Russian meal developed under influence of different factors such as economical, religious and natural. The most important place took various prohibitions on food, most of which were involved with religious outlooks.

So Russians stuck to hard and fast rules of the meal. It was forbidden to eat meat and milk food during fasts (about 200 days a year). Lenten days alternated with meat dayss all year round.

The peasants table was much poorer than townsmen's one. Schi, kasha, milk, bread and tea are the principal dainties of a village worker.

In order to imagine better the life in the old days, let's see what people ate.
Fast days table:
      5.00 a.m. - tea with bread (bun)
      9.00 a.m. - tea with bread
      12.00 p.m. - black radish with Kvas, sometimes fish and bread
      5.00 p.m. - tea with bread
      9.00 p.m. - the remains of the meal at 12 o'clock
Meat days table:
      5.00 a.m. - tea, milk with kalachi (buns)
      9.00 a.m. - tea, milk with bread
      12.00 p.m. - schi, milk, bread, kvas
      5.00 p.m. - tea, milk with kalachi (buns)
      9.00 p.m. - the remains of the meal at 12 o'clock
As we can see, peasants, ate several times a day, it depended on working day. If they worked in a field, they could eat 4-5 times a day, of course, if a cup of milk with a piece of bread is consicered a meal.

It was the mother who usually cooked, but if the son was married, then the daughter-in-law must wake up at daybreak, stoke the oven and make food for all the family members. The food was served by the hostess or by the daughter-in-law who was so busy during the day that she was always half-starved. It was a folk sign, that the cook must be hungry so that the food to be tastier.

Every meal was at the exact time. Everyone has his place at the table. The host took his place first and only after him all other members sat down. Hand washing was a necessary procedure before eating.

Hot liquid dishes were served in a large bowl for all the family. The host was watching that everybody ate slowly and in equal parts. If someone broke the rules by absent-mindedness, he was hit by the spoon in the forehead without delay.

Boiled, fried, baked dishes were served sliced on a large plate. Everyone put up a piece on a bread slice and then ate it.

The rules during the meal were very strict but it shows esteem and respect to the food of our ancestry.