Seasons Greetings  - Water colour by Elisabeth Luard

Many of us use food as a love language, calling to mind Marcel Mauss’s idea of “The Gift” where giving establishes social relationships through reciprocal obligations. Mauss identified three core obligations or protocols: to give, to receive, and to repay, highlighting the upcoming holidays, how do you define or practice giving? In the feasting singing and dancing of a First Nation’s potlach? For the Alaskan Kwakwaka'wakw, the wealthiest people are those who not only accumulate the most stuff, but also give it all away in a potlatch, as a sign of their ability to do so.

Or, will you be creating handmade gifts, baking, offering to barter, or providing charitable services within your community?

Please come to our cross-cultural holiday Kitchen Table. We will talk about food traditions for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa; recipes and tools/utensils as practical gifts.

Starting of the conversation will be:

Annette Madlock, Ken Albala, Birgitte Kampmann, Janet Beizer, Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, Carrie Tillie, Susan Weingarten, with artist in residence Elisabeth Luard, and moderator Scott Barton.