Altar Table

Lunar New Year 2021, digital format

(I)

In every Taiwanese grandma’s house, there is an old altar table. My grandma had one that is the size her altar room. it left no space to have chairs around it, as it was also supposed to.

As a common New Year’s Eve practice, the feast was first serviced on the altar table: for gods, ancestors or spirits… to enjoy. Only after that we would move the dishes to a normal dinner table, take seats and dig in.

(II)

It was, however, never clear that how much time our ancestors need to finish the meal. Sometimes we wait for 30 minutes, sometimes only 10. Do they feel unpleasantly rushed? Or are they one of those fast eaters. Maybe they also couldn’t stand the awkwardness at family gatherings.

My grandma, who is now sitting at the altar table, would know.