In her new cookbook, The Family Dinner, Laurie David talks about the importance of families making a ritual of sitting down to dinner together, and how family dinners offer a great opportunity for meaningful discussions about the day's news. "Dinner," she says, "is as much about digestible conversation as it is about delicious food."
We couldn't agree more. So HuffPost has joined with Laurie to launch a new feature we're calling HuffPost Family Dinner Downloads. Every Friday afternoon, just in time for dinner, our editors highlight one of the most compelling news stories of the week -- stories that will spark a lively discussion among the whole family.
* * *
This week, families across the world have gathered for meals and celebrations for Passover or Easter Sunday. With more family and friends at the dinner table, the atmosphere and conversation can be much different than the more frequent gatherings of just our immediate families. Topics that are common at the daily dinner table may be taboo at larger gatherings, and recounting family stories and memories is all too rare during the usual family dinner.
Over the years, the rules for what topics are appropriate and what are not have evolved significantly. For example, there used to be three things you were never supposed to talk about at the dinner table, but younger generations would be hard-pressed to even name what these are now, let alone avoid talking about them. These differences are even more evident at larger family events when many generations gather.
Does the old rule of three topics never to discuss still apply? Can you name what they were? Do you think any new topics should be added to that list? What are three things your family always talks about at dinner? What should your family never talk about at dinner? Does the conversation change at holidays when extended family is around? Ask your aunts, uncles, or grandparents to tell you a family story you haven't heard. What are the two most told stories about your grandparents? What's the most told story about you growing up?
* * *
To see last week's Family Dinner Download, click here.
Subscribe to receive HuffPost Family Dinner Downloads by email every Friday afternoon.
For more tips and recipes, check out The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time by Laurie David and Kirstin Uhrenholdt (thefamilydinnerbook.com).