It is no coincidence that at the heart of the major religions is not a worship service in a church, temple or synagogue but a meal in a home.Connected with this thought is the way meals become a tradition that we anticipate, drool over and then digest.
These gastronomical anniversaries are piling up like dishes on the bench according to an article in today’s New York Times.
Did you know that next month in June it is National [USA] Surimi Seafood month as well as Turkey Lover’s month?
An incredible 175 days of the year celebrate some food or drink.
There’s Bologna Day, Vinegar Day, National Butterscotch Day, Peanut Butter and Jello Day, Apple Week and California Wine Month to name a handful of the 175 official food anniversaries.
Before you think, ‘This could only happen in America’, consider the food festivals where you live.
When I visited the supermarket here in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, banners stated that this week is Mango Mania Week! There were over a hundred different varieties of mangoes from scores of countries of the world and a competition along the lines of ‘Guess the number of mangoes in the basket’.
Certainly, many of these food festivals are driven by consumerism, some have ancient histories and are about a culture stopping to be thankful for the harvest but amidst the sharing of food and drink is the celebration of life, the fostering of conversation and the joy of communion.
To read this article here is the link:
Kim Severson, ‘Having a Snack? Make it a Holiday’, New York Times, 30 May 2007.
Geoff Pound
Image: Celebrate and salivate Mango Mania Week with me.