Have you ever wondered why communion cups flare out at the top like the bell of a trumpet?
Here's a close-up profile of a small, disposable plastic communion cup. Notice how the sides taper? They slope outward from the bottom to within about a quarter inch of the top, and then flare outward like a trumpet bell.
Communion Cup Side View - Original Photo
Perhaps you thought this was just a matter of style?
Or, that perhaps the shape had some religious significance?
Today I learned that the shape of small communion cups is a very practical one, serving several important purposes.
First, the taper allows the cup to be held securely in a communion tray that deacons and elders may carry among the congregation while serving communion. If the holes in the tray are sized appropriately, the cup will rest snugly while still being easy to remove.
Second, the flare at the top makes it relatively easy for parishioners to grasp and lift the cup out of the tray as it is passed.
Third, the shape is more aesthetically pleasing than a simple cylindrical cup.
Finally, however, I believe there is one overriding reason for the shape.
In the interest of not spilling the communion wine while it is being passed among the congregation, this shape makes it possible for the communion tray to be tilted at considerable angles while being passed without any danger of spillage.
Consider this top view of the cups.
Communion Cup Top View - Original Photo
Notice the circular shape of the wine in the cups.
Now, we'll switch to a perspective view, with the cups still level.
Three Small Communion Cups - Original Photo
Now we'll tilt the cups to the right.
As the cups are tilted to the right, the cross-section of each cup in contact with the wine becomes larger, the wine now filling an ellipse. Consequently, the wine spreads out into an area having a larger volume.
Cups Tilted to the Right - Original Photo
Now we'll tilt the cups to the left.
The effect is, of course, the same. Because the wine spreads into a larger volume, it is possible to tilt the communion tray as much as thirty degrees or more - assuming the cups were initially filled with a uniform measuring device - without spilling the wine.
Cups Tilted to the Left - Original Photo
Now you know the main "why" behind the shape.
Were we to try this with cylindrical cups of equivalent size, filled to within the same distance of the top, we would no doubt spill the wine at a much smaller tilt angle.
Who would have thought there was science behind the design of something like disposable communion cups?
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