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Cake day: June 17th, 2023

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  • Italian here. Birthdays are special in Italy because there are a lot of cultural traditions that don’t make much sense and they are tied to tradition and superstition. Here are some ideas:

    The birthday person must wear a special hat made of garlic and onions. This is said to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck for the coming year.

    The birthday person must smash a plate against the wall. This is said to bring prosperity and good fortune.

    The birthday person must eat a dozen grapes at midnight. This is said to ensure a year of good health and happiness.

    The birthday person must dance with a broom. This is said to bring good luck in love.

    The birthday person must wear red underwear on their birthday. This is said to bring good luck in all areas of life.

    The birthday person must make a wish while blowing out the candles on their cake, but they must keep their wish a secret. If anyone finds out what the wish is, it will not come true.

    The birthday person must cut the first slice of cake with their left hand. This is said to bring good luck.

    The birthday person must feed the first slice of cake to the oldest person present. This is said to show respect for elders and to bring good luck to the birthday person.

    The birthday person must give out small gifts to all of their guests. These gifts are called “bomboniere” and are typically small candies, cookies, or other treats.

    The birthday person must plant a tree. This is said to bring good luck and prosperity.

    The birthday person must release a dove into the sky. This is said to symbolize the release of all of the birthday person’s worries and troubles.

    The birthday person must sing a song at the top of their lungs. This is said to bring good luck and to celebrate the joy of life.










  • I’m originally from a small town outside of Naples, Italy and I had just arrived in New York City last year. I was hoping to find work as a cook or chef since I had trained in some of the best kitchens back home. The day after I arrived, I received a mysterious letter stamped with a seal that looked like a cross on my apartment door. It summoned me to appear at a restaurant downtown called “Tony’s” at 7pm sharp.

    That evening, I put on my best suit and headed to the address. The restaurant was in a dingy part of the city I didn’t recognize. I walked inside the dark interior and was greeted by a hostess who led me silently to a back room. There I found two men dressed in fine Italian suits sitting at a table covered in plates of pasta, pizza, antipasto, and glasses of wine. However, they didn’t offer me anything to eat or drink.

    The men began to ask me strange questions in Italian. First, the older one in the pinstriped suit asked if I had any boating experience and could operate a motorboat at night. When I said no, the younger one in the track suit asked my views on wearing “concrete galoshes” and whether I knew how to swim in them. They also asked when my favorite holiday was and seemed very interested when I answered Valentine’s Day.

    I was utterly confused by their line of questioning and asked them to explain what this meeting was about. The older man slammed his fist on the table and told me I clearly was not a good fit for the “Columbus Club.” Before I could respond, they ushered me out of the restaurant. I still have no idea what they wanted from me or what that mysterious club was. But I decided it was best not to pursue it any further.





  • The biggest effects will come from reducing your carbon footprint. Think about what activities generate the most CO2 and what you can cut. For example, meat production is a big CO2 producer. Reducing/eliminating red meet from your diet will reduce your carbon footprint.

    Obviously, driving is another CO2 producer. If you can bike or walk as much as you can.

    Home cooking/heating is another big source of carbon emissions. You can wear sweatshirts/blankets in the winter and keep your house cold (64-68 F?) and use fans in the summer instead of AC.

    Reusing/recycle also comes up as a possible way to reduce CO2 emissions, but I’m not familiar with the net effect on your CO2 of recycling. Reusing makes sense though.