Articles written by Katrien Vander Straeten
Showing 100 Articles
|
Chicken Stew or Gentse Waterzooi
This festive and easy-to-make stew or soup involves chicken, chicken broth, finely chopped vegetables, potatoes and cream.
|
|
Hearty and Easy Potato Leek Soup
It's time to go out and play in the snow, then to hurry indoors and spend some time with a big, steaming mug of this hearty soup.
|
|
Home Ground by Barry Lopez (ed.)
With over 850 definitions of landscape features, many specific to America, this book is about geology and history, American identity, and how one makes a place home.
|
|
Children’s Books About Thoreau
Several children's books depicting the complex life of Henry David Thoreau can help reconnect our children to nature.
|
|
D.B. Johnson’s Henry Thoreau Books
In four picture books, D.B. Johnson manages to convey Thoreau's message about nature - now so extra urgent - to children between the ages of 4 and 99 (and older).
|
|
I’ve Heard the Vultures Singing
The poet Lucia Perillo has written a painfully truthful, always enlightening book of essays about living with Multiple Sclerosis.
|
|
Gay's Stella and Sam Books
Gay has created two lovable, fun and wise children who live an enchanted life in nature. Her stories and art work appeal to parents and children alike.
|
|
First Children’s Drawings
What are those shapes the very young child is scribbling? Do they represent something? Should we even ask?
|
|
Coperthwaite: A Handmade Life
Bill Coperthwaite's prescriptions for our children: a varied context of home and community, and a feeling of usefulness through work.
|
|
Miffy, Nijntje and Hello Kitty
The story of how a little bunny rabbit survives - and changes - in the global market.
|
|
Miffy (Nijntje) in America
The continuing story of how a little bunny rabbit survives on the global market.
|
|
Silk Road Cooking
Batmanglij's cookbook combines recipes, culinary history, food anthropology and travel adventure on the millennia old Silk Road from China to Italy.
|
|
Coperthwaite on Educating Children
In A Handmade Life, Bill Coperthwaite promotes voluntary and firsthand education that values nature, community and physical work.
|
|
Review of A Handmade Life
A beautifully written and illustrated book about sustainable living and work for a better world
|
|
Review of Gaia’s Garden
In Gaia's Garden, Toby Hemenway presents the theory and practice of Permaculture, and brings them home to the average backyard. A challenge no gardener can miss out on.
|
|
What and Who is Self-Sufficient?
What does it take to be "Self-Sufficient"? What needs to be done, to what degree, and involving whom? And how does self-sufficiency relate to self- sustainability?
|
|
Simply in Season Cookbook
Lind and Hockman-Wert assembled a treasure trove of culinary delights centered around local and seasonal foods, that goes easy on the wallet and the planet
|
|
Lucy Cousins’ Maisy Books
Maisy the Mouse has taken the world of the youngest toddlers by storm, with books, DVDs and television programs.
|
|
Bali 2007 Holidays and Festivals
Going on a holiday to Bali this year? You are sure to run into several ceremonies and festivals during your stay, no matter how short.
|
|
Nyepi: Bali’s New Year’s Day
Bali, home to Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Chinese, devotes no less than 4 public holidays to New Year's celebrations.
|
|
Origin of the Jewish Shavuot
The festival of Shavuot (Shavu'ot or Shavuos), on 22-24 May 2007, commemorates the giving of the Law of Moses on Mount Sinai.
|
|
The Counting of the Omer
The counting of the Omer is a 49-day Jewish liturgical season between Passover and Shavuot. It is a time of spiritual preparation for the revelation of the Torah.
|
|
Festivals that Mark the Seasons
We may no longer realize it, but many of our celebrations are time-keepers on an old agrarian calendar.
|
|
Great Kids Craft Internet Sites
Kidscraftweekly.com is a resourceful website about crafting with toddlers and preschoolers.
