National Sunday Supper Day is observed annually on the second Sunday in January, on January 9 this year, to encourage families to gather around the table to enjoy time together and bond over a meal.
The founder of National Sunday Supper Day started the movement that led to registering the holiday as a way to stay close to her oldest daughter, who left home for college.
She inspires people to return to the traditional value of shared meals and family times. Her hope is that one shared meal a week will lead to more of them in homes.
History of National Sunday Supper Day:
Isabel Laessig is the founder of the Sunday Supper Movement and the Food and Wine Conference.
A mother of four, she was inspired to start her blog, Family Foodie, when her oldest left for college, and the things she would miss most about home would be the time spent in the kitchen and around the table with family.
In 2012 Laessig and eight other bloggers and their families celebrated the first virtual Sunday Supper with a progressive dinner.
According to Laessig, she and these eight bloggers are “passionate about bringing families together to cook and eat together.”
How to celebrate National Sunday Supper Day:
On A Family Date: Start the tradition in a small way by gathering your immediate family for a Sunday Supper. You can begin by shopping together for the ingredients, cooking, and enjoying the meal later on. The menu does not matter, the time you spent together as a family is the fulcrum of the observances.
Expand Your Family: If some of your friends or colleagues have lost their family, invite them to your family dinners and welcome them like your own family.
Dine On A Theme: To keep the suppers interesting, select a country and its cuisines for your family gatherings. You can also wear the traditional costume of the country and have a blast with music.
How to observe National Sunday Supper Day:
Invite friends and family over to spend the day preparing a Sunday Supper. While you’re preparing supper, discuss plans for continuing the tradition next week.
Take turns and find ways to spend more time enjoying each other’s company over a meal. Create bonds that will last a lifetime.
Interesting facts of National Sunday Supper Day:
- Isabel organized the first virtual Sunday Supper event in 2012.
- Isabel appears regularly on shows such as the Daytime TV Show on NBC, The Morning Blend on ABC, and the Family Foodie and the “Great Tampa Bay” on CBS.
- Isabel’s grandmother’s cooking was one of the factors that kindled her love for cooking.
- Isabel’s website features an index of Sunday Supper Recipes and cookbooks to make life easier when it comes to deciding the menu. Giveaways and contests can also be found on the site.
