This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. Vincit qui se vincit" is a Latin phrase meaning "He conquers who conquers himself." Many theologians state that the eighth deadly sin is fear. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God. "
Casablanca is a wartime romance that explores sacrifice, moral clarity, and the tension between personal desire and the greater good—offering rich Catholic lessons in love, truth, and redemption.
🕊️ Summary of Casablanca
Set in 1941 Morocco during World War II, Casablanca centers on Rick Blaine, a cynical American who runs a nightclub in the neutral city of Casablanca. His world is upended when Ilsa Lund, a former lover, arrives with her husband Victor Laszlo, a resistance leader fleeing Nazi persecution. Ilsa seeks Rick’s help to secure escape papers for Laszlo.
Rick and Ilsa’s past romance resurfaces, but Ilsa is now committed to Laszlo’s cause.
Rick must choose between rekindling love or aiding Laszlo’s escape.
In a climactic act of sacrifice, Rick lets Ilsa go, helping her and Laszlo flee while he stays behind.
The film ends with Rick and Captain Renault walking off together, hinting at newfound purpose and moral clarity.
✝️ Catholic Lessons and Themes
Casablanca resonates deeply with Catholic moral and spiritual reflection:
1. Sacrificial Love Over Passion
Rick’s decision to let Ilsa go reflects agape—love that seeks the good of the other over self-gratification.
This echoes Christ’s sacrificial love: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)
2. Moral Clarity in Ambiguity
The film’s setting—neutral Casablanca—is a metaphor for moral limbo.
Rick’s journey from neutrality to decisive action mirrors the Catholic call to reject moral relativism and embrace truth, even when costly.
3. Redemption and Conversion
Rick and Renault both undergo conversion: from cynicism to moral courage.
Their transformation reflects the Catholic belief in metanoia—a turning of the heart toward God and virtue.
4. The Cosmic “Hill of Beans”
Rick’s famous line—“It doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world”—underscores the Catholic idea that personal sacrifice can serve a higher, transcendent good.
5. Truth and Integrity
Ilsa’s struggle between love and duty reflects the tension between emotional truth and moral truth.
Catholic teaching affirms that doing right by doing wrong is never justified—a theme the film dramatizes with painful beauty.
oWake up feeling blasé? It’s time to kickstart your day with a parfait for breakfast. Create your own unique combo of yogurt, granola, and fruit.
oIt’s Statehood Day, celebrate the rich heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina in your own way.
oFeeling empowered? Support your favorite brands online or in-store. Grab a coffee and revel in the joy of shopping. Find those special deals or treat yourself to something small.
oMake a difference. End your day on a flavorful note. Whip up a cool gazpacho soup – no cooking required. Enjoy the medley of fresh veggies and herbs in every spoonful. As the day winds down, set a reminder for important tasks. It’s Shopping Reminder Day after all. Plan your week, jot down lists, and stay organized. Cheers to a fulfilling day, however motley it may seem.
🍇 Candace’s Worldwide Vineyard Tour
Week 5: Catalonia, Spain
Theme: “Pilgrim Flame, Vineyard Joy” Dates: November 26–December 2, 2025 Base: Priorat Region – Gratallops, Porrera, and Falset
🗓️ Wednesday, November 26 – Arrival and Pilgrim Welcome
·Travel from Sicily to Barcelona ($85 USD flight), then train to Falset ($18 USD).
·Lodging at Hotel-Hostal Sport Falset (~$82 USD/night).
·Evening walk through Falset’s old town. Toast with Priorat Garnacha. Symbolic Act: “Flame of Welcome”—light a candle at the town chapel and name your joy.
🗓️ Thursday, November 27 – Gratallops & Vineyard Blessing
·Morning visit to Clos Mogador (~$35 USD tasting).
·Walk the vineyard paths and bless one vine with a pilgrim’s prayer.
·Lunch at Celler de Gratallops (~$28 USD). Symbolic Act: “Joy in the Soil”—pour a drop of wine at the roots and speak a blessing.
🗓️ Friday, November 28 – Porrera & Pilgrim’s Table
·Visit to Vall Llach Winery (~$32 USD tasting).
·Afternoon journaling at the village overlook.
·Prepare a shared meal: bread, cheese, olives, and local wine. Symbolic Act: “Table of Flame”—name one joy that has endured and one that has surprised.
🗓️ Saturday, November 29 – Vineyard Walk & Marian Pause
·Morning walk through the terraced vineyards of Porrera.
