Eating Together Class 4 Notes EVS Chapter 20

Class Party

• After the summer holidays, school started again today. The kids talked about what they did during the break.
• Meena asked Aarti how long she had henna on her hands. Aarti said she got it done at her uncle's wedding. David said he bet the wedding was fun. Aarti agreed and said she especially enjoyed the wedding feasts.

• Aarti suggested they have some fun together at school too, like they did at the wedding. Rehana liked the idea.
• David suggested having a class get-together where they could eat and have fun together.
• Rehana explained how they have parties in their colony, where everyone contributes money for food and they buy the rest from the market.
• Reena mentioned that they don't need a special occasion to have a party.
• Since Saturday is a half-day at school, they decided to plan their party for then.
• Everyone decided what they would bring to the party. They had a great time at the party, with diverse food and fun games. They even sang and danced. They decided to have another party like this soon.

Bihu

• Bihu is a festival celebrated three times a year in Assam and some other North-eastern states.
• During Bhogali Bihu in January, people celebrate the harvest of the new rice crop.
• In the village, friends were happily singing and chatting while making a Bhela Ghar, a hut made of grass and bamboo.

Bhela Ghar

• They needed to finish building the Bhela Ghar before the feast that evening.
• Today is Uruka, when the whole town gathers for a meal.
• Everyone pitched in to buy grains, fish, and vegetables, and set up wood for cooking.
• Some went to the market to buy these items.
• Bora rice was already soaked, and people were making Pitha, a type of rice cake.
• Some were preparing sweet potatoes, while others were roasting them.
• Some would help serve the meal at night.
• In the evening, everyone would enjoy tea and Pitha.
• To prepare the cheva rice, they would start a fire and boil water in a big vessel called a tao. Then, they would place a pot with soaked rice inside the tao, cover it with banana leaves, and let it cook until ready to eat.

• After preparing the Bhela Ghar, everyone in the village gathered together. The women wore traditional clothes called pat and Muga mekhala-chador. 
• The celebration began with drumming and dancing, and everyone joined in until they got tired. Then they sat down in rows on the ground and ate the food served on banana leaves. 
• It was a joyful feast, and they spent the night in the Bhela Ghar. 
• Later, Mazani reminded Sonmoni to sleep early because they needed to wake up early the next day to light the Mezi and Bhela Ghar again.

Mid-Day Meal

• At India, the mid-day meal (MDM) is a nutritious, freshly cooked lunch offered to students in government and government-aided schools.
• At one o'clock in the afternoon, it is served.
• All of the kids dashed outside to wash their hands.
• They all formed a line to get their food once we washed our hands. 
• Some came with their own boxes, while others came with plates. Then they all sat in a circle, food in hand.

• A list of food items has been put outside Didi Moni's room. It specifies what they will receive on various days of the week.
• There's another fascinating aspect of school lunchtime.
• They switch positions in the circle every day, sitting next to a different child.
• The meal was not always of the highest quality. Rice was occasionally of poor quality, and it was occasionally undercooked. Some parents objected to their children eating such foods.
• Didi Moni stressed to them that it was everyone's responsibility to ensure the children had fresh, hot, and correctly cooked food.
• Make certain that each youngster receives an afternoon meal on a regular basis.
• Things are looking up now. They share food that is fresh, hot, and correctly prepared.
• Many schools now provide lunch during the school day.

Mid-day Meal:  Every Child's Right

Many children in our country don't have enough food to eat every day. Some go to school without eating anything, which makes it hard for them to focus on their studies.
A few years ago, the highest court in our country made a very important decision. It said that all children who go to elementary school should be given a hot, cooked meal. This is something every child deserves to have.