Meal memories of the holidays
By Courtney Cohn
December 16, 2020
Image Credit: Photo courtesy of Lily Li
With the winter holidays approaching and Thanksgiving in the rearview, food has and will continue to play an important role in the holiday season.
While many students enjoy the typical holiday foods, like turkey, stuffing, cornbread and cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, there are more specific holiday foods that some people enjoy that reflect deeper cultural, religious and family connections.
Sabrina Riordan, a senior dietetics major, enjoys the typical holiday foods, but also enjoys special foods with her family that reflect their German background.
“Something that I know is really special to my family is a cucumber salad. I always look forward to it every winter holiday season,” Riordan said.
The recipe is simple, as it includes sliced thin cucumbers with vinegar, salt and pepper, but it is special to her family, since it has become a tradition for them. Additionally, beyond specific dishes, she believes that food takes on a special importance when spending holidays with her family.
“We're usually with my grandparents and they always have stories from their childhood, [since] my grandparents are from Germany or Austria,” Riordan said. “They love to tell their stories of when they were a kid, and [now] eating the same foods, so I really feel like it connects us all.”
Gabi Frolich, a junior family science major and food blogger, also holds a special connection to certain foods during the holidays.
“I’m Jewish, so we have a lot of ceremonial foods that represent a lot of things,” Frolich said. “Everything that we eat is extremely symbolic.”
Specifically, during Hanukkah, which began Dec. 10, she enjoys eating latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiyot (jelly donuts) and gelt (chocolate coins), and all of them have different symbolic depths and meanings.
“That's one of the really beautiful things about Judaism; the food that we eat isn't just like food, it's not just there because it tastes good. It's there because it represents things that happened in our history of our culture,” Frolich said.
While many students enjoy the typical holiday foods, like turkey, stuffing, cornbread and cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, there are more specific holiday foods that some people enjoy that reflect deeper cultural, religious and family connections.
Sabrina Riordan, a senior dietetics major, enjoys the typical holiday foods, but also enjoys special foods with her family that reflect their German background.
“Something that I know is really special to my family is a cucumber salad. I always look forward to it every winter holiday season,” Riordan said.
The recipe is simple, as it includes sliced thin cucumbers with vinegar, salt and pepper, but it is special to her family, since it has become a tradition for them. Additionally, beyond specific dishes, she believes that food takes on a special importance when spending holidays with her family.
“We're usually with my grandparents and they always have stories from their childhood, [since] my grandparents are from Germany or Austria,” Riordan said. “They love to tell their stories of when they were a kid, and [now] eating the same foods, so I really feel like it connects us all.”
Gabi Frolich, a junior family science major and food blogger, also holds a special connection to certain foods during the holidays.
“I’m Jewish, so we have a lot of ceremonial foods that represent a lot of things,” Frolich said. “Everything that we eat is extremely symbolic.”
Specifically, during Hanukkah, which began Dec. 10, she enjoys eating latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiyot (jelly donuts) and gelt (chocolate coins), and all of them have different symbolic depths and meanings.
“That's one of the really beautiful things about Judaism; the food that we eat isn't just like food, it's not just there because it tastes good. It's there because it represents things that happened in our history of our culture,” Frolich said.
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Another food that tastes good, but has a deeper appeal to it, is a classic holiday cookie.
Decorating cookies is a widespread tradition during the Christmas season, and Lily Li, a sophomore finance and economics major, certainly enjoys it. For her, holiday cookies represent special memories with friends and family. “It's a good bonding activity that you can do with your friends; you can do it with your family,” Li said. “I personally always associate Christmas with really good cookies.” Also, many of her and her family’s holiday food traditions reflect their Chinese culture. She explains that for her family, it is less about what the dishes are, it is more the message behind them. The main message is that they value giving to those close to them, so they enjoy making their favorite dishes to share with each other. |
Image Credit: Photo courtesy of Lily Li.
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“That is portrayed through a lot of the gatherings we have where we’re preparing food and potlucks during the holidays,” Li said. “It doesn't really matter what you bring, you just bring whatever you feel like is a good dish and you just bring it for everybody to enjoy.”
Food is clearly a significant aspect of the holidays for many, and that may evidently cause some challenges.
In her food and nutrition classes, Riordan has learned that many celebrations involve food in some way, and often the food tends to be heavier and more filling, which can lead to negative feelings for some people.
“It's important to not have too strict of food rules with yourself, meaning like allow yourself to enjoy the foods that you like, traditional foods that your family has food to enjoy, and to not associate guilt with those foods,” Riordan said.
Also, Frolich believes that there are many unhealthy attitudes regarding food today in the U.S., including toxic diet culture, and that food can be viewed as a burden.
She wants this mindset to change because in addition to providing nutrients and fuel, food is a large part of many people’s culture and experiences, and should be valued. That is one of the reasons why she loves baking and is passionate about food.
“Food isn't just like to eat and survive, but it's an experience and a reflection of your ancestry,” Frolich said.
Food is clearly a significant aspect of the holidays for many, and that may evidently cause some challenges.
In her food and nutrition classes, Riordan has learned that many celebrations involve food in some way, and often the food tends to be heavier and more filling, which can lead to negative feelings for some people.
“It's important to not have too strict of food rules with yourself, meaning like allow yourself to enjoy the foods that you like, traditional foods that your family has food to enjoy, and to not associate guilt with those foods,” Riordan said.
Also, Frolich believes that there are many unhealthy attitudes regarding food today in the U.S., including toxic diet culture, and that food can be viewed as a burden.
She wants this mindset to change because in addition to providing nutrients and fuel, food is a large part of many people’s culture and experiences, and should be valued. That is one of the reasons why she loves baking and is passionate about food.
“Food isn't just like to eat and survive, but it's an experience and a reflection of your ancestry,” Frolich said.