There’s something in humanity that makes us split ourselves into groups, don’t ask me why. Yesterday, people in my state split into groups for a football rivalry that sometimes resembles a blood feud. When we’re not divided over sports teams, we split apart over divisions like politics, gender, or income. And too many of us still divide into groups based on ethnic background and/or skin color. Those divisio...
In the South, we like to decorate for the holidays. All the holidays. This is where I first saw an Easter-Egg tree and specialized autumn decor for September, October, and November. Of course, nothing competes with December and its holiday season. People began opening boxes and stringing lights down here before their Thanksgiving dinners were completely digested. So when my friend, Edna said her badly ...
Thanksgiving is celebrated all over the US but most Americans start out their day in New York City. Virtually, that is. Long before the turkey comes out of the oven, Americans are in front of their TVs, staring at Macy’s famous parade. Some watch it for the tradition, some tune in for the bands, and lots of kids can’t wait for the balloons but I watch the parade to see Broadway. Before the main event kicks ...
Our cultural memory is built around a series of events that resound in our collective memory. Some of these are good like the date man first walked on the moon, but many are terrible to recall. Yet we recall them when each anniversary comes around and remember where we were when “it” happened. For my Dad, his first “It” date was December 7, 1941. His childhood memories were divided by the day he...
Every Thanksgiving a fair proportion of the American populace tries to transform themselves into chefs. Although we spend more money eating out than on groceries these days and not cooking 40 percent of the suppers we serve, Thanksgiving is the day when we take to our kitchens and attempt to cook “traditional” dinners. Add that to this decade’s obsession with fine dining and there’ll be a lot of ...