sacrificial meal; communal eating of food offered to a god
Religious or ritual context: sharing food that has been consecrated or offered to a deity. Often associated with Shinto or Buddhist ceremonies.
At the shrine festival, the attendees partake in a communal meal of the food offered to the god.
eating together; communal dining
General act of sharing a meal with family, friends, or community, without religious connotation. Emphasizes togetherness.
I value the time we spend eating together as a family on weekends.
Compound of 共 (together) and 食 (eating). The religious sense likely derives from ancient practices of sharing food with deities and among participants.