·Pause at a Marian shrine and offer a silent prayer.
·Picnic with local produce from Falset market (~$12 USD). Symbolic Act: “Pilgrim’s Pause”—leave a flower or stone at the shrine.
🗓️ Sunday, November 30 – Montsant Day Trip: Joy and Ascent
·Day trip to Serra de Montsant Natural Park (~$15 USD transit).
·Optional hike and reflection at the hermitage of Sant Bartomeu.
·Tasting at Cellers Scala Dei (~$30 USD). Symbolic Act: “Ascent of Joy”—write a psalm or poem at the summit. Mass Option: Attend Sunday Mass at Church of Santa Maria, Falset Address: Plaça de la Quartera, 43730 Falset, Tarragona, Spain Typical Sunday Mass: 11:00 AM
🗓️ Monday, December 1 – Vineyard Benediction
·Final tasting at Bodega Mas Martinet (~$28 USD).
·Write a vineyard blessing for the next traveler.
·Evening toast with Priorat Reserva. Symbolic Act: “Catalan Benediction”—bless the hills, send forth the joy.
🗓️ Tuesday, December 2 – Travel Day
·Depart Catalonia for your next vineyard destination.
💰 Estimated Total Cost: $535 USD Includes 7 nights lodging, 4 vineyard tastings, 2 symbolic meals, and 1 day trip with transit and picnic.
🍽️ Seven-Course Ritual Meal: Pilgrim Flame, Vineyard Joy
Theme: Priorat warmth, Marian reverence, and vineyard celebration
This is God’s
everlasting love for us. He desires that we seek Him for He never stops seeking
us. God created the heavens and the earth in seven days but at Christ
resurrection He recreated the heavens and the earth in His blood. This is the
new creation in Him, Christ our Lord and all who seek His love and mercy shall
receive it.
2174 Jesus rose
from the dead "on the first day of the week." Because it is the
"first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first
creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the Sabbath, it
symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. For Christians
it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord's Day
Sunday:
We all
gather on the day of the sun, for it is the first day [after the Jewish
Sabbath, but also the first day] when God, separating matter from darkness,
made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the
dead.
Sunday - fulfillment
of the Sabbath
2175 Sunday is
expressly distinguished from the Sabbath which it follows chronologically every
week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the Sabbath. In
Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish Sabbath
and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for
the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of
Christ:
Those
who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no
longer keeping the Sabbath, but the Lord's Day, in which our life is blessed by
him and by his death.
2176 The
celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the
human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship
"as a sign of his universal beneficence to all." Sunday worship
fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit
in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people.
Copilot’s Take
Romans 8:35–39 proclaims the unshakable truth that nothing—no suffering,
no power, no force in heaven or on earth—can separate us from the love of God
in Christ Jesus. This divine love is not passive or distant; it is active,
pursuing, and victorious, even in the face of death and despair. Through
Christ’s Resurrection, God not only conquered sin and death but ushered in a
new creation—what the Church calls the “eighth day,” the dawn of eternal life.
Sunday, the Lord’s Day, becomes the weekly celebration of this new beginning,
fulfilling the Sabbath and inviting us into the rhythm of redemption. In this
sacred rhythm, we are reminded that God’s love is not bound by time, suffering,
or circumstance. It is a love that recreates, renews, and restores—calling us
to live as people of the Resurrection, anchored in hope and destined for glory.
🕊 Tuesday – Octave of Christ the King
Virtue Focus: Generosity
Theme: Giving as a Free Act of Goodness
I. Daily Commitments
Attend Mass:
In person or via EWTN or online stream
Meditate on
Marian Virtue: Generosity, as modeled by Mary
Fast: Daniel
Fast (Monday–Saturday)
Exercise:
Universal Man Plan – Phase 1
II. Generosity as Marian Virtue
Generosity is the virtue of giving—not taking. It is
the free act of offering something of your own to another, without obligation,
reward, or self-interest. True generosity requires awareness of your own
freedom: I choose to give this gift, and the decision to use that
freedom for good: I choose to do good. Mary’s generosity was not
transactional, it was transformational. She gave her fiat, her presence, her
intercession, and her quiet strength, elevating others through her self-giving
love.
III. Jewish Insight: Maimonides’ Ladder of Giving
In Jewish tradition, Maimonides outlines eight levels
of charity (Tzedakah), with the highest being the gift that prevents poverty
before it begins—empowering others through employment, partnership, or support
that preserves dignity. This deepens our understanding of generosity: it is not
merely giving what is asked, but anticipating what is needed and giving in a
way that uplifts.
