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Here are some of the wonderful worldwide traditions to celebrate the New Year. We usually spend our night celebrating with good friends and their families. One of my favorite dishes to bring is bacon wrapped dates.

Brazil

The Ano Novo celebration is one of the country’s main holidays, and officially marks the beginning of the summer holidays. The end of summer is marked with the famous Carnival celebration. The beach of Copacabana is considered by many to be the location of the best fireworks show in the world.

Denmark

The New Year is celebrated with merrymaking and fun, with desserts including the ring cake Kransekake. Old dishes are saved all the year round to throw them at friends’ or neighbor’s door on New Year’s Eve. Many broken dishes are a symbol that you have many friends.

France

The French call New Year’s Eve “la Saint-Sylvestre”. It is usually celebrated with a feast that customarily includes special dishes like foie gras, seafood such as oysters and of course, champagne. The holiday period ends on January 6 (The Twelfth Night) for the Epiphany. On this day, they celebrate the Wise Men, eating a traditional type of flat pastry cake. The cake contains a fève, small china character, and whoever finds it is said to become king or queen.

Japan

The day is a preparation day to welcome toshigami (年神), the New Year’s god. Therefore, traditionally, people clean their home and prepare to welcome the god before New Year’s Eve. Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times at midnight. The rings represent 108 elements of bonō (煩悩), defilements, which it is said that people have in their mind. The bells are rung to repent.

Mexico

Mexicans down a grape with each of the twelve chimes of the bell during the New Year countdown, while making a wish with each one. Mexican sweet bread is baked with a coin or charm hidden in the dough. When the bread is served, the recipient whose slice contains the coin or charm is believed to be blessed with good luck in the New Year.

New Zealand

Gisborne is 496.3 kilometers (308.4 mi) west of the International Date Line and thus is the first major city to see the beginning of the New Year. During the day of New Year’s Eve, in recent years, the Black Caps have played a One Day International cricket game in Queenstown.

Philippines

Filipino traditions include a customary habit of wearing clothes with circular patterns like polka dots, this signifies the belief that circles attract money and fortune. Throwing coins at the stroke of midnight is said to increase wealth that year. Traditions also include the serving of circularly-shaped fruits, shaking of coins inside a metal casserole while walking around the house, and jumping up high which is believed to cause an increase in physical height.

Spain

Spanish New Year’s Eve celebrations usually begin with a family dinner, traditionally including shrimp and lamb or capon. Spanish tradition says that wearing new, red underwear on New Year’s Eve brings good luck. It is also traditional to eat twelve grapes, one on each chime of the clock.

Here are a few celebrations going on around the country-

New Year’s Eve Fireworks Tybee Island, GA

New Year’s Eve Celebration on the Slopes Boone, IA

Island of Lights New Year’s Eve Celebration Carolina Beach, NC

New Year’s Eve Panama City Beach, FL

New Years Day Party Elkhart Lake, WI

With the holidays approaching, grand hotels across the country are preparing special afternoon events and evening parties.  Both guests and locals can enjoy a huge range of fun activities, including carriage rides with hot chocolate, gingerbread making contests, story time with Santa and New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The grand hotel that is nearest to my family is Keswick Hall in Keswick, Virginia.  They have multiple holiday events that anyone can participate in. We’re looking forward to the annual lighting of the holiday tree with Santa and his sleigh. It’s an evening outdoors with hot chocolate, hot apple cider, cookies and Santa Claus.

Take a moment to think about the amazing, old, grand hotels that are near you. Whether you decide to spend the night or simply stop by for a few hours, you’ll be surprised at the great events that they have going on.

The day after Thanksgiving is known as “Black Friday.”  I have heard the phrase describing the rush of shoppers that descend on stores the Friday after Thanksgiving, but didn’t know where the term came from.

Here’s a bit of history…. Depending on the source, the term dates either from the 1980s or back to 1966. The day’s roots may have originated in Philadelphia, where it was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic, which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Others claim it was part of mid-1980s anti-consumerism backlash, when people took a pledge to “blackout” that day - staying home, rather than shopping.

