating together and watching television at the same time was an absolute no-go. Now, when my adult daughters come to visit, they sometimes want to have dinner together in front of the TV. And I'm torn. I find it both very, very awful and extremely relaxing!

When we had a guest student from the US in the 1980s, she told us that it was a new experience for her that we sat down together as a family at the table three times a day to eat. At her home, each person would make something to eat when they were hungry. I still remember my mother's reaction: «That's terrible! Where's the family life in that?»

Eating habits: It's not just cultures that differ, but also individual families and colleagues. Eating during an online conference? Being invited to eat with others – what are the customs and traditions there? It's exciting. Eating together brings people together. The German word Kumpan is derived from the Latin companio (cum panis, «with bread»). So my friend is the one with whom I share my bread. What a beautiful meaning!

In this issue of Erziehungskunst, we take a broader view. We begin with an article about bread and its relevance in cultural history, religion, and literature. My daughter Klara gives us an insight into how young girls and women are influenced in their eating habits on TikTok. Jürgen Beckmerhagen points out that by no means all Waldorf schools require their students to do a kitchen internship. Heidi Käfer visited Wendland, where the anthroposophically influenced and very contemporary company Voelkel Säfte is based. Anne Brockmann spoke with a nutritionist. And Christina Reinthal from Freunde der Erziehungskunst (Friends of the Art of Education) describes the topic of food in Waldorf schools in the Global South.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue and have a sweet September!