What is the best way to instantly ruin a family meal?

Many Arabic people consider the extended family rather than the nuclear one to be their only understanding of the family concept.

The Arabic family consists of :

Husband, wife and children

WIFE's in laws:

Husband‘s parents

Husband's Grandparents

Husband ‘s Uncles

Husband's Aunts

Husband's Nephews

Husband's Nieces

Husband ‘s Cousins

HUSBAND ‘s in laws:

Wife's Parents

Wife's Grandparents

Wife's Uncles

Wife's Aunts

Wife's nephews

Wife's nieces

Wife's cousins

AND very close friends of every member of the clan that are in the Arabic culture considered part of the Family:)

An Arabic Family gathering for a meal will pretty much account for around thirty five people sharing the same table!

Even if sharing the same culture the understanding of many topics are different because of the differences in generations and genders.

So the best way to instantly ruin a family meal is to have that many members of an Arabic Family dining together and discussing a topic.

Let's say that they are talking about how much the younger Arabic generation has been forgetting about its culture and traditions and is instead adopting the occidental way of living.

Pretty much everyone says “there is no more respect towards the elders"

This sentence will instantly trigger a heated discussion or should I rather say a monologue of twenty or more family members arguing, shouting and talking at the same time, and not listening to anyone but oneself.

Mothers scolding their children for not respecting them anymore,

Aunties and Uncles complaining that their nephews and nieces are not visiting them anymore,

Grandmothers asking if anyone felt like having more chicken, bread or bureks,

Grandfathers sipping their mint tea,

Fathers reminding all, that when younger they respected their elders and that they still do.

And the younger generation?

Listening

Not talking

Not arguing

And acting

Totally respectful towards all elders.

Here we see that the younger generation is still as of today being very respectful to ALL.

But no one… NOTICES

Because everyone's busy ARGUING!

Arab people argue for the sake of arguing.

IT IS IN OUR GENES.

So the best way to avoid to instantly ruin a family meal, is simply to never ever have thirty or more Arabic family members share the same meal!

Amina Chentouf

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More about the author 

Amina is passionate about Art and Interior Design. She studied Law and Economics majoring in Business. She is a former small business owner.