I’m not sure which one it is, but I don’t want to stay home or shop at the mall. Instead, I want to visit somewhere fun, today.  Many historic homes are already decorated for the holidays and are open and welcoming guests. I can always work off a few of the extra calories and go for a long walk in a park.  If I just have to go shopping, there’s nothing like a visit to an antique store or two (maybe three or four).  Some of my favorite presents have been found rummaging around a great old antique shop.

Whatever you do – have fun with your family and friends!

Last week while visiting Hilton Head Island, we took a tour by zodiac to visit a sandbar off Daufuskie Island and watch the local dolphins. On our way out from the Sea Pines Marina the dolphins immediately came up to the zodiac, they seemed to enjoy swimming with us as much as we liked watching them. We then headed out to a huge sandbar that sits between Sea Pines and Daufuskie Island. The tide was very low and as we walked out there were hundreds of sand dollars lying on the sand, there were also beautiful cat eye shells, starfish, and tiny horseshoe crabs. The kids and I were in heaven!

Even if this had been the end of our tour, it would have been great. As we got in the boat our guide asked us to hurry and he would take us back into the tidal creeks and see if we could catch dolphins “Strand Feeding”. As we pulled into the creek, dolphins once again came right up to the zodiac. The creek was narrow and shallow and we loved being that close to the dolphins. As the dolphins swam in front of us, we could see large schools of bait fish scrambling to get away from them. There were also 3-4 foot sharks swimming close to shore and birds that seemed to know what to expect next.

Our guide, asked us to watch for the dolphins to start to head bob and begin to circle. As they began to circle the school in tighter circles, it trapped the 6-inch fish into a tighter and tighter ball. Then they created a powerful bow wave that rushed the prey out of the water and onto the muddy bank of the creek. The dolphins actually came all the way out of the water onto the bank and ate as many fish as they could. We then watched them wriggle back into the water, cruise around until they found another school of fish, and repeat the process. The two sharks that followed along with us waited with the birds until the dolphins finished eating and then ate everything that was left.

Bottlenose dolphins in Mexico and Portugal have also been observed strand feeding, but only the dolphins along the low-country coast of South Carolina and Georgia strand feed daily. Strand feeding is apparently a learned behavior and not instinctual. Young calves pick it up by observing their mother. No one knows why, but the dolphins always land on their right sides when they come up on the bank to feed. It looks like a synchronized trick.

So sorry my pictures of this are not better, I could not stop watching.

We went out with Commander Zodiac and our guide was Heath. The trip was amazing and something none of us will forget.

Our whole family loves the Florida Keys, I hope to retire there one day with a boat. We have travel down at least once a year. Usually we drive and that way we can take all of our gear, fishing stuff, skim boards, etc. We have also taken the Autotrain down from Washington D.C. and you can read a review of that here. In the past, we have helped many of our friends with their vacation planning to the Keys and so I decided to finally go on and post my list of favorite places.  I would also like to say that I am not affiliated in any way with the places I am recommending.

These are as you drive down from Miami -

Sunshine Market on Tavernier Key - This Cuban gem is on the left as you are driving down to Key West in a yellow building. The coffee is wonderful and the to-go foods are great.

Home Away Islamorada/Tavernier Vacation House - We loved renting this house, it was beautifully decorated, had an amazing kitchen, we could park our boat right out front and the owner is a delight. We have rented several times through both Home Away and VRBO and we have had a great experience each time.

Islamorada Fish Company Restaurant at the huge Bass Pro Shop on Islamorada - The food is very good and it is a beautiful location to take photos at sunset. It is also fun when they feed the tarpon, grouper, and HUGE lemon sharks that come right up in the middle of the dockside restaurant to eat. The Bass Pro Shop is also amazing and they give great fishing advice.

Robbies of Islamorada- It is great spot to hire a fishing charter, go out on their night time party boat, and their largest attraction is allowing people to feed GIANT tarpon from their dock. There are also cute little open-air shops.

Indigo Reef and Coral Lagoon on Marathon- We love staying here too. You can park your boat right out in front of your townhouse, they are beautifully decorated, have wonderful linens and great kitchens. If you sign up for their emails you can get significantly discounted rates.

Bahia Honda State Park - This my daughter’s favorite place on earth! The beach is beautiful and one of the only real beaches in the Keys. It is perfect for skim boarding. The fishing from the jetty under the Seven-Mile Bridge is also fabulous!