|
|
Tattoos: Reasons, Responsibilities
Wearing a tattoo means taking on a lot of responsibilty. Before going ahead, consider the history, the many functions and meanings of tattooing.
|
|
The History of Tattooing
Tattoos have been used as therapy, protective amulets, to indicate high social status, to ostracize, and were finally popularized as an art form by Roman soldiers.
|
|
Tattoo tips
Information about safety, techniques, pain, removal, temporary tattoos, and some facts about tattooing among US adults
|
|
Tattooing for Parents and Teens
An informed "tattoo talk" can be surprising and enlightening for both parents and teenagers.
|
|
Sweet Baby Shower Facts
Baby showers logically bring to mind the sweetest of dishes, but regarding those there are some strange customs out there!
|
|
Detailed timeline of Easter
The events of that first Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, also called the "three days of death"
|
|
Detailed Lent and Easter Timeline
A summary of the events of the first Easter and how and when Christians celebrate them, up to Good Friday
|
|
The April Fish
The April Fish is an April Fools' custom that is as interesting as it is mysterious.
|
|
Origin of April Fools’ Day
We trace the unofficial holiday back to European Spring and New Year's Day festivals, and debunk some false explanations.
|
|
Kids Crafts Sites on the Internet
The qualities of a good Kids Craft website, and a review of Kiddley.com, a site worth parents' and children's attention.
|
|
The Hindu New Years
The Indian New Year's Day is determined by the Mesha Sankranti or the solar transit into Aries, but after that it's up for grabs.
|
|
The Hindu Calendars
India's numerous calendars count the days by the sun, the moon, a combination of the two, or by the Indian Zodiac of rashis, and beginning from several different Eras.
|
|
Hindu Festival of Holi and Dhuleti
Holi is a very popular Hindu spring and Full Moon festival. It is followed by Dhuleti, the festival of colors. It is celebrated on 2 and 3 March, 2007.
|
|
Purim: Jewish Feast of Lots
During Purim, Jews celebrate the bravery of Queen Esther with good cheer and lots of food.
|
|
Baby Shower: Before/After Birth?
Americans and Indians hold baby showers (godh bharai) before the birth. But in many other parts of the world it is postponed for supersitious as well as sound reasons.
|
|
The Chinese New Year Festival
China and Chinatowns are getting ready for 15 dayws of New Year's festivities, both private and public.
|
|
The Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese New Year celebrates a cyclical calendar of the 12 recurring years, each assigned to an animal sign. This year it's the Pig or the Boar's turn.
|
|
The American Baby Shower
Are American baby showers really cheesy, lame with parlor games? Or worse, purely commercial? Do that have a legitimate historical or psychological background?
|
|
Lent Days of Forgiveness
Many Christian churches reserve specials days right before or at the start of Lent for the repentance and forgiveness of one's tresspasses.
|
|
The Season of Lent
During Lent, fasting, prayer and almsgiving prepare the Christian worshipper for the sorrowful days of Holy Week, which ends in the joy of Easter.
|
|
Origins of Carnival, the Anti-Lent
Why do people, right before the beginning of Lent, celebrate Carnival with excessive eating and drinking, floats and processions, masks and merrymaking?
|
|
Origins of Saint Valentine's Day
On Saint Valentine's Day, men and women across the world proclaim their love. What are the origins of this tradition?
|
|
Groundhog Day
On February 2, will Punxsutawney Phil, the world's most famous groundhog, emerge from his den, sparing the country another 6 weeks of winter?
|
|
The Adventure of Culture Writing
John Godfrey Saxe's "Six Men of Hindustan" can be applied to about any kind of quest for knowledge.
|
|
Santa Claus Go Home!
