Perfect Formula for Christmas Grace and 21 Examples
Will you do the honors?
Everything is going so well for your first time spending the holidays with your partner’s family. You’re getting on with everyone, conversation is flowing, you’ve had a few gags and giggles, and the whole experience isn’t nearly as awkward or nerve-wracking as you thought it might be.
Until you sit down for dinner and discover your partner failed to mention their family says grace before dinner.
Holy wow!
What should I do? Will I have to say something?
What is Grace?
The concept of grace in this post relates specifically to the Chrisitan act of saying a prayer before mealtime.
Grace is meant to give thanks to God for his love toward a person who does not deserve it, in other words us as humans because we are sinners.
The act of saying thanks or grace, is meant to remind us we are living through the grace of somebody, in this case a higher power. It is meant to be a moment where we consider our blessings and give thanks because not everyone is as fortunate as we are even though they may work just as hard.
This little prayer before mealtime is a common occurrence in over half of America’s homes despite differences in politics, geography, rural or urban, race, or religious sect. Even for those who don’t consider themselves religious, you’ll overhear a few words of thanks prior to eating dinner.
Bless the food before us, the family beside us, and the love between us, Amen
The concept and meaning of grace can be as nuanced as you want it to be. For example, Paul Tripp breaks grace into 6 types:
- the grace of forgiveness (for the sins and wrongs we have done),
- grace of acceptance (being brought into God’s family through his love),
- grace of presence (feeling God is with us wherever we are through the Holy Spirit),
- grace of enablement (we are given power and strength in order to carry forth God’s message),
- grace of freedom (we are freed from sin through God’s enablement and love),
- grace of completion (being our whole selves comes through letting God into our lives and living with grace)
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When do you say Grace?
Grace commonly occurs at mealtimes, typically the ones eaten together as a family. It occurs when everyone has found their seat at the table and prior to devouring what is placed before you. You can see why mothers and grandmothers get testy at mealtimes for everyone to sit down, certainly so the food doesn’t get cold, but if you’re waiting to eat until after grace is said there’s a good chance the anticipation could upset Gramp’s pacemaker.
For some families, grace may only occur on special occasions or when observing religious holidays.
So, if you happen to attend a holiday party with friends or with family, even if you thought you knew what to expect there could be a chance you will be saying grace with them if it’s the holidays.
Is Grace like a Toast?
No.
A grace is said before a meal in the format of a prayer where you bow your head, often close your eyes, and either hold hands with the person beside you or rest them in your lap, and then either lead or listen as thanks and blessings are given for the meal you are about to eat, followed with everyone in the room saying “Amen”.
It is commonly only a few sentences, so your food doesn’t get cold and because everyone is antsy to eat. Grace is meant to be sincere, heartfelt and humble.
A toast on the other hand is typically said during dinner or between courses and is meant as a tribute to the event, the host, good fortunes or praise for an accomplishment, and best wishes for the future. A toast should be to the point and delivered when everyone is listening, so that they can come together at the end to “Cheers” in support of the messaging. A toast may be witty, light hearted, positive, and serious all at once.
A note: A toast that is given with no preparation can be extremely uncomfortable if it is trying to be funny or cute. Whereas grace requires thoughts from the heart and any “mistakes” are more apt to be forgiven.
Do I have to say something when grace is said?
As the guest of dinner, it is unlikely you will be asked to say grace. This prayer is typically led by an honored member of the family such as a Grandparent, Mother, Father or God Parent. However, some families take turns with who leads grace. Then again, depending on a family’s sense of humor they could test the new special guest, aka you, by leading the mealtime prayer.
Do not fret, much of what you are saying is thanks and it should be easy to come up with a few things you are thankful for if you’re put on the spot.
If you do happen to find yourself in the hot seat unexpectedly, check out the formula for grace I created for my husband to ease him into the production since he wasn’t as familiar with the whole concept early on in our relationship. There are also examples of grace below to help you draw inspiration from.
What do you say when saying grace?
Formula for grace
Thank you for the food we are about to eat. + Mention how fortunate you are to be with a wonderful family or friends + Thank the host + Send good wishes to all those less fortunate (you address someone or a group specifically if it feels natural) + Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays to all or God Bless the Cook + Amen
Inspiration for this year’s Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner Grace
Traditional Graces
ABCDEFG
Thank you, Earth
For feeding me.
______________
Our Father who art in heaven,
Thank you for family,
Thank You for friends,
Thank you for __________ ( fill in whatever name or title you like)
Not, Burning the food again.
