Italians on Italians
Beyond Toscano

Eat at the table of eternal life

There’s a popular saying in Italy ‘A tavola non si invecchia’, which literally translates as ‘at the table ones does not age’. It’s an expression that celebrates the tradition of spending mealtimes with loved ones and sharing good food, stories and the feeling of togetherness. The original interpretation was however a little darker. When the saying first became popular ‘not aging’ was implied to mean ‘death’, after all, once you leave this life, your body can no longer age. It was a warning to diners not to overindulge and eat too much, for fear of an early grave. 
 
It’s not known when the expression became more positive, but the idea of never aging while at the dinner table is a cute way of expressing the happiness and wellbeing created by being around those that care about you. After all, you’re only as young as you feel.