Potluck... a custom!!

POTLUCK... First time when I heard this word in US, I thought it should be some Telugu word!.. but WHY ?.. People ask this question whenever I tell this experience. I normally smile back at them and say sometimes USA is expanded as 'United States of AndraPradesh'.... No more explanations!!

Normally this word is suffixed with 'Dinner' and Dinner is normally meant to be enjoyed together with family.

I hope you guessed it already. Potluck is normally meant as getting together for a group of known people in a common place. There each family will bring different food items, special ones as people say! .. They chat, gossip, have fun and enjoy different kinds of delicious food. Sometimes this is also termed as 'Cover Dish'. A best means of social gathering considering American culture!

Twist in the tale is.... somehow bachelors are left out of this social gathering containing delicious food which means lot to them! ... Why? ... "No pain No gain".. Bachelors don't prepare food! A general perception... well the perception doesnot end there!... and if they prepare also, it won't be in the eligible league of Potluck! .. People put this meaning in different sugar coats and express it.

So it is meant for family! Okey.. then there should be something for bachelors other than hanging out in bars(traditionally a favorite one in US!)... and Who is the best person to ask? .. An American!!... Done..

There came the actual fact of Potluck! ... It is normally associated with X-Mas! It is Pot and Luck. During this group of people gather in a common place.... Each person brings a gift wrapped and they place them on a table.

Now! Each person is given the number... and algorithm used for that process is unknown!!!... Well, it depends on who is organising it. Then person with least number will have all the rights to open those gifts and select the one he/she likes! ... Similarly next person with least number will have remaining options.

So least number = more lucky ? Thats where the catch is!.. If a person opens a gift and likes to go ahead for checking new one, can't come back to former gift! ... Now next person in the queue can see the opened gift and decide which one to choose!!

Now I understood why it is called LUCK inside the POT!.... It is a nice game I felt and there is no written procedure for performing this! ... as they say... You can create your own world in America! and..

I am not surprised now with respect to a humor..... when an american was asked, "what do you think about rest of the world?"... he was puzzled and replied "What is rest of the world?".... America is the WORLD for them....