IV. What Generosity Is Not
Giving to
right a wrong is justice
Giving out of
obligation is reciprocity
Giving out of
loyalty is solidarity
Giving for
personal gain is selfishness
Giving to
someone you love is love
Generosity
stands apart, it is a free, intentional act of goodness
V. Generosity as Opposition
Generosity actively resists:
·Hate
·Contempt
·Envy
·Anger
·Indifference
It restores dignity, builds communion, and reflects
the heart of Christ the King.
VI. Generosity in Virtue Pairings
Generosity
with courage becomes heroism
Generosity
with justice becomes equity
Generosity
with compassion becomes benevolence
Generosity
with mercy becomes leniency
Generosity
with gentleness becomes kindness
VII. Practical Expressions
Help when you
can
Perform
random acts of kindness
Give without
hope of reward or anticipation of gratitude
Enjoy the
virtue of generosity as its own reward
VIII. Closing Reflection
As we fast in the spirit of Daniel, move through the
Universal Man Plan, and attend daily Mass, let us give freely—time,
encouragement, hospitality, forgiveness—without expectation. Let our generosity
echo the King who gave everything without condition, and the Mother who gave
herself without hesitation. In this rhythm of giving, we participate in the new
creation, the eighth day, and the everlasting love that nothing can separate us
from.
St. Catherine of
Alexandria
St. Catherine of Alexandria (November 25th), virgin
and martyr. Invoked against diseases of the tongue, protection against a sudden
and unprovided death. Patroness of Christian philosophers, of maidens,
preachers, wheelwrights and mechanics. She is also invoked by students,
orators, and barristers as "the wise counselor."
The account of her
martyrdom is legendary and defies every attempt to cull out the historical
kernel. Old Oriental sources make no mention of her. In the West her cult does
not appear before the eleventh century, when the crusaders made it popular. She
became the patroness of philosophical faculties; she is one of the
"Fourteen Holy Helpers." The breviary offers the following:
Catherine, virgin
of Alexandria, devoted herself to the pursuit of knowledge; at the age of
eighteen, she surpassed all her contemporaries in science. Upon seeing how the
Christians were being tortured, she went before Emperor Maximin (311-313),
upbraided him for his cruelty, and with convincing reasons demonstrated the
need of Christian faith in order to be saved. Astounded by her wisdom, the
Emperor ordered her to be kept confined, and having summoned the most learned
philosophers, promised them magnificent rewards if they could confound the
virgin and turn her from belief in Christ. Far from being successful, a
considerable number of the philosophers were inflamed by the sound reasons and
persuasiveness of Catherine's speech with such a love for Jesus Christ that
they declared themselves willing to offer their lives for the Gospel.
Then the Emperor
attempted to win her by flattery and by promises, but his efforts proved
equally fruitless. He ordered her whipped with rods, scourged with leaden
nodules, and then left to languish eleven days without food in prison. The
Emperor's wife and Porphyrius, general of the army, visited Catherine in
prison; her words brought both to Christ and later they too proved their love
in blood. Catherine's next torture consisted of being placed upon a wheel with
sharp and pointed knives; from her lacerated body prayers ascended to heaven
and the infernal machine fell to pieces. Many who witnessed the miracle
embraced the faith. Finally, on November 25 Christ's servant was beheaded (307
or 312). By the hands of angels her body was carried to Mt. Sinai, where it was
interred in the convent which bears her name.
Excerpted from The
Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
Patron: Apologists;
craftsmen who work with a wheel (potters; spinners; etc.); archivists;
attorneys; barristers; dying people; educators; girls; jurists; knife grinders;
knife sharpeners; lawyers; librarians; libraries; maidens; mechanics; millers;
nurses; old maids; philosophers; potters; preachers; scholars; schoolchildren;
scribes; secretaries; spinners; spinsters; stenographers; students; tanners;
teachers; theologians; turners; unmarried girls; wheelwrights.
Things to Do:
St. Catherine was invoked by young
girls seeking husbands. If you have children, you could use this feast to
discuss the qualities of a good spouse. You could bake St.
Catherine's wigs
and have your discussion as part of the fun (a spoon full of sugar).
St. Catherine's remains are in St.
Katherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai. The Monastery, a 1,600-year-old
fortress at the base of Mt. Sinai, is inhabited by Coptic monks (not in
union with Rome). Inside the chapel is believed to be the Burning Bush,
through which God first appeared to Moses. Read more about the history of
the Church
of Alexandria
and the
Council of Chalcedon where the Coptic Church broke from the bark of
Peter and pray for the reunion of all Eastern Churches under the Pope.
33 days to Christmas-Start the 33 days to
Eucharistic Glory[2]
On this 4th
day seek with all your heart to
be grateful for the Faith of the Roman Catholic Church.
Copilot:
Embracing and being
grateful for the faith of the Roman Catholic Church can be a profound and
enriching spiritual practice. The Church offers a deep well of traditions,
teachings, and community support that can help guide and sustain your faith
journey. Here are some ways to cultivate gratitude for this faith:
Reflect on the
Sacraments
Eucharist: Appreciate the
profound significance of receiving the Body and Blood of Christ.
Confession: Be thankful for the
opportunity to seek forgiveness and start anew.
Engage with the
Community
Fellowship: Participate in
parish activities and build connections with fellow believers.
Service: Volunteer for church
ministries and outreach programs, embodying the spirit of service.
Deepen Your
Understanding
Scripture and Catechism:
Regularly read and reflect on the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic
Church.
Spiritual Writings: Explore
works by saints and theologians for inspiration and guidance.
Prayer and Meditation
Daily Prayer: Develop a routine
of daily prayer, offering thanks for the blessings and challenges in your
life.
Meditation: Spend quiet time in
meditation, focusing on gratitude and the presence of God.
Celebrating the
Liturgical Seasons
Advent and Christmas: Reflect
on the anticipation and joy of Christ’s birth.
Lent and Easter: Contemplate the themes of repentance, sacrifice,
and resurrection.
Bible in a Year Day 145 The Universal Church
Fr. Mike reveals Solomon's plan of leadership, and how he
is aiming to unite the people. He also foreshadows the importance of the temple
as a place where Israel can go to worship God as one people. Today's readings
are 1 Kings 4, 2 Chronicles 6, and Psalm 65.
📅 Year One: The Way of
Witness — Conscience, Community, and Sacrament
Start: November 3, 2025
🔸 November 2025 –
Poverty, Resurrection, and Hidden Grace
Nov 24
– Mouchette (1967)
Robert Bresson's Mouchette (1967) is a stark, minimalist portrait of suffering and alienation, offering a deeply Catholic meditation on innocence, sacrifice, and the mystery of grace.
🎬 Film Summary: Mouchette (1967)
Setting: A rural French village, bleak and isolating.
Protagonist: Mouchette, a teenage girl burdened by poverty, neglect, and abuse.
Plot Highlights:
Mouchette cares for her dying mother and infant brother while enduring her father's cruelty and her school's rejection.
A brief moment of joy at a fair is swiftly interrupted by her father's control.
Lost in the woods, she encounters Arsène, a poacher who rapes her after a seizure.
She returns home to find her mother dead and faces further humiliation from townspeople.
After a series of degrading encounters, she walks to a pond and rolls herself into it—an act of suicide.
✝️ Catholic Lessons and Symbolism
Though Bresson’s approach is more anthropological than doctrinal, Mouchette is rich with Catholic resonance:
1. The Innocent Victim as Christ-Figure
Mouchette’s suffering mirrors Christ’s Passion: she is misunderstood, abused, and ultimately sacrificed by society.
Her gentle care for her brother and mother evokes Marian tenderness and sacrificial love.
2. The Mystery of Grace
Bresson’s Catholicism is subtle but present. He believed in grace as a force that operates mysteriously, even amid despair.
Mouchette’s final act—rolling into the water—can be read as a tragic baptism, a return to God through suffering.
3. The Number Three and Trinitarian Echoes
The film uses symbolic triads (e.g., three dresses offered by the old woman) to evoke the Trinity and spiritual completeness.
4. Critique of Ritual Without Compassion
The villagers’ mechanical religiosity contrasts with their cruelty. Bresson critiques empty ritual divorced from mercy.
The churchgoers in black, the funeral preparations, and the shroud all evoke Catholic rites, but lack true charity.
5. Sacrifice and Redemption
Mouchette’s suicide, though a mortal sin in Catholic teaching, is framed not as condemnation but as a mirror to societal failure.
Bresson invites viewers to reflect on how communities create victims—and whether redemption is possible through empathy.
oStart your day by stirring up some creativity with a unique talent showcase. Whether it’s juggling, singing, or telling jokes, celebrate your skills and those of your friends on Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day.