Who is the American Santa Claus? What is his relation to Saint Nick? And why are many Europeans demanding he "go home"?
|
|
The Massacre of the Innocents
King Herod had all Bethlehem boys under 2 murdered in an attempt to kill the new King of the Jews, but the Holy Family has fled to Egypt.
|
|
The Time of Year of Jesus’ Birth
Western Christians celebrate Christ's birth on 25 December, Eastern Christians on 6 January. How did they arrive at these dates?
|
|
The Year of Jesus’ Birth
Vague and contradictory sources make for a fascinating pursuit of Christ's "real" birth date.
|
|
Christ is Born
On 25 December Christians celebrate the Birth of Christ: the classic nativity scene unfolds.
|
|
Journey to Bethlehem
Mary anticipates of the birth of her son as she and Joseph prepare to go to Bethlehem for the Roman Census.
|
|
The Annunciation of Christ
In any timeline of Christmas events, the Annunciation of Christ's Conception by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary must come first.
|
|
Winter Solstice Festivals
Ancient cultures, so many of them dependent upon agriculture, celebrated major festivals on or around the day of the Winter Solstice.
|
|
Christmas Timeline
The time around Christmas is action packed with commemorations and celebrations of the many events that make up that first, magical Christmas.
|
|
Astronomy of Seasonal Festivals
Many festivals are keepers of time: they mark the seasons. But what determines the seasons?
|
|
The Season of Advent
Advent mixes joy and hope with trepidation and penitence as it prepares for Christmas as well as Christ's Second Coming at Judgment Day.
|
|
The First Thanksgiving
Who can claim the first Thanksgiving? Taking seriously the nature of the holiday as a harvest feast disqualifies the Canadian "Frobisher Thanksgiving" of 1578.
|
|
The Days of the Dead
The Mexican Day or Days of the Dead is a happy occasion: the spirits of the departed beloved are coming for a visit!
|
|
Origins of the Day of the Dead
In certain regions of Central America, the Aztec Day of the Dead has survived Christianity's attempts at assimilation.
|
|
The Origins of Halloween
The roots of Halloween run deep, all the way to the ancients Celts, and have been nurtured and altered by the Roman and Christian cultures.
|
|
The Fall Festivals of Death
What else but death binds together the pagan festival, the solemn Christian holy days, the modern ghoulish revelry and the Mexican celebration?
|
|
Halloween Comes to Europe
The European commercial world is aggressively marketing Halloween.
|
|
European Alternatives to Halloween
Halloween is taking Europe by storm, but there are still many other, similar festivals and holidays that perform its functions of fun and treats for the kids.
|
|
Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest of Jewish holidays, strictly observed by even most secular Jews.
|
|
Jewish Days of Repentance
The Jewish people observe a penitential period of 40 Days, which include the two most important holidays.
|
|
Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year
The Jewish holiday Rosh HaShanah, or the Jewish New Year, marks the beginning of a time of introspection, repentance and new resolutions. It is solemn as well as festive.
|
|
The Chinese Ghost Month
The Chinese seventh month, usually August, is the most ill-fated time of the year. It is called Ghost Month, and its climax is the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts.
|
|
The Dog Days of Summer
Where does the expression "the dog days of summer" come from? And why do they have such a bad reputation, one that goes beyond just sultry weather?
|
|
Labor Day/Labour Day
The North American Labor Day is a holiday that has, by all considerations, deviated far from its origins.
|
|
Catholic Holy Days June - December
For Western Christians, it is now "Ordinary Time," the liturgically quiet time between the Easter and Christmas Seasons. But there are some important celebrations.
|
|
International Holidays August 2006
There is always something to celebrate! These are the major political, historical, religious and plain fun holidays and festivals around the world for August 2006.
|
|
Bunol, Spain's Tomatina Festival
On August 30 the town of Bunol in Spain will hold its yearly festival, which is centered on a two-hour long tomato-hurling battle: the biggest food fight in the world!
|
|
Whistling as an International Art
In some cultures whistling is impolite, even taboo. But it is on the decline also where it was common in music or as a custom, and even where it is part of the language.
