NATIONAL SUNDAY SUPPER MONTH

NATIONAL SUNDAY SUPPER MONTH

Each year in January, National Sunday Supper Month kicks off the new year with new and old traditions. The month encourages families and friends to gather every Sunday for a homecooked meal, companionship and rejuvenate connections to the ones we love.

Though the Sunday Supper is a waning tradition, it was once an opportunity after a hectic week for families to gather to spend time together and share stories about their week. National Sunday Supper Month and the Sunday Supper Movement resolve to bring back this family tradition.

Sunday Suppers do not have to be complex. Everyone is invited to create their own version of Sunday Supper and contribute in their own way. Bring the kids to the kitchen to help cook. Take turns hosting from week to week, and at the end of the evening, everyone helps with the dishes. What better way to get ready for the new week than to enjoy the company of those nearest and dearest to you?

HOW TO OBSERVE #SundaySupperMonth

Gather with family or friends and prepare a meal together. Savor each other's company around the supper table. While enjoying your meals and company, you can also:

• Coordinate schedules for the week ahead.

• Share your experiences from the past week.

• Plan meals.

• Share recipes with guests.

• Explore different cuisine from other cultures.

Use #SundaySupper to post a photo of your setup on social media. Life gets busy, and it can be hard for families and friends to come together, sit down and enjoy a meal together. But if you can make time to do so, you will never regret it!

NATIONAL SUNDAY SUPPER MONTH HISTORY

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 times 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."