The origin of Rice and Stew on Sundays
why we eat rice on Sundays...
Hey dear!
It’s Sunday!
You don chop the rice and stew today?
Well, if you haven’t, then come to my house sharply for yours o.
So, while preparing today’s rice and stew, I was asking myself, “Why do we even prepare rice and stew on Sundays?”
Even though we probably eat or prepare rice and stew other days, Sundays feel special and everyone looks out for the rice and stew on Sundays.
I remember when we were quite little.
My parents weren’t that financially stable, but we still managed to eat rice and stew on Sundays.
Through the week, we would eat garri or any other thing but rice and stew.
As kids, we always looked forward to Sundays because we knew we would be having the meal of the week on that day.
While Mom would struggle to get us ready on other days for school, on Sundays, we got up ourselves and would even nudge my Mom on to make us go to church early.
Because we just couldn’t wait to get back and eat that special Sunday rice.
As I grew up, I carried on that notion of preparing rice on Sundays and even when I left my parent’s place, I still ensured I managed whatever I had so I could make and prepare rice and stew on Sundays.
This reminds me of a story I heard.
I cannot vividly remember the details, but I’ll try to share what I remember, which may be a bit modified.
A lady got married to a man and when she wanted to prepare a certain food, she cut it into two, closed the pot and started boiling.
When her new husband saw her do that, he asked why she had to cut it.
Because in his place, his mother never cut it.
She told him that was how her mother did it.
She had seen her mother prepare it like that over the years and just subconsciously did it that way as well.
They decided to call her Mom and asked her why she cut hers when she prepared it.
Her Mom answered the call and told them she didn’t know, that she herself learnt it from her own Mom. She saw her Mom do it like that and just thought that was how it was supposed to be done.
The new wife’s Mom then decided to call her own Mom and asked her why she cut the food before cooking it.
The old woman then narrated why.
“We had no money to buy a bigger pot then, so I had to cut it to fit into my tiny pot, so I could cover the pot and cook.”
Wow
2 generations carried on the trait without knowing WHY.
I have seen a lot of people conform and bend to certain dictates without asking WHY.
All in the name of “not wanting to be rude.”
The Nigerian mentality has mostly rubbed off on most of us.
Silence now equates humility and speaking up means arrogance.
Wake up!
Enough of the silence.
Stop being mentally clogged down by dictates and rules you never set.
Always find out WHY!
Nice one and beautifully penned.
Well done.
Indeed we should always find out why so as to learn more and know more.