Recently in Bulgaria, Hristina Bareva’s mother celebrated an important cultural tradition—her Name Day. “Name days are a big thing in Bulgaria,” says Hristina. So big that “you don’t need permission to visit [the honoree’s] home. It’s socially accepted that you are welcome.”

Palm Sunday is designated for anyone who’s named for a tree or flower. That includes Hristina’s mother, Margarita, after the daisy. In any other year, Margarita would have spent the day offering visitors homemade cakes.

Instead, Hristina and her mother paid a socially distant visit to her brother Dimitar, his wife Lily, and their baby. “We left them food in containers and talked through the door, not going inside,” says Hristina. “This was our family time. They called us and said they loved the cake!”

Oh, I see: Cultural traditions that gather us together can also sustain us in times of separation.

Back to Our Roots

Sheltering solo in California, Michael Nackley stays connected to his heritage through an online community that shares Lebanese recipes and stories.

For Quinnie Lin in Los Angeles, staying connected to family tradition includes little things, like “beating eggs with chopsticks, because that’s how I learned from my grandma.”

Adapting Traditions to Lockdown

Most cultural activities take us out into the world. From the timeless tradition of exploring other cultures through travel to such everyday customs as “meetings and greetings” during our daily rounds, we’re wired for sociability.

By contrast, lockdown requires us to adapt the customary to the necessary. For travelers like John and Trisha Jones, connecting across cultures now means taking a “world tour” from their kitchen in Scotland: “A traditional Glasgow soup of lentils,” one night and Spanish paella the next. Next, Turkish green bean stew. “The only thing missing is raki.”

Honoring Ancestors

In Salinas, California, the Roddy family cherish their cultural heritage. “Our ancestors came from all corners of the world. They are Irish, Italian, Spanish Basque, Indigenous Mexican-Aztec, and Sephardic Jewish,” says Michael. “The dishes we prepare reflect them all.”

His wife, Maria, who’s writing books centered on food, savors rituals that accompany cooking. These include honoring the ancestors with world music ranging from Italian opera to boleros, romantic Mexican ballads beloved by her parents.

Above all, they love cooking with their adult children. But how to do so while maintaining separation? For this family of artists, creativity provided the answer.

‘The other day we all had old tortillas in the fridge,” says Michael, “and that inspired us to make a breakfast dish called chilaquiles, with tortillas, onions, veggies, eggs, salsa, and crumbled cheese.”

A Tradition of Hunting and Gathering

On New Zealand’s Stewart Island, maintaining the ecological balance depends in part on hunting. With a population of 400, the island has one market, and currently all cargo transport between the mainland is limited to essentials.

“My husband hunts for whitetail [deer],” says Jess Kany, editor of the Stewart Island News. “I cut the meat into steaks to vacuum pack in marinade. The no-steak bits we turn into stew meat and mince.”

Foraging has deep roots across world cultures, and manifests in similar ways in completely different environments.

In rural Ireland, one can safely gather wild garlic while sheltering in place. Pour hot broth over chopped leaves for a fortifying soup.

Meanwhile, from Ojai, California, Julie Lovejoy’s foraging yields a moment of zen:

“Today I harvested stinging nettle for the very first time. From separating the leaves from the stems (gloved of course) and letting them steam into a soup base of onion, potato, and butter, to ladling out the deep green soup, the slow, meditative process was made deeper by the absence of people or cars. The only sounds were the constant hammering of rain on my hood as I worked, the slow chop of potatoes, and the scrape of the spoon against the bowl.”

In urban cultures, “gathering ” takes on new meaning now that restaurants have closed. Diners used to gathering in groups are now gathering donations, ideas, and patience to save lives and preserve culinary traditions. Chefs and residents are gathering resources to turn restaurants into kitchens for healthcare workers and stadiums into food banks for families.

In Chicago, Jennifer Kleiman and wife Belia Rodriguez hope that people ordering delivery tip generously. “Every bit helps. We do a mix of cooking at home and ordering in from our favorite neighborhood places to make sure we’re supporting as much as our waistlines allow.”

A warm spell revived another culinary tradition: dining al fresco. “We thought it would be nice to eat on our front porch and get some fresh air, so we picked up burgers and beers.”

A Culture of Caring

Fortunately, the world isn’t ending, just pausing. But for essential workers, breaks are few.

In New Zealand, Kiwis value the cultural tradition of “doing your bit” for the community. That’s why Dave Aukuso and fiancée Laura Foote waited till almost sunset to enjoy Easter breakfast. Dave had just completed another overnight shift at an Auckland supermarket.

“They’ve changed operational procedures in the supermarket, which need close moderating,” says Laura. “Only one person per shop per family. Limited numbers in store. Keeping distance. And then there’s arguments, accidents, the whole works. He loves it, though.”

Cultural Traditions in Challenging Times

Tradition sometimes seems like the opposite of change. But people worldwide are proving that cultural traditions can help us rise to the challenges of change. From holidays to daily rituals, cherished customs to community values, the cultural traditions that we sustain are now sustaining our belief in better times to come.

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