Sharing Holiday Traditions

“Sharing Holiday Traditions” was the theme of our program on Dec. 15, at the home of our co-founder Betsy Wiggins.

Approximately 20 people attended this event. President Barbara Bova invited attendees to introduce themselves and to share the cultural, religious, and/or family tradition behind the dish each had brought. This lively discussion revealed a wide range of different traditions: 

  • Swiss/German potato casseroles (one was vegetarian, one not)
  • German holiday lebkuchen pastry – gingerbread covered in chocolate
  • Russian/Lithuanian vegetarian kishke dish
  • Russian/Lithuanian Hanukkah potato latkes (pancakes) with applesauce
  • Pennsylvania Dutch pickles
  • Greek/Bulgarian leek pastry
  • Turkish semolina sweet treats fried in butter
  • Pakistani samosas
  • Hamantaschen cookies
  • Wassail – a cider-based drink
  • American pumpkin pie, a family tradition
  • American apple crumble, a family tradition
  • American butter cookies, introduced as butter foolsies, a family tradition

We ate the delicious food and socialized happily – getting to know one another and our different traditions. 

Upcoming events were announced:

  • The tenth anniversary of the World Interfaith Harmony Assembly takes place on Monday, Feb. 3 at 6:30 pm at Temple Adath Yeshurun, 450 Kimber Rd., Syracuse. This constitutes our February WTB program.
  • In the winter, our informal restaurant gatherings, schmais, will take place at lunchtime. On Jan. 14, it will introduce us (or reintroduce us) to Ethiopian food. (Ethiopian Eritrean Restaurant at 1 pm)
  • The WCNY Travel Auction service opportunity takes place Jan. 16-18. Sis Zucker takes the lead for WTB women who wish to volunteer to help staff the telephone bank.
  • The March WTB Sunday program takes place on March 15 at Jowonio School. It will focus on human rights, perhaps looking at women’s rights in different religious traditions.