As a hostess, this writer offers her guests a very different sort of table. She almost always serves rice at a meal. That fact says something about family heritage. Her husband comes from a country in the Middle East where cooks prepare delicious Basmati rice.
Soon after her marriage, this writer found that her home table needed to contain seven special items during the week when spring arrived. Those table decorations indicated the arrival of the Persian New Year. They have become part of the family heritage passed on to this writer’s sons.
At one time, this writer’s mother tried to contribute to her daughter’s distinctive family experiences. At one time this writer’s mother used to send an annual bouquet of flowers for her daughter’s New Year’s table. During that same period, the daughter displayed her table decorations in a number of grade school classrooms.
By sharing with the students the traditions of the Persian New Year, this writer expanded the number of traditions that had become familiar to the students. One kindergarten teacher had made a points about family heritage to teach about various holidays.
She had had someone come to her classroom every year before the Easter vacation. That visit had given her students a chance to learn about the Jewish Passover meal. In May the same teacher had invited some of the mothers to share the traditions of Cinco de Mayo.
In February the students had learned about the Chinese New Year. The teacher had asked the parents to help with the collection of items associated with that celebration. One year she asked this writer to secure some frozen wontons.
This writer looked all over and could not find them in any store. Finally, this writer spoke with a fellow worker whose own family heritage had included a family table that occasionally held wontons. This writer found that her co-worker had never heard of frozen wontons.
This writer no longer has children attending the public schools, ‘Still, she has not stopped learning about many different cultures, each culture giving families a unique family heritage. This writer has become a member of her local interfaith organization.
The members of that organization enjoy all sorts of food. They plan celebrations that honor the traditions of many different cultures. That interfaith group has recognized the importance of family traditions..
One year the organization sponsored an essay contest. Each of contestants composed an essay about how his or her family celebrated a particular religious holiday. This writer helped to judge those essays.
When reading those essays, this writer learned a great deal about different religions and different cultures. She also learned a great deal about family traditions and about family heritage.