Breakfast

Breakfast pages here are about the customs that open the day, not the menu. Who sits down first, whether grace or a greeting comes before the first bite, whether the household eats together or in shifts, and which first drink is poured for a guest are the things that differ most from place to place. For what is actually cooked and eaten, see Thali, our food guide.

The first gathering

In many homes breakfast is the one time the household is certain to meet. Some families wait for the eldest to start, some begin with a blessing or a short prayer, and in several cultures a guest staying overnight is served before anyone else. In others breakfast is solitary and quick, and the custom is simply to leave the table tidy for the next person.

Weekend and festival mornings

A slow weekend breakfast with extended family, an Eid morning visit, a New Year's first meal eaten in a set order, or the meal that ends a Lenten fast all carry their own rules. These customs mark the day more than the table does, and they are the ones people remember and hand down.