§Keep the positive energy flowing by making fairy bread to share with loved ones on National Fairy Bread Day.
·Don’t forget to stay fueled with a sardine snack in honor of National Sardines Day.
oTake a moment to appreciate the flexibility and dedication of shift workers on International Shift Worker Sunday.
§Support au pairs and their valuable contributions to families on International Au Pair Day.
·Finally, channel your inner adventurer by researching the mysterious D.B. Cooper case on D.B. Cooper Day.
🌌 Bucket List Trip [3] – Part 5: USA 70-Degree Year Journey
Dates: November 24–December 1, 2025 Theme: Stillness and Advent Route: Tucson → Verde Valley (Cornville base) Style: Local pilgrimage, vineyard reflection, and liturgical descent Climate Alignment: Daily highs 65–70°F
💰 Estimated Cost Overview (Nov 24–Dec 1)
Category
Estimated Cost
Lodging (7 nights)
$0 (home base)
Food (daily meals)
$160
Fuel (local drives)
$40
Symbolic extras
$60
Total Estimate
$260
🕯️ Day 1 – Monday, November 24
Location: Cornville Symbol: Pilgrim’s Rest Ritual Prompt: “Rest is holy—received, not earned.”
We know that all things work for good for those who LOVE God,who are called
according to his purpose.
The spirit filled life
does not promise us success and that everything will be rosy, but it does free
us from the law of sin and death. Paul tells us that there is a difference
between Christian mentoring and worldly mentoring.
Christians somehow even
in the mist of challenges have lives of liberty, hope and power because the
Holy Spirit guides our lives. This is the gift of the Father and the Son.
Observe how the Holy Spirit navigates life for us:
1.He intercedes and groans for us (Rom. 8:22)
2.He directs and testifies to us (John 16:13)
3.He empowers and anoints for service (Acts 1:8)
4.He searches and enables us to discern (Rom.
8:26)
5.He confirms, and bears witness with us (Rom.
8:14)
Copilot’s Take
On this Monday in the Octave of the King, Romans
8:28 reminds us that even in the midst of uncertainty, those who love God are
never outside His purpose. The Spirit-filled life does not guarantee comfort or
worldly success, but it does offer a deeper freedom—a liberation from the law
of sin and death, and a life guided by the Holy Spirit. Like sardines pressed
together in oil, the faithful are preserved, anointed, and sent out in unity.
The Spirit groans with us, testifies to truth, empowers our service, discerns
the depths, and confirms our belonging. In this way, even the smallest
offering—like a humble sardine—becomes a symbol of divine purpose, communal
strength, and spiritual nourishment.
🕊️Monday-Octave
of Christ the King
A
Personal Retreat: From Solemnity to the First Sunday of Advent
Though
the Church does not formally observe an Octave of Christ the King, I propose a
personal retreat—eight days of spiritual dedication, inspired by ancient
Christian rhythms. The “eighth day” (octava dies) has long symbolized
resurrection, baptism, and new creation. From Constantine’s eight-day basilica
dedications to the joyful post-baptismal retreats of the fourth century,
octaves have marked sacred transitions. This retreat will serve as a bridge
from Christ’s kingship to Advent’s anticipation.
📜 Structure of the Retreat
Daily Mass:
In person or via EWTN/online stream
Virtue
Meditation: One Marian virtue per day—Humility, Generosity, Chastity,
Patience, Temperance, Understanding/Love, Wisdom
Daniel Fast:
Monday through Saturday
Physical
Stewardship: Daily movement via the Universal Man Plan
🌿 Day 1: Humility
“We
know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called
according to his purpose.” —Romans 8:28
Humility
is not weakness—it is spiritual precision. It is the ability to see oneself
clearly, neither inflated nor diminished, and to live in right relationship
with God and others. Jesus modeled this perfectly: speaking truth to power,
washing feet, and embracing the cross without losing authority. Humility is the
foundation of assertiveness, self-worth, and spiritual maturity. It allows us
to listen without judgment, ask for help without shame, and lead without pride.
To
cultivate humility today:
Listen deeply:
Let others speak without rushing to solve or correct.
Practice
mindfulness: Accept your faults and gifts without harsh judgment.
Be grateful:
Count your blessings and name them aloud.
Ask for help:
Recognize when you need support and receive it with grace.
Review your
pride: Gently name moments of vanity or smugness and offer them to God.
