Couvre Plat: Haitian Creole for Plate Cover

I brighten up any table with my bold tropical colors. Traditional Haitian meals like rice with bean sauce or cornmeal with steamed vegetables take hours to prepare, but when they are finished I keep them fresh until the family can gather to partake of the meal. I act as a shield against flying and crawling bugs, and other creatures like dogs and chickens who might like to taste the meal underneath me as they meander around the table. I am a couvre plat - a plate cover, & I come in different shapes and sizes. Whether round or rectangular, I am found in every Haitian home from the heart of the city to the remote mountain homesteads. 

I protect the meal, a labor of love, from the dust that swirls and somehow finds its way into eating areas despite the best efforts of bright colored curtains that block doors and windows. When family members scatter in all directions to work in the garden, attend school, and sell goods in the market, I am like a beacon that eventually leads them back home to enjoy the main meal of the day. Whenever I am lifted, aromas waft upward to fill the space with the goodness of the table. I hide surprises of a favorite meal that will warm the body from the inside out on a rainy day in the mountains, or natural juice that will cool and fortify the body on sizzling summer days. You would be surprised how much food I can hide beneath me! 

I symbolize the transformation of the garden harvest into something good to eat. Food that is placed beneath me is meant to be shared with family and neighbors who complete a strong network of fictive kinship. I act as a flag that silently announces to everyone that food is ready to be eaten & shared, even if it is just a simple everyday meal of porridge, coffee, and bread. My bright blue, yellow, red and green colors are hard to miss even from far away along the mountain paths or amidst the bustle of the city. 

Since I am made of plastic, I must occasionally be replaced. But that is only after many years and countless meals have passed beneath me. I am present for family milestones like the celebrations of weddings, births, and deaths, and I also mark the passage of ordinary days. I could tell many stories about the annals of a family, but instead I remain a silent witness to the joys and sorrows of living. I may be given as a gift to a newlywed couple, or a student who is moving away from home to continue her studies. I may feature in a gift procession during a parish feast day. Whether filled or empty I am a welcome gift, as I serve a practical purpose in any household, large or small. 

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