The Holiday Season

The Christmas season, the holiday season, or simply the holidays is an annual festive period that surrounds Christmas and various other holidays. It is generally considered to run from late November to early January. Its relation to Christmas in official use by schools and governments has resulted in controversy. It incorporates a period of shopping which comprises a peak season for the retail sector (the "Christmas shopping season"), and a period of sales at the end of the season (the "January sales").

The exact definition, name, and celebratory method of the period varies from culture to culture. The majority of Christian denominations in the U.S. celebrate Christmas beginning with Advent between November 27 and December 3 and ending after the Epiphany on January 6. Eastern Orthodox churches observe the Nativity Fast from September 1 through December 24 and the holiday season lasts through January 7th. In medieval pagan cultures, the season began after All Hallow's Eve (Halloween) and lasted through the Twelfth Night.  The season in the United States encompasses at very least Christmas Eve through New Year's Day  (the usual period for school vacations) but is now generally considered to begin with Thanksgiving and end after New Year's Day. The U.S. Fire Administration defines the "Winter Holiday Season" as the period from December 1 to January 7.  Some stores and shopping malls advertise their Christmas merchandise beginning after Halloween or even in late October, alongside Halloween items. 

The precise definition of feasts and festival days that are encompassed by the Christmas and holiday season has become controversial over recent decades. Traditionally, the only holidays included in the "season" in the U.S. were Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Epiphany. In recent times, this definition has begun to expand to include Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Due to the phenomenon of Christmas creep and the informal inclusion of Thanksgiving, the Christmas and holiday season has begun to extend earlier into the year. 

adapted from Wikipedia.com

Sandwiches

Wikipedia tells us that: A sandwich is a food item, often consisting of two or more slices of bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or picnics to be eaten as part of a packed lunch. They generally contain a combination of salad vegetables, meat, cheese, and a variety of sauces. The bread can be used as it is, or it can be coated with any condiments to enhance flavor and texture. They are widely sold in restaurants and cafes.

But a sandwich in the U.S. is sooooo much more than that. It can be a regional identity (Philly Cheesesteaks, New Orleans Po' Boys) or a family tradition. The names may be different in different areas (hoagies, subs, po'boys...) even when the ingredients are the same. There is always that one sandwich that is your absolute favorite. Some people are mayonaise traditionalists, others like only mustards. Lettuce? Cole slaw? Pickles? Heated arguments can arise over sandwich loyalties. And really - a slice of ham and a slice of cheese with mayo and a piece of lettuce doesn't even come close to being a real sandwich. Real sandwiches require artistry.


Serious Eats produced their 2010 version of  The Best Sandwiches in America. Once you take a look at the slide show and read the descriptions you'll want to run out and have one of each.


Here are just some of the more well-known sandwiches from the U.S. that you have to know about:

• Beef on weck (Buffalo) roast beef and horseradish on a Kaiser roll topped with pretzel salt and caraway seeds
• BLT, bacon, lettuce, and tomato
• California Club sandwich, turkey, avocado, lettuce, and tomato
• Cheesesteak (Philadelphia) sandwich made from strips of steak and cheese, sometimes with peppers and onions
• Club sandwich, turkey, bacon, lettuce, and tomato
• Cuban sandwich (Cuba/South Florida) ham, Swiss cheese, pickled peppers, and roasted pork
• Dagwood,  distinguished by size more than contents. Named after the cartoon character who loved large sandwiches.
• French dip sandwich, also known as a beef dip, is a hot sandwich consisting of thinly sliced roast beef (or, sometimes, other meats) on a "French roll" or baguette. It is most commonly served au jus.
• Grilled cheese, fried or broiled sandwich consisting of melted cheese between slices of buttered bread.
• Hamburger, ground meat patty in a round bun, usually served with some combination of tomato, onion, lettuce, pickle, mustard, and mayonnaise
• Horseshoe ( Springfield, IL) an open sandwich topped with French fries and cheese sauce
• Hot Brown ( Kentucky) open-face sandwich of meat, Mornay sauce or cheese
• Italian beef (Chicago) thin slices of seasoned roast beef, dripping with meat juices, on a dense, long Italian-style roll
• Melt sandwich, Tuna melt, Patty melt, etc.—filling includes melted cheese
• Monte Cristo, a fried ham and/or turkey sandwich
• Mother-in-law (Chicago area) fast food staple that features a Mississippi tamale in a hot dogbun and smothered with chili
• Muffuletta (New Orleans) based on Sicilian bread
• Peanut butter and jelly, a chilhood favorite and general comfort food little understood outside of North America
• Rachel, also referred to as the "Turkey Reuben"; coleslaw with Swiss cheese, 1000 Island or Russian dressing, and sliced turkey
• Reuben, sauerkraut with Swiss cheese, 1000 Island or Russian dressing, and corned beef or pastrami
• Roast beef, made with roast beef, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and mayonnaise or horseradish sauce.
• Sloppy Joe, hot ground beef in a flavorful and sloppy sauce.
• Submarine, also known as sub, grinder, hero, hoagie, Italian sandwich, po' boy, wedge, zep, torpedo or roll. Can contain an infinite variety of ingredients, although each area swears that their version is the only authentic one.