FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Dave Amoroso • Ron Sonntag Public Relations
9406 N. 107th St. • Milwaukee, WI 53224
(414) 354-0200, ext. 108 • dave@rspr.com
MILWAUKEE, WI — There may be no other food in history with as much symbolism and meaning across cultures as bread. The word “companion” comes from the Latin com, meaning “with,” and panis, meaning “bread.” In Egyptian Arabic the colloquial word for bread, ayish, means “life.” In Hebrew, Bethlehem means “house of bread.” In Russian culture, the word for bread is associated with hospitality. In India, life’s basic necessities are referred to as roti, kapra aur makan, meaning “bread, cloth and house.” Likewise in Greek and Punjabi, as well as the Christian Lord’s Prayer, bread is a synecdoche for all food and nourishment.
With the theme of Celebrate the Culture of Peace, the 2010 Holiday Folk Fair International has chosen bread as the food to represent peace. Bread symbolizes friendship – the “breaking of bread” – connecting people to culture, tradition, and even religion. It symbolizes all food throughout the world and connects all cultures in the experience of everyday life and eating.
Bread is as prominent in cultures today as it was centuries ago. In addition to connecting the world as a basic and symbolic food, it has a role in separating and defining a culture’s unique flavor. The recipes that create traditions and help define a culture are developed within regions based on geography, available resources, history, and ingenuity. Variations on bread recipes are widespread, including everything from chapatti to challah, baguettes to brioche, sourdough to spiced, and pita to pancake.
One universal bread dish, bread pudding, dates back centuries as one of the main ways to avoid wasting stale bread. Other uses include stuffing, as thickeners, and as an old-fashioned version of the “bread bowl.” In the 1700s, bread pudding was considered a healing food, and today it is known as a comfort food. Bread pudding crosses many cultures and is known all over the world by different names: for Romans it was simple bread pudding; for Egyptians, Om Ali; for Middle Easterners, Eish es Serny; for Indians, Shahi Tukra.
The combination of bread and salt crosses cultures. In many places, newlyweds are given this pairing to express hope for health and prosperity. In Slavic cultures, it is offered to welcome guests. In Russian culture, bread is the most respected food and salt is associated with long friendship. Bread and salt, first a tradition at the Mir space station, is now a tradition at the International space station and in welcoming astronauts back to earth. In Finland, the combination is a symbol of blessing for a new home.
In Sweden, it is customary to prepare a flat round bread pierced with a hole when a daughter is born, and the bread is eaten the day she is married. In Christianity, bread is the element of the Eucharist alongside wine. In Russia, yeast-based pancakes are prepared only once a year during Maslenitsa or Butter Week, representing the sun and symbolizing the arrival of spring.
In addition to symbolizing food, nourishment, friendship, health, and blessing, bread can represent economic prosperity, as found in terms such as “breadwinner” and “putting bread on the table.” The term “breadbasket” often is used to denote an agriculturally productive region.
The World Café at Holiday Folk Fair International will offer traditional cuisine from all around the world. Fairgoers will find a variety of ethnic bread offerings on the menus, including:
Arab: Hommus & Pita, Chicken Curry Salad Wrap, Gyro Sandwich
Bavarian: Knoedel (Bread Dumpling), Sauerkraut and Rye Bread, Schnitzel Sandwich, Bratwurst Sandwich, Fisch Semel (Bismark Herring) on a Roll
Bosnian: Kifle (Butter Bread)
Czech: Veprovy Rizek (Roast Pork Loin) with Zeli and Rye Bread
Danish: Hummersalat (Lobster), Spegesild (Herring), Leverpostej (Liver Paste), Skinke (Ham), or Ost (Cheese) Sandwiches
Filipino: Siopao (Stuffed Steamed Bun)
French: Crepes
German: Schnitzel Sandwich, Rollbraten (Pork Sandwich with Onions)
Greek: Gyros Sandwich, Kouloura (Greek Bread)
Irish: Corned Beef Sandwich, Irish Beef Stew with Bread Bowl, Scones, Irish Soda Bread
Italian: Italian Sausage Sandwich, Pizza
Mexican: Tacos, Quesadilla
Native American: Buffalo Burger, Indian Tacos, Indian Fry Bread
Serbian: Krem Pita
Slovak: Cabbage Roll with Bread, Beef Goulash with Bread, Klobasa Sandwich, Lentil Soup with Bread
Ugandan: Chapati (Flat Bread)
These are just some of the appetizers and entrées that will give fairgoers a chance to eat their way around the world. With the opportunity to explore the region’s cultural diversity in food – as well as dance, music, customs, art, and crafts – Holiday Folk Fair attendees will “Celebrate the Culture of Peace” as they experience firsthand the companionship of racial, cultural, and ethnic cooperation.
Special attractions at this year’s Holiday Folk Fair International include the “Art Beyond Borders” and “Invisible in the City” photographic displays, the International Chess Academy, bonsai, and anime.
The three-day event features the All Nations Theater with traditional music and dance, the World Cafe offering traditional dishes, the International Stage where young people perform their ethnic dances, the Music Pavilion with a variety of musical styles, Heritage Lane with unique traditions and customs through interactive exhibits, the International Bazaar where cultural artifacts create a unique shopping experience, and the Callen Construction Cooking Demonstration Stage featuring local chefs preparing traditional cuisine.
Holiday Folk Fair International will also host a United States Citizenship Naturalization Ceremony Sat., Nov. 20, at 10:30 a.m. and an “Around the World” 5K Run/Walk Sun., Nov. 21 at 9:00 a.m.
Hours on Fri., Nov. 19 are 3 p.m. – 10 p.m.; 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 20; and 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 21. Advance tickets will be sold for $8 each at Pick n’ Save locations throughout southeastern Wisconsin. Advance tickets for $8 each as well as family four-packs for $28 can be purchased on-line at http://www.folkfair.org.
Admission at the gate will be $10 for adults; $8 for children ages 6 to 12; children under the age of five will be admitted at no charge. Those 62 and over will be admitted for $8, and all military personnel with a military ID card will be admitted free. Those that bring two non-perishable food items for Hunger task Force will get a $2 discount on a regular adult admission.
For more information on the 2010 Holiday Folk Fair International, visit http://www.folkfair.org or call the International Institute of Wisconsin at 414-225-6220.
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