London food
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 day agoWhat spring festivals remind us about food, family and fresh starts
Spring festivals celebrate food, family, and renewal through distinct rituals and shared meals.
Swedes celebrate the day before on Holy Saturday, with Easter services in the Swedish church often taking place in the evening. This tradition reflects a broader cultural practice of marking holidays the evening before the main day.
The tilt of the Earth's axis as it orbits around the sun causes seasons. Different parts of the world receive different amounts of sunlight depending on that angle. In the Northern Hemisphere, we experience winter from December to March, while the Southern Hemisphere soaks up the sun.
Growing up outside Manchester, I spent countless summer holidays at my grandparents' farm in the Yorkshire Dales. My grandfather would step outside each morning, scan the sky, and announce with absolute certainty what the weather would do that day. No smartphone apps, no weather channel, just decades of observation. I used to think it was nonsense. How could watching birds or looking at clouds possibly compete with satellite technology? But here's the thing: he was almost always right.
Part of the answer lies in the visceral nature of the game. Unlike chess, football is physical to the point of absurdity. Grown adults in body armor crash into each other over what is essentially a leather egg. There's drama in every play. You don't need a PhD in physics to appreciate a one-handed catch while somersaulting over a defender like a caffeinated acrobat.
I was thinking about this the other day while scrolling through my phone on a Saturday morning, realizing I'd been working for two hours without even noticing. Growing up, my weekends looked nothing like this. There were unspoken rules, traditions that just happened without anyone scheduling them into a calendar app. These weren't grand gestures or expensive activities. They were simple rituals that, looking back now, built something most of us are desperately trying to recreate through therapy apps and self-help books: genuine connection.
Groundhogs are not native to California, and are found mostly east of the Mississippi River. But if you want to hunt for groundhog-like critters, you're in luck. The Bay Area is home to cousins of groundhogs, the California ground squirrel. You can find them in a lot of parks and open spaces, but if it's an adventure you seek, try taking your son on a hike in the Mission Peak Regional Preserve.
The Rural Cut places vintage fashion in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, among vineyards, open fields, and the animals that inhabit the land. As a Beirut-based stylist, I worked with a fully Lebanese team to create a shoot that feels authentic, where each garment and every frame reflects the textures, history, and rhythm of the rural landscape. Photography by Angele Basile / Instagram: @angelebasile Styling by Rinad Saad / Instagram: @rinaaaaddd
Groundhogs are not native to California, and are found mostly east of the Mississippi River. But if you want to hunt for groundhog-like critters, you're in luck. The Bay Area is home to cousins of groundhogs, the California ground squirrel. You can find them in a lot of parks and open spaces, but if it's an adventure you seek, try taking your son on a hike in the Mission Peak Regional Preserve.
It's common knowledge that we are awash in misinformation that can have severe negative consequences for society. When people hold false beliefs about the safety of vaccines, the outcomes of elections, or the causes of climate change, it is much more difficult for them to make responsible decisions on behalf of their families and communities. It is tempting to respond to this challenge by insisting that expert scientists know best and to dismiss those who challenge the experts.
With a major winter storm about to blast pretty much every US state east of the Rocky Mountains, many are scrambling to prepare for the cold, ice, and snow. And according to popular meteorology influencer Max Schuster, there's yet another winter-weather hazard to watch out for: trees exploding in the frigid air. On a viral post on X-formerly-Twitter, Schuster - who holds a meteorology degree
In the pristine High Arctic sits the Kitsissut island cluster, also known as the Carey Islands, nestled between northwest Greenland and northeast Canada. The surrounding seas are perilous, and traveling there is difficult even with modern boats. But new archaeological evidence suggests ancient humans managed to sail to the islands, too. Early settlers lived on the islands between 4,500 and 2,700 years ago.