Amen.
______________
My tummies a-rumbling
so I’ll stop this mumbling,
let’s eat!
______________
Lazarus rose,
Moses Led,
Noah built,
Jesus fed.
Amen
______________
Oh Lord, whose wondrous powers divine
turned humble water into wine;
whilst here on earth, we mortal men,
can only turn it back again.
______________
Good food,
Good meat,
Good God,
Let’s eat!
______________
Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost,
whoever eats fastest gets the most.
Funny Christmas Grace
From the smallest morsel
To this mega feast,
We are forever grateful,
We take time now
to give thanks
and ask for blessings on this table.
______________
Bless us, Oh Lord,
and these thy gifts,
which we are about to receive,
from thy bounty,
through Christ, Our Lord.
______________
Our dear Heavenly Father,
We thank thee for this food.
Feed our souls on the bread of life
and help us to do our part in kind words and loving deeds.
We ask in Jesus’ name.
______________
For food in a world where many walk in hunger;
For faith in a world where many walk in fear;
For friends in a world where many walk alone;
We give you thanks, O Lord.
______________
God, we thank you for this food. For rest and home and all things good. For wind and rain and sun above. But most of all for those we love.
___________
Earth we thank you
for our food,
For work and play and all that’s good,
For wind and rain and
sun above,
But most of all for those we love.
______________
Dear God,
We thank you for the wonderful food at this mealtime
And each flavour that we enjoy.
Thank you for the goodness of the vitamins to our bodies
And the energy we receive as we eat.
Please be with those children around the world who go hungry,
And bless the work of those who are trying to help them.
In the name of Jesus we pray,
Amen.
______________
God is great, God is good.
Let us thank him for our food.
By his hands, we are fed.
Let us thank him for our bread.
__________
Grace for Remembrance God,
O God,
When I have food, help me to remember the hungry.
When I have work, help me to remember the jobless.
When I have a home, help me to remember those who have no home at all.
When I am without pain, help me to remember those who suffer.
And remembering, help me to destroy my complacency, bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help, by word and deed, those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen
– Samuel F. Pugh
______________
For food that stays our hunger,
For rest that brings us ease,
For homes where memories linger,
We give our thanks for these.
______________
Grace for Thanksgiving Dinner
O Gracious God, we give you thanks for your overflowing generosity to us.
Thank you for the blessings of the food we eat and especially for this feast today.
Thank you for our home and family and friends, especially for the presence of those gathered here.
Thank you for our health, our work, and our play.
Please send help to those who are hungry, alone, sick and suffering war and violence.
Open our hearts to your love.
We ask your blessing through Christ your son.
Amen.
– Mary Cronk Farrell
______________
Heavenly Father,
On Thanksgiving Day, we bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You’ve done, especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.
For beauty in nature, Your glory we see, for joy and health, friends, and family.
For daily provision, Your mercy and care, these are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise with a promise
to follow You all of our days.
-Mary Fairchild
______________
Bless this Food
Blessed are you, Lord our God, maker of heaven and earth and Father of all your people:
we give you glory for your goodness and for your loving care for us.
Bless this food [this bread] and grant that all who eat it may be strong in body and grow in your love.
Blessed are you,
Lord our God, for ever and ever.
– Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
______________
Thank you for Nourishment.
For the warmth of the sun and the refreshment of water.
For the miracle of the seed and the reaping of harvest.
For the wonder of taste and the blessing of food with loved ones.
Thank you, Lord.
Amen.
______________
Celtic Prayers for Grace and Thanks
The Selkirk Grace (contemporary version)
This grace is typically used during Scottish Burns Supper evenings and was made popular by Robert Burns (Scottish Poet 1759-1796).
Some have meat and cannot eat;
Some cannot eat that want it:
But we have meat and we can eat
Sae let the Lord be thankit! (
______________
The Selkirk Grace (traditional version)
Some have meat and cannot eat;
Some cannot eat that want it:
But we have meat and we can eat
Sae let the Lord be thankit!
______________
Irish Grace Before Dinner
Bless, O Lord, this food we are about to eat;
and we pray You, O God, that it may be good
for our body and soul; and if there be any
poor creature hungry or thirsty walking
along the road, send them into us that we can
share the food with them, just as
You share your gifts with all of us.
______________
Irish Grace Before Dinner
Bless us O God as we sit together.
Bless the food we eat today.
Bless the hands that made the food,
Bless us O God.
Amen.
English 