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Some people who have been given God's grace have stated that the knowledge imparted to them says that God has made everything here on this Earth, and there is a part of God in all things (including all living plants and animals). He has also given dominion of everything worldly to Man to act as the Good Shepherd. For his existence and sustenance Man requires the killing and eating of these living plants and/or animals (which God has made for Man and given him dominion over), and as such Man must give thanks to God for the sacrifice of these living things so that Man can exist and survive. According to some Man must give thanks to God for the sacrifices of other living things so that Man can exist, and this thanks is the "saying of Grace" prior to and/or after eating of any meal. The saying of grace as a Meme and religious practice may have entered into the English language Judeo-Christian cultures with the Jewish mealtime prayer Birkat Hamazon , though any number of cultures may have informed the practice or it may have arisen spontaneously by individuals and then perpetuated in family traditions and social institutions. The Transignification , Transubstantiation , Ganachakra and Agape Feast s may have informed the practice of grace. The American tradition of Thanksgiving In American Christianity the head of the household often ad libs a special grace on Thanksgiving , Christmas , and Easter while the others observe a Moment Of Silence . If one is not religious and the rest of the table is saying grace, it is considered to be polite and culturally appropriate to quietly observe or just bow one's head. It is often considered impolite or incorrect to start eating before grace has been said and completed. In some households it is customary for all at the table to hold hands during the grace. TYPICAL CHRISTIAN GRACE PRAYERS
JEWISH GRACE See Also: Birkat Hamazon With the destruction of the Temple In Jerusalem in 70 CE, the offering of the presribed sacrifices ceased in Judaism . Thereafter, the Rabbi s prescribed the substitution of other ritual actions to fill this void in Jewish obedience to the Torah . The ritural Washing Of Hands and eating of salted bread is considered to be a substitute for the sacrificial offerings of the Kohen im (Jewish priests). Though there are separate blessings for fruit, vegetables, non-bread grain products, and meat, fish, and dairy products, a meal is not considered to be a meal in the formal sense unless bread is eaten. The duty of saying grace after the meal is derived from : "And thou shalt eat and be satisfied and shalt bless the Lord thy God for the goodly land which he has given thee." Verse 8 of the same chapter says: "The land of wheat and barley, of the vine, the fig and the pomegranate, the land of the oil olive and of {Link without Title} syrup." Hence only bread made of wheat (which embraces spelt) or of barley (which for this purpose includes rye and oats) is deemed worthy of the blessing commanded in verse 10. After the meal, a series of four (originally three) benedictions are said. OTHER PRE-MEAL SAYINGS In Japan it is customary to put one's hands together and say " Itadakimasu " ('receive' humble) before a meal. Muslims say Bismillah Ar-Rahman, Ar-Raheem . NOTES EXTERNAL LINKS
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