Food Traditions

    Hello all! Today's blog post is going to be about family traditions that surround something we all love: food. Food is a huge part of a lot of not only family traditions, but also cultural ones. Sometimes the lines between a family tradition and a cultural one can be quite blurred. Culture can mean many different things, but for the purpose of this blog post, I'll mainly be discussing racial and religious cultural traditions surrounding food.

    Being a white woman with no ties to any religion in particular, I don't feel that I am the most qualified to speak on racial and religious traditions from first-hand experiences, so I have gathered information from my roommate about her own familial food traditions to share with you all. I hope that all my readers can either relate to this tradition in the way that you have also practiced it, or that, at the very least, you learn something new about a culture that is different than your own! 

    My roommate whom I've interviewed is Maya. Maya is a Mexican American who comes from a Catholic family.  The first tradition surrounding food that came to Maya's mind when I asked was the tradition of Rosca De Reyes, or the Kings Cake. January 6th, or 12 days after Christmas, is called Dia De Reyes, which is when this cake is meant to be eaten. In the Christian faith, Dia De Reyes is the day when the three wise men brought their gifts to the newborn baby Jesus. Because of this, the cake is commonly decorated with bright colors and designs to mimic the look of the extravagant gifts baby Jesus was given. Maya says that her favorite part about this Rosca De Reyes tradition is that there is always a tiny plastic baby, representing the baby Jesus, hidden somewhere inside the cake. If your slice contains the baby, you and your family will have to make and bring tamales to the next family gathering, Candelaria Day on February 2nd. 

    Last year, Maya and her family graciously welcomed me into their home for this holiday, as my family lives in a different state, but more importantly, because I don't celebrate this tradition as I am neither Mexican nor Christian. Nevertheless, the Jones family took me in and made me feel so welcomed and special. The bustling room is full of strangers and I look around nervously for the familiar face of my roommate. Papel picado, the bright and colorful pieces of paper with careful and beautiful cutouts to emulate lace line the ceiling like banners. My friend's Aunt approaches me and asks if I've had my piece of cake yet. I tell her no, I haven't, and her eyes light up as she rushes me to the dessert table. She places me in front of a platter with a circular cake topped with colorful dried fruit and hands me the cake slicer and a paper plate. Suddenly, I notice a crowd forming around me as they watch excitedly to see which slice I will choose. The baby hasn't been found yet. I make my first careful incision, followed by my second. An almost disappointed, "Awww..." sounds from the crowd. The baby remains hidden in the cake. 

    Maya's turn was next. I hand her the cake slicer and the crowd grew larger still. She makes her first incision, followed by her second, but the knife doesn't go all the way through. She slowly and dramatically, as if she's putting on a show for her family, pulls out a tiny plastic baby from her slice of cake. The room erupts with cheers of relief that they will not be tasked with making tamales for the next family gathering. I find myself smiling as I reflect on the energy of the room and how happy this tradition makes Maya's family and how willingly they let me get a glimpse into their culture for the day.

    Food is something that all humans have in common across all races, ages, countries, religions, and cultures. It is also something that can be used to unite those who fall within a specific category like the ones mentioned above. When family traditions and food come together, I notice a trend of happiness and laughter, which is the experience that I hope for all my readers. Please leave a comment if your family practices this same traditions or if you have any others that you'd like to share!