In
a world that prizes performance, humility is a radical act of trust. It says: I
am not the center, but I am beloved. I do not have all the answers, but I am
guided. I am not more or less than others—I am part of the Body.
33 days to Christmas-Start the 33 days to
Eucharistic Glory[2]
✨ Day 3 – Faithful to the Resurrection
Theme: Seek with all your soul to be faithful
to the resurrection of Christ.
To be faithful to the resurrection is to live as
if death has been defeated and hope has the final word. It is not merely a
belief—it is a way of being. The resurrection is the cornerstone of Eucharistic
glory, and today we are invited to anchor our lives in its power.
🔍 Deepen Your Understanding
Scripture Study: Meditate on 1 Corinthians 15 and the
resurrection accounts in the Gospels. Let the words shape your imagination
and renew your trust.
Theological Reflection: Explore works like Surprised
by Hope by N.T. Wright to grasp the resurrection’s cosmic and personal
significance.
🙏 Live Out Your Faith
Prayer: Begin and end your day with prayer centered on
resurrection hope. Ask Christ to raise what feels dead within you.
Service: Let resurrection faith move you outward. Serve
someone today—through kindness, presence, or practical help.
🕊️ Join the Body of Christ
Worship: Attend Mass or stream a liturgy. Let the
Eucharist be your weekly resurrection encounter.
Fellowship: Connect with others. Share your journey.
Consider forming or joining a small group to walk these 33 days together.
🪞 Reflective Practices
Meditation: Sit in silence. Imagine the empty tomb. Let
the Spirit speak resurrection into your doubts.
Journaling: Write about where you see resurrection in
your life—new beginnings, restored relationships, renewed courage.
Small Group Invitation
Want to walk this journey with others? Download the 33 Days to Eucharistic
Glory Study Guide and invite a few friends to join you. Resurrection is not
a solo path—it’s a communal rising.
Bible in a Year Day 144 David's Last Words
Fr. Mike looks into David's last words to his son Solomon
and explains why it could have been hard for him to take David's advice. He
also points out the important role of the mother of the king, and how this will
foreshadow the role of Mary in the New Testament. Today's readings are 1 Kings
2, 2 Chronicles 2-3, and Psalm 62.
As an amazing source of B12 and Omega Fatty Acids, turning your nose up
at sardines could prevent you from enjoying a delicious addition to your meal.
Sardine Day is your opportunity to learn about these little fish and how you
may already have been enjoying them without knowing. Sardines originally got
their name from the Mediterranean Island of Sardinia. The English got this term
from Grecian history, where the word was used to describe the red color of the
fish and the region of the sea where they were popularized. A large number of
nutrients found in this fish, combined with the efficacy with which they could
be packaged and shipped turned them into an important trade item in the region
for centuries.
Sardines are used in many dishes and are closely related to the anchovies
that are served with Caesar Salad and as a base flavor in Worcestershire sauce.
They’re also one of the main ingredients in “Gentleman’s Relish” a popular
sardine-based spread used in England for many dishes, or just served up on
buttered bread.
How
to celebrate Sardines Day
The best way to celebrate Sardines Day is to attempt to overcome your
fear of this delicious fish. They typically come in tins, pickled or packed in
oil, or even packed in with mustard to preserve them. Thousands of recipes
exist that call for these fish in either their fresh or canned form. A
traditional Caesar Salad starts with a sardine being pressed into the wood of
the bowl it’s served in to provide a slightly fishy flavor, with those who
prefer a stronger flavor having two sardines used.
They’re popularly served as part of a lunchtime snack, often with tomato
and fresh avocado on top of a crisp cracker and a sardine. They’re also
commonly added to soups and sandwiches to bolster their flavor. In fact, if
you’ve ever had soup with a fish-based broth, it is likely the sardine that was
used to create the fish stock. You’ve been enjoying sardines for ages, and
Sardines Day is a great opportunity for you to find out how much you love
sardines!
National Sardine Day is
celebrated on November 24th to honor the small, oily fish that are related to
herrings. Sardines are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including:
·B2
·Niacin
·Vitamin B12
·Phosphorus
·Calcium
·Potassium
·Iron
·Selenium
·Omega-3 fatty acids
·Vitamin D
Sardines can be eaten in
many ways, including:
·On their own
·With crackers
·Grilled
·Pickled
·Smoked
·In salads
·Tossed with pasta and marinara sauce
Sardines were once a
major food source in the Mediterranean islands, which is where the name comes
from. They have also become a cultural symbol in Portugal, representing
national identity and resilience.
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