SEARCH: The New Zealand Haka

The New Zealand Haka by Michele Roger.

The Haka is a tradition kept alive by New Zealanders (Kiwis) the world over. The Haka is many things, a performance, telling a story through words and movement. Some keep history and mythology alive. Some keep modern ideas alive. A Haka is a way to welcome new people.

If you were to visit Te Pui in New Zealand, you would be welcomed in with a Haka. When my husband and I got married, a group of local and Canadian Kiwi men performed a Haka to celebrate and welcome our guests. It’s also a way to pay the highest honor and tribute to someone who has died.

If you’re a fan of rugby, you’ve probably seen a Haka. The New Zealand All Blacks prepare for each game by facing their opponents and performing one. Each movement is tied to a word or phrase…

Continue reading in SEARCH Magazine’s Fall 2020 issue.

SEARCH: Reflecting Family Traditions through Books

Reflecting Family Traditions through Books

by Heather Roulo

Family traditions are a call back to childhood, home, and safety. The right tradition can bring you together regularly.

What cake you have on your birthday, the song played at a wedding, or whether you vacation at the beach or mountains, all echo a family’s approach to the world. Sometimes, we embrace tradition. Other times, we buck it, but it is a touchpoint for identity.

Family traditions rarely arrive out of thin air. Many have been passed down for generations. That doesn’t mean they were consciously selected. Occasionally, you discover your children have continued with something you chose to do and, voilà, a family tradition is born.

Here are a few examples of family traditions reflected through books.

EVEN SMALL MOMENTS CAN MATTER
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

This classic book of poetry was a staple at my elementary school. It has poems of different lengths to entertain children and adults. On nights I was too tired to read three children’s books to my kids… Continue reading in SEARCH Magazine’s Fall 2020 issue.

SEARCH: Las Vegas for Non-Gamblers

Las Vegas for Non-Gamblers

by Kay Tracy

Aerial view of Las Vegas strip in Nevada USA

Las Vegas–sometimes called Lost Wages–brings up many different images for people. Everyone knows that the main things Sin City is known for, gambling and drinking, but what to do if you don’t gamble?

To begin, they have some incredible live shows by a large variety of artists. While you can spend upwards of $100 per ticket for some of those headliners, there are a few places where you can see some great shows for what many consider chump change or even free. Contact the visitor’s centers as well as the casino or hotel customer relations desks to see what shows are on with free or low-cost tickets. Now be warned, free means you might have to buy a drink or two from the showroom bar, making soft drinks a bit costly if you do not drink alcohol….

Continue reading in SEARCH Magazine’s Fall 2020 issue.

SEARCH: Balsamic Molasses Brussels Sprouts

Balsamic Molasses Brussels Sprouts

by Brian and Patricia Dake

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I just love visiting farmers’ markets. I continually learn things that surprise me; for instance, how Brussels sprouts grow. I never suspected they grew on a two to three-foot stalk with axillary buds that become the sprout we eat. Of course, finding them like that, I had to buy some and experiment.

Certainly, I’d had Brussels sprouts before, served in any number of uninspiring ways. I suppose I’d thought they grew like tiny, little cabbages. Seeing them on the stalk, though, made them fun. Brian and I had our kids pick out the best stalk, and we took it home. From this excursion grew a family tradition.

I had my kids pull the sprouts from the stalk. The kids removed the outer leaves while I trimmed them, and we laughed about how they looked like baby cabbages.

Once their dad got involved in the cooking, the recipe evolved into a truly yummy creation. I have often heard that kids don’t like Brussels sprouts. That was never the case with our children… Continue reading in SEARCH Magazine’s Spring 2020 issue.

SEARCH: Not So Dumb Supper

Not So Dumb Supper

by Emerian Rich

When people hear the term Dumb Supper they laugh, but it’s been a part
of my family fall tradition for many years. The term Dumb Supper doesn’t refer to a stupid meal, but rather an evening meal in which you honor those who have passed on.

In some cultures, it’s used to the call spirits of the dead to eat with you, but since my family has members of different faiths—those who believe in spirits and those who think it’s a load of malarkey—we use it as a way to remember those who have died in our family.

