Chinese New Year is a time of parades and festivals, a Nian Ye Fan (reunion dinner), a time of feasting and celebrating, a communal hot pot to signify togetherness, cleaning the house and “sweeping” away the bad of the previous year in order to start fresh, and gathering families to honor deities and ancestors. Although…
Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday” and refers to the carnival celebrations leading up to Ash Wednesday, the day the fasting season of Lent begins. It is celebrated throughout the world, but in the United States the party tends to focus in New Orleans, where for a period of two weeks you can find…
Many of us start the year off looking forward, excited about a new opportunity to start fresh, to throw away old habits and to make new and better lifestyle changes. But did you know that New Year’s resolutions date back to early Roman times? Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions, is commonly described as…
Planning a New Year’s Eve gathering but have no idea what delicious appetizers to offer? Here are some easy-to-serve, single-bite ideas to get the planning started. Tomato and Mozzarella Bites Ingredients 20 grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved 20 fresh basil leaves 20 small fresh mozzarella cheese balls ½ cup balsamic vinegar ¼ cup extra…