What are traditional foods for Juneteenth?

Well first, since it's a warm weather celebration, Juneteenth food traditions often include cookout fare like barbecued meats, potato salad and fruity or frozen desserts. You'll also see lots of traditional soul food dishes like fried chicken, cornbread and collard greens.

What food is traditionally served on Juneteenth?

Juneteenth (a combination of June and nineteenth) celebrations include parades, parties, and prayer. And celebrations would not be complete without Juneteenth food. Barbecue and red-colored foods and drinks like red strawberry soda, and red velvet cake are all common.

What color food is associated with Juneteenth celebrations?

"Red is prominent in the celebration so we never forget what our ancestors had to go through," he said. "They shed a lot of blood to get us to this point." And it's through food that generations have healed.

What do you eat on June 19th?

Red sodas, watermelon, and other red foods are popular on Juneteenth. The red color symbolizes the struggle, perseverance, and resilience of the African slaves. BBQ and traditional soul food dishes like fried chicken, red velvet cake, macaroni and cheese, collard greens are also served on Juneteenth.

Why is red food served on Juneteenth?

It is a color on the Juneteenth flag, and holds several symbolic meanings for the holiday. For one, the red is said to represent the blood shed by enslaved Black Americans on the road to freedom. Red food and drink are what to eat to celebrate a traditional Juneteenth.

Juneteenth Food Traditions: All Red Everything

Why is red velvet associated with Juneteenth?

According to Adrian Lipscombe, red velvet cake's relationship to Juneteenth stems from its red color, which became popular in the 20th century after a specific red food coloring brand became the popular choice for tinting the cake. “The red color it is today was given credit to Adams Extract, a Texas company.

How red food and drink joined the Juneteenth feast?

Food coloring came to preeminence in the late 1800s, and by the 1920s, red-colored carbonated drinks like the Texas-made soda Big Red became part of Juneteenth culinary tradition. Whatever the origin of each item on the Juneteenth table, collectively, they hold a lot of symbolic meaning.

What is red drink Juneteenth?

Red Hibiscus Drink

Hibiscus flowers are native to West Africa, and hibiscus drink or 'tea' is a popular drink still made there today. It's been a part of Juneteenth celebrations since the beginning and it's tangy flavor comes to life when you boil the hibiscus flowers for about 10 mins and add ice and sugar to taste.

How do you celebrate Juneteenth Day?

Celebrations include picnics, rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family reunions, park parties, historical reenactments, blues festivals and Miss Juneteenth contests. Red food and drinks are traditional during the celebrations, including red velvet cake and strawberry soda.

Do you wish someone a Happy Juneteenth?

Just say 'Happy Juneteenth! ' The easiest way to wish someone a Happy Juneteenth is by messaging them and wishing them a fulfilled day. Similar to Black History Month, and other important anniversaries to Black Americans, it is important to acknowledge it as an American holiday, even if you do not celebrate it.

Why is it called Juneteenth instead of June 19th?

Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It is also called Emancipation Day or Juneteenth Independence Day. The name “Juneteenth” references the date of the holiday, combining the words “June” and “nineteenth.”

What does the Juneteenth flag look like?

The original Juneteenth flag was designed in 1997 by Ben Haith, activist and founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation. The flag has a blue and red stripe, a white star in the middle, an outline and an arc that extends across the width of the flag.

What are the colors of Juneteenth?

The Juneteenth colors of red, white, and blue echo the iconic colors of the American flag. These three colors appear on the Juneteenth flag as a second declaration of independence: Black Americans—from former slaves to their living descendants—were and are free Americans too.

What did slaves drink?

in which slaves obtained alcohol outside of the special occasions on which their masters allowed them to drink it. Some female house slaves were assigned to brew cider, beer, and/or brandy on their plantations.

What does red velvet cake have to do with slavery?

Known for its smooth soft texture and distinctively deep, rich red colour, The Red Velvet Cake is enjoyed by many. It is the most significant cake served on Emancipation Day, as it serves a reminder of the bloodshed and those who lost their lives during enslavement.

Why do you drink strawberry soda on Juneteenth?

A traditional drink to serve at a Juneteenth celebration is Strawberry Soda. This drink along with other red foods and beverages symbolizes the bloodshed of the slaves, and pays homage to their sacrifice that led African Americans to the freedom that they have today.

What did the slaves eat?

Weekly food rations -- usually corn meal, lard, some meat, molasses, peas, greens, and flour -- were distributed every Saturday. Vegetable patches or gardens, if permitted by the owner, supplied fresh produce to add to the rations. Morning meals were prepared and consumed at daybreak in the slaves' cabins.

What flavor soda was once a popular drink associated with celebrating the day Juneteenth?

Many people often celebrate Juneteenth by having a barbecue and drinking red strawberry soda. When the slaves were freed, they celebrated by drinking red soda, a luxury that they hadn't been able to have as slaves. So it has since become a tradition to drink red soda on Juneteenth.

Why are Juneteenth colors red black and green?

The official Juneteenth flag was red, white, and blue displaying that all American slaves and their descendants were Americans. However, many in the Black community have adopted the Pan-African flag, red black and green. The colors represent the blood, soil and prosperity of Africa and its people.

Why is the Juneteenth flag red and blue?

According to the president of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation Steve Williams, the star is a "Bursting star of freedom." Williams also states that the arch representing the horizon shows blue above and the red color below is symbolic of the ground soaked with blood; the blood which was shed by the African ...

How do you explain Juneteenth to a child?

“Juneteenth is a day to celebrate that our ancestors fought to be liberated. It's a time to celebrate their power, brilliance and tenacity.” “Juneteenth is a day to celebrate that our ancestors fought to be liberated. It's a time to celebrate their power, brilliance and tenacity.”

What does the black blue and white flag mean?

What does the "Thin Blue Line" flag mean? While the meaning of a totally black or black-and-white American flag is that no quarter will be given, the "Thin Blue Line" (while also mostly black and white) is different. It is used to signify support for law enforcement.

Which state was the last to free slaves?

Mississippi Becomes Final State to Abolish Slavery.

Do we get Juneteenth off?

When President Joe Biden signed the holiday into federal law June 17, 2021, only a handful of states had Juneteenth holidays with paid time off for state employees: Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

How do you say Juneteenth at work?

Ask leaders to talk about the holiday

Similarly, you could choose a theme and ask your leaders to discuss, for example, the story of Juneteenth, why it's celebrated on June 19 and its cultural significance today. Encourage employees to participate, making the discussion as collaborative as possible.