Elitists would say there is a certain way to hold a Dumb Supper. Some believe it must be conducted entirely in silence, involve a detailed ceremony, or the table must be set with only black decor… Continue reading in SEARCH Magazine’s Fall 2020 issue.

SEARCH: Seven Fishes into the 21st Century

Seven Fishes into the 21st Century

by Kristin Battestella

Holiday Italian Feast of 7 Fishes with Snapper Octopus and Pasta

From Grandma’s smelts and baccala (dried and salted cod), to earlier Italian immigrants buying seafood at the bait shop, many Italian American millennials have heard horror stories of Feasts of the Seven Fishes.

This annual Christmas Eve tradition, born out of old Catholic rules regarding not eating meat on holy days, can seem like a chore for today’s busy holiday season. Who has the time to cook seven different types of fish in one night? Many on-the-go families don’t sit down for such multi-course dining on Christmas Eve. Also, between kids who may not like fish, seafood allergies, vegetarian specialties, and dietary restrictions, why prepare what your holly jolly guests may not even eat? With increasingly casual December celebrations and a packed holiday calendar, there’s little time or twenty-first century inclination to honor old world traditions like the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Or is there?

Marrying a non-Italian meant if I wanted to introduce my family traditions into my own household, liberties on the Feast of the Seven Fishes had to be taken. How can Italian homemakers and Italian food lovers alike incorporate these holiday foods for contemporary, fast-paced, picky eaters? Here are a few new ways… Continue reading in SEARCH Magazine’s Fall 2020 issue.

SEARCH: Three Major Considerations for Fitness

Three Major Considerations for Fitness

by Heather Roulo

When events disrupt our routine, we’re left struggling to maintain our weight, stay healthy, and meet fitness goals. For example, during the Covid19 pandemic, gyms closed to keep people safe. While necessary, these changes left people searching for new ways to incorporate fitness into their daily lives.

First, consider what you want to accomplish. If it’s weight control, the most significant contributor is to control your diet, ensuring you consume the proper number of calories compared to what you burn. Try not to lose weight too quickly, which can be unhealthy. Sometimes all it takes is an accurate scale and small dietary changes to gradually gain or take-off weight.

Cardiovascular fitness, where the heart and lungs
are kept in tip-top shape, doesn’t have to be a marathon. Even a morning alk, hiking, biking… Continue reading in SEARCH Magazine’s Fall 2020 issue.

SEARCH: Punjabi Weddings

Punjabi Weddings

Engagement is a significant part of a Punjabi wedding. First, the girl is draped with a chunni (very decorative dupatta ), which is usually very ornate. In some families this chunni is a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation. She is also presented with jewelry, which her mother and sister-in-law help her wear. A tiny dot of henna paste (mehndi) is applied to her palm…

Continue reading in SEARCH Magazine’s Fall 2020 issue.

SEARCH: Montezuma Castle

Montezuma Castle

by Larriane Barnard

Montezuma Castle is located near Camp Verde roughly in the middle of Arizona.

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt designated Montezuma Castle as one of the first four national monuments, describing them as “of the greatest ethnological value and scientific interest.” Because of looting, there were few artifacts left to study the Sinagua people until 1933 when Castle A was discovered with a wealth of artifacts left by the people who lived there six hundred years ago…. Continue reading in SEARCH Magazine’s Fall 2020 issue.

SEARCH: Love Songs You Thought You Knew

Love Songs You Thought You Knew

by Michele Roger

Portrait of the bright beautiful emotional woman with art make-up listen music with notes on dark backgroundIn my work as an author and harpist, I often write about love songs and perform for weddings. In a way, you might say it runs in the family. It starts with a real-life love story of its own.

My grandfather was a machinist for the army, stationed in France during World War II. He repaired and re-tooled tanks by day. By night, he was an alto saxophonist for the USO band. He was a twenty-something, baby-faced, tall drink of water. One night, two new waitresses at the USO Club were on duty.

As the story goes, he, of course, started dating each of them. Neither of the women knew he was seeing the other. Eventually, the two sisters confided in one another and discovered the truth. They set him up on a date and both women met him, making him choose. Such is the dramatic love life of a handsome musician. The one he chose became my grandmother. As the cliché goes, the rest is history.

My grandmother came to America and… Continue reading SEARCH Magazine’s Fall 2020 issue