Big Pine Key Deer Watching - You can almost always find some of the endangered tiny Key Deer on back roads at dusk.

On Key West -

Mangia Mangia - A restaurant with great Italian food that has been there since we honeymooned in 1993. It seems to be a little more of a local place and away from the craziness of Duval Street.

Fort Zachary Taylor State Park Beach - This another gem of a beach in the Keys. It is very clean and you can snorkel right from the beach.

Mel Fisher Treasure Museum - Who doesn’t love treasure? The Mel Fisher story is wonderful and well worth going to see first hand.

Truman Annex - The homes in the Truman Annex are the epitome of the Florida Keys to me. It is one of the most charming neighborhoods in the U.S.

Parrot Key Resort - These are great townhouse style vacation rentals that also have wonderful linens, great kitchens and are beautifully decorated.

The Mermaid & the Alligator B&B - This B&B is another great example of Key West architecture. We even stayed here on our honeymoon in 1993.

I went with my extended family May 13th-15th to the annual reenactment of the Raid on Martin’s Station. There are similar events at the park all summer long and almost every month throughout the year, but the this is the biggest. Wilderness Road State Park is in far southwest Virginia. The park is 310 acres that lie beside the Wilderness Road, a route carved by Daniel Boone in 1775 that followed a buffalo migration trail and opened America’s first western frontier. Martin’s Station is a replica of a colonial frontier fort that was on this site in 1775. Park officials brag that it is the most authentically reconstructed fort in the United States. The three-day event has more than 500 re-enactors, including Shawnee and Cherokee warriors (who were my kid’s favorite) and men, women and children (who were adorable) settlers.

I had never been to a reenactment and I wasn’t sure what I would think, but I knew my kids would love it. I think there is something for everyone. My father has a sincere appreciation for the authenticity the reactors strive for in everything they do and really enjoyed sharing that with us. Other than the other visitors to the site and the cars in the parking lot, there is nothing modern to be seen. It was a wonderful step back in time that brings history alive. Even the coffee shops and vendors in the 18th century Market Fair, serve on tin and there is no plastic anywhere.

My children and my nephew absolutely loved the Indians, their camp and watching them creep through the woods and across the field during the raid. They even told my dad, whom I think would enjoy being a re-enactor, they would dress up and come along to more of these if he would join the Indians. But, I don’t think he’s ready to join sides with the Indians just yet.

My mom, sister and I loved seeing how the re-enactors authentically prepare their meals in their camps. I think it’s a secret contest amongst them to see who can have the best food. A group of about 9 men had ribs, pies, greens, stuffing and salad. They were the winners in the secret contest that day! Although, I think there wives must have helped with a lot of prep before they got there.

I could also appreciate how authentic the camps were. There were no air mattresses, mosquito netting, or coolers anywhere. I have since found out that the coolers are hidden in crates. The men in the first picture below have an actual birch bark canoe they made.  One of the re-enactors told us how the night before that had to get cosy under a lean-to belonging to two people they had never met before during a sudden rain storm. I think I would only be happy camping in the actual fort, maybe!

The two reenactments of raids of the fort were enjoyed by everyone. You see the Indians sneak through the fields, capture the women caught outside the fort (of course!), fire original muskets and a cannon, burn down sections of the fort, and negotiate the return of the women.

I know there are reenactments in many places but the beauty of Wilderness Road State Park and Cumberland Gap is amazing. The town of Cumberland Gap is also very charming. There is only one restaurant, Webb’s Country Kitchen,  that serves great country cooked meals (we ate there 4 times that weekend) and it is quite funny to see the groups of re-enactors there having dinner. Early one morning, my four year-old nephew peeked out the window of our hotel only to see an Indian in the parking lot!

The iris comes with a lot of history.  The flower dates all the way back to Greek mythology.  It was believed that the Greek goddess Iris was the messenger of the gods and the link between heaven and earth.  The word iris itself is the Greek word for a rainbow.

And, irises really do come in almost every color possible.  There are different shapes and types, as well.   You’ll find bearded iris, Siberian iris and my new favorite the Japanese iris. They are very easy to grow and typically bloom in the spring.  Take a drive around town or out into the country and you’ll see them growing.  Blue irises are the most common, but they also come in white, yellow, maroon, orange and black.  Look for plants to add to your garden at your local nursery or farmers’ market.

