Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Happy New Year!

Happy Ugadi! Yesterday was Telugu New Year, celebrated throughout Andhra Pradesh. My favorite part of the holiday is the tradition surrounding it:

Each family makes a special chutney together, called "ugadi". The base of the chutney is fresh mangoes (mmm....) To this, the family adds five other items: neem buds for bitterness, tamarind juice for sourness, green chilly for heat, jaggery and ripe banana pieces for sweetness, and a pinch of salt for saltiness.

The symbolism here (as you may already have guessed) is that your upcoming year will be comprised of many things: the sweet, the sour, the bitter... The main thing is keeping this all in perspective! (and I'm sure going through all of this with your family is also a key part!).

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