Community is commitment — a declaration I have held close to my chest after moving back to Oakland five years ago determined to find a place for myself. My parents’ recent separation, the subsequent foreclosure of our family home, and a toxic job in public relations ultimately left me reeling with questions about home, place, … Read more
When December rolls around in my central Florida hometown, it doesn’t mean much. For more content like this follow LivingHolidays Temperatures continue to soar, and in place of snow-capped branches, Spanish moss clings to the live oak trees. It was always the residents themselves who beckoned in the holiday season, decorating their homes with festive … Read more
The city that I used to live in was so diverse and exposed me to holiday traditions from around the world. While many celebrated Christmas, there was also a huge Jamaican population celebrating Kwanzaa, and there were enough Jewish families in the area that public schools would close for several days to celebrate Hanukkah. I’ll … Read more
Candy is great, and costumes are fun, but what about the music? Whether you like jammin’ to Monster Mash or prefer to get down to Thriller, music plays a big part in this spookiest of holidays. But there’s more to listen to than just the Ghostbusters theme song (although that is a good one!). Here are 80 songs to … Read more
Jennifer PrinceContributor Jennifer Prince’s work is featured on several national travel sites, such as Travel + Leisure, National Geographic, AFAR, Lonely Planet, and Conde Nast Traveler. She thrives on off-the-beaten-path itineraries and is passionate about finding microstories to bring destinations to life. Jennifer currently lives in Virginia with her husband, and other than travel and … Read more
Olivia Harvey Olivia Harvey is a freelance writer and award-winning scriptwriter from outside Boston, Massachusetts. She’s a big fan of scented candles, getting dressed up, and the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley. You can make sure she’s doing okay via Instagram and/or Twitter.
Growing up in a small Texas town, my East Indian immigrant father insisted I learned to speak English and our native language, Gujarati, at the same time. As a teenager who desperately tried to fit into American life, I often didn’t understand the reasoning behind my father’s logic. Now in midlife, I have a deep … Read more
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing. To celebrate Jewish-American Heritage Month, here are rounded up five books that chronicle modern Jewish life alongside age-old discussions of faith and tradition. Author Dani Shapiro’s Jewish identity was … Read more
Passover is one of the most important Jewish holidays. And while it can be a lot of fun, it can also be a lot of work, depending on how strictly you “keep” Passover. Keeping Passover involves abstaining from eating anything leavened, known as “chametz,” for one week. This commemorates the time it took the Israelite … Read more
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, starts this year on April 2. While Muslims the world over are fasting from sunrise to sunset, Iftar acts as the main meal each day where family and community come together after prayers for a feast. (Suhoor is a hearty meal that happens before dawn that will … Read more