|
|
Nicholas Haberd's Seed to Seed
Seed to Seed by Nicholas Harberd shows that science can be thrilling, fun, even poetic, and that scientific vision can help a culture reconnect to the natural world.
|
|
Baby Shock and Homesickness
If you live far away from home and family, "being at home" can be a precarious thing, as I experienced when we brought our firstborn home.
|
|
Deciding to Emigrate Abroad
If you've made a Big Move, far away, even left the country, you're an exception in today's world. How difficult is it for those who stayed to understand why you left?
|
|
Returning to your Home Country
Living far way from your family can make you homesick. But for which home? For the home it is now, or the home you left so long ago... and can never go home to again?
|
|
Setting up a Home Abroad
Leaving home can be difficult. And when you move far, far away, culture shock can aggravate your homesickness, which strikes in surprisingly subtle and complex ways.
|
|
Tips for Traveling with Infants
Here are some general tips for traveling with infants and very young children. And they're good for the older toddler as well!
|
|
Air Travel with Children
Our daughter was ten months when we took her on planes, trains, and automobiles. Here are some hands-on tips for air travel with an infant you won't find elsewhere.
|
|
Politically Correct Nursery Rhymes
Is revisionism of fairy tales and nursery rhymes in the name of political correctness itself politically incorrect?
|
|
Values in Children's Songs
Are nursery rhymes wolves in sheep's clothing: do they perpetuate, even indoctrinate a cultures' values? What if those values are obsolete?
|
|
Dutch Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Some nursery rhymes are not what they seem. Case in point: a Dutch song that is sung to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". Prepare to be shocked.
|
|
Historical Meaning of Mother's Day
Mother's Day: from pagan worship of Mother Earth, Christian devotion of the Virgin Mary and "Mother Church", celebration of our earthly mothers, to commercial holiday.
|
|
Popular Kids' Songs in Translation
Our nursery rhymes are close to all our hearts. But what happens when those familiar tunes cross cultural wires, for instance in translation?
|
|
May Day: Celebration of Spring
In the Northern hemisphere, "May Day" or the first day of May celebrates spring and the coming of summer. This celebration has its roots in ancient spring festivals.
|
|
International Workers'/Labor Day
"May Day," 1 May, is International Workers' Day, when many all over the world (with some notable exceptions) celebrate the successes of the labor movement.
|
|
The Historical St. Nicholas
Who is the historical Nicholas and how is he revered in Eastern European countries and traditions?
|
|
Belgium and Holland's Black Peter
Saint Nicholas is invariably revered as the Children's Saint in many European countries. But his helpers differ in many aspects from country to country.
|
|
Sinterklaas or St. Nicholas
Who is the first Saint that comes to the Belgian mind? It's Saint Nicholas, an amalgam of childlike naivety and pagan, Christian and colonial elements.
|
|
International Funeral Foods
A funeral meal is not just a bite to eat; it is a transition from death to life. As such, it is an important element in the funeral rites.
|
|
First Communion Food in Belgium
A special Catholic occasion in Flanders is the First Communion, when a child takes his first Eucharist. Food is at the center of this important religious and social event
|
|
Belgian Catholic Ceremonies
Here is some statistical background information on the Catholicism of Belgium and Flanders, to accompany the articles on "Food for Special Occasions".
|
|
Suikerbonen: Belgian Birth Food
Most cultures commemorate momentous occasions such as birth with a special food. A Flemish food for the arrival of a newborn is "suikerbonen" or "sugar beans.
|
|
Saint Hubert Mastellen
In East Flanders, Belgium, one can enjoy bread rolls called "mastellen". Not only are these delicious. Eating them will also protect you against rabies!
|
|
Bengal's Vegetarian Widows
To a Western person, vegetarianism implies a proud and rational decision, but to a Bengali it signifies widowhood and food taboos.
|
|
Raw Meat as Culinary Tradition
In Belgium raw meat is a delicacy. But try to convince an Indian or an American of that! Do irrational taboos still inform the taboo?
|
