Blogcritics Category: Culture: Holidays and Traditions

Celebrating Lent

Warren Kelly — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:19:00 EST

It's Lent, and everyone wants to know the answer to one question.
"What are you giving up for Lent?"That's the question on everyone's lips right now. Of course, as I write this, Mardi Gras is in full effect in cities all over the world, as people indulge one last time before their Lenten sacrifices and fasts. But the question is still there: "What are you giving up for Lent?"I used...

Solitude: The Ultimate Valentine

Joe Harris — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:39:59 EST

On this day of fake and gushing hearts, I fight through nausea and celebrate sensibility.
Lust, love, and America's most insipid cultural ritual. On this day of fake and gushing hearts, I fight through nausea and celebrate sensibility. It's Valentine's Day and I'm alone as always. At work, I bagged Valentine's gifts for those who have someone special to cherish and screw. I eagerly rode home to a meager apartment...

Chocolate and Valentine's Day Are A Good Marriage

8chocolate — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:49:37 EST

Who says men don't know what women want? Men purchase 75% of the chocolate sold for Valentines Day.
Chocolate and Valentine's Day are the perfect partners. Chocolate is a natural aphrodisiac possessing a lustful, seductive quality that marries well with a day dedicated to expressions of love. It's adored and craved by many but especially by women. In the 1980s, Dr Michael Liebowitz introduced his “chocolate theory of love”...

Satire: The Case for Banning Heterosexual Marriage

Diana Hartman — Mon, 2 Feb 2009 05:45:35 EST

Let us take a cue from our gay brethren. Civil unions are where it�s at.
Draft your legal documents and sign them over a bottle of Dom Pérignon. Invite hundreds and spend thousands on your wedding. Get your license and have your witnesses witness it. Have your honeymoon in the Caribbean and live happily ever after your divorce is finalized – but for cryin’ out loud, do it in private!It’s an...

Music Review: Tommy James - I Love Christmas

David Bowling — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:04:30 EST

Tommy James celebrates Christmas 365 days a year.
There’s nothing like receiving a Christmas album in early January. The management of Tommy James sent me his I Love Christmas release as a gift for reviewing his compilation album, 40 Years: The Complete Singles Collection (1966-2006). And so here we are.The career of Tommy James has now passed the 45 year mark. He is best remembered for his...

Go Guac on FoodNetwork for Super Sunday

Diana Hartman — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:38:19 EST

Find the best guacamole recipes, how-to, and more at Guacamole Central.
With the big game coming up, you'll need all the best ideas and recipes for a super bowl of guacamole - and they can be found at FoodNetwork, the No. 1 food and cooking site on the Web. Are you a guacamole greenhorn or an avocado aficionado? No matter, FoodNetwork will help you guac your socks off just in time for the biggest snack day of the year:...

Music Review ... with a Cruise Thrown In

Lou Novacheck — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:11:51 EST

All Fans on Deck!
For the mere act of transporting us from shore to shore we can thank Carnival Cruise Lines. But for making this cruise a special cruise, about you and me and the music, and not just an ordinary cruise, we have to thank Simple Man Cruise. And for the money they’re laying down to charter this wonderful cruise, we have to thank Sixthman.This...

On Martin Luther King Day, Bring Back Segregation

Notaboutreligion — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 11:44:51 EST

Do Americans take this day for granted? Perhaps a powerful reminder is in order.
How do you celebrate Martin Luther King Day? Do you use this day off from work or school to volunteer for your community or to help those in need? Do you take the time to reflect and engage in conversation about the impact that America's greatest civil rights leader has had on society? Do you read about his life or watch his speeches?However you...

Music Review: Enya - And Winter Came

Fitz — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 09:15:03 EST

Enya haunts the holidays with more beautiful music...
Though I know it's a bit after the holidays, this CD is one that can exist after the holidays.Enya released And Winter Came in November 2008 after two years of work. And for a person who has an allergic reaction to the typical shopping mall style of holiday music, this was a breath of fresh air. I've loved Enya's music since she...

Retro Redux: Ringing In The New Year With Auld Music

Big Geez — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:41:29 EST

With this information, you can be the envy of other party-goers...or maybe not.
I have to confess that I haven't been to a New Year's Eve party for a long time, but I would be willing to bet that at least a few party-goers will still follow the tradition of singing "Auld Lang Syne" when midnight arrives. I would also guess that most of them will have no idea of the origin of the song, and by that point of the...