Matza for Memorial Day?

Which came first, the holiday or the food that you indulge in for that festivity?  It has become apparent to me that the relations we have with certain foods make us crave the day it is “saved for” more than the actual day itself.   The true meaning of some very important and significant days that we have set aside to celebrate/mourn/rejoice have become overshadowed if the layout of goodies isn’t what we think it should be or has been since the birth of time.

When I think Memorial Day, I am thinking BBQ, especially the deviled eggs, which I try to make like my mom did, who passed away 8 years ago.  She always wore a red, white and blue sweater for the occasion and invited our entire street of neighbors over to kick off the unofficial start of the summer season, beers in hand.

Fourth of July?  Another BBQ, but add some blueberry cobbler and fireworks to the mix.  Potato chips and macaroni salad always seems to be a staple and don’t forget the brownies (I never do).  This is a sit around on a lawn chair; eat off paper plates kind of holiday, that if you are from the mid-west, also includes the catching of fireflies at dusk and keeping them in a glass jar with holes in the lid.

What would Passover be without Matza?   Even though traditions for this celebration can be traced back to their roots,  I doubt that Matzo crunch (my all time favorite, which for some reason, I only make once a year) was on the original menu.  Let alone the twenty other side dishes whose recipes have been handed down from generation to generation and without which the meal is incomplete.

Thanksgiving?  Huge in the “gotta have” food category.  Turkey, which gets little respect the rest of the year (because of our overindulgence in November and December); mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, green bean “stuff”, hot rolls and three kind of pies are must haves before I feel comfortable in celebrating the pilgrims, Indians and the magnitude that their original encounter resulted in for our country.   And, to help solidify any doubt of the importance of this day there is Uncle Ed, who sits in the easy chair, snoring contently away after gorging himself and… there are always leftovers, which you plan for, because, as every one knows, this is the only time of year, with this combination of food, that tastes better the second time around.

Christmas dinner is probably the single biggest stress meal of the whole year.  It usually also means getting out the good china and getting somewhat dressed up to eat in 15 minutes what it took 8-12 hours to prepare.  The fare of Christmas seems to take on a glitz and glamour of its own.  It sparkles and is rich and fanciful (thank goodness we don’t eat like this all year ‘round… we would be rollie-pollies).

On second thought, family, friends, food, feast and festivity do all have their places on days of jubilee.  You do need the proper portions of each to carry on tradition.  But, even if it is just for a moment, think about the real reason behind why the holiday exists; say a little thank you to those who went before us, know that sometimes their sacrifices made it possible that we are sitting here enjoying the day off, and… pass the potato salad, can’t have Memorial Day without it!

Cynthia A. McClelland, curious observer of the obvious with interpretations of the oddities of daily life.  Mother, wife and lover of the furry, resides in the north Lake Tahoe area.

Cynthia A. McClelland © 2003-