Category Archives: Holidays

Super Bowl 2014 and Aztec Chocolate Caramel Popcorn—Sweet Victory All Around

Posted on February 2, 2014 | Leave a comment

Image courtesy of marsmet522.

Bon Appetit Wednesday! on January 22 showcased this recipe—strategically posted between National Popcorn Day and the National Football League’s Super Bowl XLVIII in the United States—and described the relationship between the Aztecs, popcorn and chocolate. In honor of the Super Bowl being played today, we are re-posting the recipe for the football parties being held far and wide. But so you know, fans of the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks may want to take a page from Aztec sporting history as kickoff approaches. Continue reading →

Happy Year of the Horse!

Posted on January 31, 2014 | Leave a comment

Today is the first day of the Year of the Horse (in China’s time zone) and the students at the Chinese American International School in San Francisco are celebrating by using their talents to create beautiful depictions of horses. Scroll down to view a slideshow of the artwork that leapt out of their imaginations and trotted into the New Year. Continue reading →

Students Celebrate Chinese New Year with Dragons and Dance

Posted on January 30, 2014 | 1 comment

See Below for Live Streaming

Chinese New Year is an exciting time of celebration, honoring the past and looking forward to the future. One school in San Francisco is celebrating this year—the Year of the Horse—with art and song and dance. AntiquityNOW invited the Chinese American International School (CAIS) to share the festivities with us and let us showcase the remarkable student artists in their midst. One project involved having the students from different grades work together to create their own dragon mural in honor of the New Year. The scales on this elaborate creature were made by the kindergarten and first grade classes and the head was painted by the second grade gold class. As you can see, their dragon is colorful, imaginative and full of historical symbolism—a splendidly sinuous being that reminds everyone of the ancient heritage that still resonates today. Continue reading →

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Posted in Art, Blog, Culture, Holidays, Kids Blog, Kids: Holidays, Kids: Public Life, Music, Public Life

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Chinese American International School, Chinese Dragon, Chinese New Year, Year of the Horse

Bon Appetit Wednesday! Pork Dumplings for the Year of the Horse

Posted on January 29, 2014 | 4 comments

pork-dumplings-recipe-photo-420-FF0210DUMPW08

Image courtesy of FamilyFun magazine.

Chinese New Year is right around the corner and we thought we’d serve up a dish full of ancient symbolism. This recipe for pork dumplings is a perfect way to start the New Year with a savory fare that’s been enjoyed for thousands of years. Continue reading →

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Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture, Holidays, Public Life

Tagged ancient food, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Chinese New Year, jiaozi, pork dumplings, Qin Dynasty, Qing Dynasty, sycee, Year of the Horse

Celebrating Chinese New Year: The Dragon Re-Interpreted

Posted on January 23, 2014 | 2 comments

The dragon has a long and esteemed history in Chinese lore. In honor of Chinese New Year, AntiquityNOW’s Artist-in-Residence Dan Fenelon has recast this legendary figure into phantasmagorical creations that fuse the ancient and the modern with a whimsical turn—a Fenelon trademark. Continue reading →

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Posted in Art, Blog, Culture, Holidays, Kids: Art, Kids: Holidays, Public Life

Tagged ancient art, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, art history, china, Chinese holidays, Chinese New Year, Dan Fenelon, dragons, Year of the Horse

In Case You Missed It…2013 Recipes With a Past!

Posted on January 13, 2014 | 1 comment

*Don’t miss our 2013 recipe book filled with delicious food from main courses to drinks and desserts.

Mario Batali, Martha Stewart, Rachael Ray, Julia Child…giants in culinary arts known for their expertise, personal franchises and larger than life personalities. But they aren’t the only chefs known for their style.

How about those Babylonian epicures whose haute cuisine recipes date to c. 1750 BCE during the reign of Hammurabi?[1]

Ever see the culinary page-turner Hedypatheia (Pleasant Living or Life of Luxury), written around 350 BCE by Archestratus, a Sicilian Greek? [2] Continue reading →

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Posted in Blog, Culinary, Culture, Education, Holidays, Public Life, Recipes With a Past

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Chinese food, Christmas, culinary, Hungarian food, Jewish food, Muslim food, New Year, Ramadan, Recipes with a Past, Roman food, Rosh Hashanah

Coming January 31: Chinese New Year and the Year of the Wooden Horse

Posted on January 9, 2014 | 1 comment

Sculpture from the Han Dynasty. Image courtesy of Robert Harding Picture Library.

January 31, 2014 is the first day of the New Year in the Chinese calendar. It is designated as the Year of the Wooden Horse and officially ends on February 18, 2015. The horse symbolizes adventure and romance, as well as the opportunity to seek out better fortune, especially for those who hadn’t been particularly lucky in 2013. We’ll be posting a series of blogs during January and February to commemorate this ancient holiday. We also will have a special section on our website showcasing various activities and festivities: Continue reading →

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Posted in Blog, Education, Holidays, Public Life

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Chinese New Year, Dan Fenelon, holidays, The Archaeology Channel, The Bazaar, Year of the Wooden Horse

Bon Appetit Wednesday! Ring in the New Year With a Lucky Foods Repast

Posted on January 1, 2014 | 2 comments

Happy New Year! For a fortuitous upcoming 365 days, we’ve compiled a dinner spread that bodes well for 2014. Here’s a quick description of some holiday foods—with ancient ingredients—that are considered to bring good fortune: Continue reading →

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Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture, Holidays, Public Life

Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, culinary, lucky food, New Year

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Happy New Year from AntiquityNOW

Bon Appetit Wednesday! Slow-Cooked, Mustard-Crusted Pork Loin

Posted on December 25, 2013 | 3 comments

For many families, the Christmas feast is not complete without the Christmas ham. Did you know that the traditional Christmas ham was not originally associated with Christmas at all, but like so many other holiday traditions, grew out of ancient pagan practices? Continue reading →