In the Abrahamic beliefs prayer is used to communicate with God in gratitude, to ask for blessings, and sometimes to just flat out ask for things straight up. it is not uncommon in other beliefs to have similar customs but in the general pagan beliefs in order to communicate as close with the deities as possible a ritual is usually performed. We placed food as offerings so that we will not only gain blessings but also to thank for things we have been given as it is believed that should one not be grateful the wrath of the deity that the blessing had been given from may become angry. Unlike in the Abrahamic beliefs pagan deities are usually thought to be more 'in your face'. There is still the thought that the Gods won't help those who don't help themselves but that doesn't mean that you didn't get some help and so you had better be grateful.
Now offerings are not what so many people believe them to be. Some virgin maiden being taken up to the highest volcano to be sacrificed so that a volcano won't explode. Or a goat, lamb, or even a black cat as some may view it. (mostly the black cat is done by dark arts kinda people who believe that they are doing an spell to summon a demon or Satan or even to thank them for something they think they have done for the individual) Mostly, when a person is making an offering it is done in fruit and/or vegetables (as much as Ares or some of the other war deities might like blood). Well, that is mostly for the new age group. Now there are real animal sacrifices done mostly outside of the US but some are done here. In Hoodoo/Voodoo, Hinduism, many African beliefs and some Latin beliefs that may or may not also believe in God.
In some of the New Age group sometimes it is believed that a small ritual with a few words and gestures is enough. Sometimes people will write a few words on a piece of paper and burn it, that is done for a wide variety of things but that is another subject.
Offerings are not only done in gratitude, necessity, or greed though. In many cultures offerings are made to ancestors on specific days, Halloween in America for instance, or mostly in Wicca. In Japan there is a Buddhist holiday called Obon around mid august in which people visit graves, hang lanterns to guide ancestors home, there is dancing and food offerings placed on home altars. on Nov 1st and Nov 2nd people all over Mexico believe in All saints day and all souls day in which a number of things occur from ritual offerings two visiting graves and everything in between.
So, in pagan beliefs and in some not so pagan beliefs it is a common occurrence to place offerings in a variety of ways from food to blood to paper. So the next time you want to be grateful think of all the people who place physical items set forth for their deity and ancestors. The Force may not need those things or perhaps even want them (should the Force have a conscience). But there is obviously some sort of power behind the act itself, even if it may be in the individuals mind. The mind is a wonderfully power tool and as with most magical tools perhaps making an offering from time to time in giving of yourself you may find that power that you work with may even get a bit stronger for giving of yourself is a wonderful thing to do for any and all things good.
MTFBWY in any workings that you perform