Near Sumter, SC is the beautiful Swan Lake Iris Garden.  The lake is home to all eight types of the world’s swans including swans from Asia, Australia, England and South America.   Every Memorial Day Weekend they celebrate the Sumter Iris Festival.  The 3-day festival includes concerts, an art and craft show, a golf tournament, a flower show, a food tasting, the crowning of the Iris Festival king and queen, and a number of contests and kids activities.

Last weekend I trekked with my entire family down to Cumberland Gap, TN to see a reenactment of the Raid at Martin’s Station. I will write about the raid in a few days, I need to sort through the 500 pictures I took! While we were at the ranger station, one of the park rangers told me about a great hike with kids a few miles up the road to a large cave with a 1 meter round skylight in the top of the cave. My son overheard him and was dying to check it out, unfortunately I only had my Dansko clogs with me. The trail was beautiful leading up to the cave and except for having to be very careful not to roll my ankle, not a bad hike in clogs.  I loved seeing the running cedar growing all along the trail.

I was shocked when we got to the cave how big it was. It was great to listen to a school group of kids who were thrilled to crawl around in the dark. I would have been fine to have hiked up there in clogs, had I had not decided to crawl around in the dark cave. I managed to step into two feet of very cold water in a lake in the cave. I had a very squishy shoe for the rest of the weekend.

It was a great hike in beautiful weather that I am so glad we decided to take, even if one of us didn’t have the right shoes.

Tip- if you want to hike on top of the cave and crawl in through the skylight, as you are looking at the cave from the outside, hike up from the left side and it is a very easy hike.  My kids loved it!

We are only a few weeks away from “Historic Garden Week” here in Virginia.  Each year, in early spring, amazing gardens are opened to the public to visit and enjoy all across the state.  Gardens tours include historic plantations, well known Virginians’ homes, brand new gardens and lovely old neighborhoods in cities all across the state.

This year, Historic Garden Week is April 17th through April 25th. There are more than three-dozen garden tours in cities and communities across Virginia to choose from. There are country gardens, modern gardens, huge gardens and pocket-size gardens, as well. If you live in Virginia, make sure to set aside a whole day, because it is hard to see more than 4 gardens in one day. If you don’t live in Virginia, now’s the time for a special trip to the Commonwealth.  You’ll get to enjoy the peak of Virginia’s springtime color in amazing gardens from the mountains to the ocean.

Now that winter has gone on and on, I am little over the heavy comfort foods.  I got this recipe from my wonderful foodie friend Emily after we had it at her house one night.  We loved it!  I have made it now myself and my kids even liked it.  They, of course, had no idea it was made with squash.  For my vegetarian friends, you guys can adapt this so many ways.  It would be great with shelled edamame, fried tofu and/or blanched veggies.

Rigatoni with Butternut Squash and Prawns

Prep Time:  20 minutes
Cook Time:  25 minutes
Serves 4-6

3 Tbs. olive oil, plus 3 tsp.
1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (I would try to buy the pre-peeled, pre-sliced butternut squash, it’s a pain to cut it up and make sure you get all of the peel off)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tsp salt, plus 1 tsp
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus ½ tsp
1 cup vegetable stock
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound prawns (or large shrimp), peeled and deviened (I use the frozen, raw, peeled and deveined shrimp—you can cut the tails once you thaw them before adding them to the recipe)
¾ to 1 cup whole milk ( I have used 2% and it seemed fine)
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves (do a chiffonade to keep it from bruising, see image below)
¼ cup grated Parmesan

Warm 3 Tbs. of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the butternut squash, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper.  Saute until the squash is golden and tender, 5-7 minutes.  Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until the squash is very soft, another 5-7 minutes.  Transfer the squash mixture to a blender or food processor and puree.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, warm the remaining 3 Tbs. of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle the prawns with the remaining 1 tsp. of salt and remaining ½ tsp of black pepper.  Add the prawns to the pan and cook until just pink, about 3 minutes.

In a large pot over high heat combine the cooked pasta, pureed squash mixture, and ¾ cup milk.  Stir to combine.  Add the remaining ¼ cup milk if the sauce needs to be moistened.   Add the cooked prawns, basil, and cheese.  Stir until warm and serve.