Why We Love Sunday Dinners

If I could snatch one day from the week and make it slow down, it would always be Sunday. Broke, tired, hungry, and all things Dickens, Sunday dinners are the dependable staple that allow you to check yes on the adult ticket in an otherwise hectic schedule.   Whether you’re looking for a home atmosphere or a reason to justify the purchase of a crock-pot, Sunday dinners will reinstate a feeling of stability in your life.

So why are Sunday dinners so great? A little mashed potatoes getting frisky with the butter and green beans getting familiar with some pot roast. Maybe a faux fireplace blazing in the background while the butler plays some smooth jazz. The reason we love Sunday dinners is because something about slicing through tender pork makes you feel like everything you wanted to accomplish is possible: your week will start out with the exact amount of productivity you envisioned. Siblings and strawberry shortcake surround you and everything just confirms that you’re in the right place.

It’s empowering really, to sit back in a wooden chair with a napkin in your lap, thinking about the upcoming week. After so many nights of stretching pasta into as many combinations as possible, it’s relaxing to let someone else cook you a meal. All those Mondays and Tuesdays of trying to convince people that you like Ranch on your pasta? Let those thoughts slide off your plate like the balsamic glaze dripping off your expensive spinach.

To really make the most of a Sunday dinner go to your family’s house, or a close friend, or really just anyone that will offer. Take the beautiful spread in with a sweeping glance; knowing that, after this week and a couple of decades of super-charged efficiency, you too will probably be able to afford a luxurious lifestyle and satin tablecloths.

It’s not so much an intake of comfort and calories, but really a religious rite that encapsulates all things American: steak knives, two ovens in one kitchen, and the freedom to put as much gravy as you want on your plate. Without Sunday dinners, where would we be?

Sunday dinners are a patriotic display that reaffirms our faith, and I firmly support the continuance of the love affair. It brings together all the elements that combine to make you assured of the magnitude you are. Three essays, two puppy shelters to hit, and a grandmother to visit? All doable thanks to the wonderful Sunday dinner you had to kick off your week. So tuck in when it’s around sunset on a Sunday, and bless this beautiful American tradition with some brussel sprouts and salt.