What is the significance of strawberry soda?

Strawberry soda is a common feature of the Juneteenth holiday as a nod to the celebrations of slaves in Galveston, Texas, who on June 19, 1865, learned they were free. Those celebrations, according to the Journal Sentinel story, included red food and beverages “to symbolize the blood that was shed by the slaves.”
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What is the significance of strawberry soda for 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.
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What does strawberry soda mean?

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.
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What is the official drink of 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.
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What traditional food is served in 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.
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Strawberry Syrup - How to Make Fresh Strawberry Syrup and Strawberry Soda



Why is the color red associated with Juneteenth?

"The one I hear frequently is that red symbolizes the blood shed by enslaved West African ancestors," he explained to Insider. "Red pays homage and respect to those ancestors who died during the Atlantic slave trade."
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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.
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What did Juneteenth slaves eat?

“In some places in Texas, Juneteenth was all about having goat. It was about the whole hog in some places, and in other places, it was about beef. And then, in some places, it could be all three.” Another essential addition to the Juneteenth culinary tradition is red drinks, a staple across the diaspora.
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What does red velvet cake have to do with slavery?

But the cake is an important part of Juneteenth parties, where red food is served ostensibly to symbolize the blood shed during slavery and in the Civil War. The June 19 celebrationmarks the date in 1865 when slaves in Texas found out they had been freed.
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Why is red velvet cake eaten on Juneteenth?

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.
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Where does strawberry soda come from?

Strawberry soda is a common feature of the Juneteenth holiday as a nod to the celebrations of slaves in Galveston, Texas, who on June 19, 1865, learned they were free. Those celebrations, according to the Journal Sentinel story, included red food and beverages “to symbolize the blood that was shed by the slaves.”
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What does strawberry soda taste like?

It's delicious in its own unique way! If a soda could taste “fresh,” this would be it. Or, as my kids described it, “It tastes like bubbly strawberry water. But it's better than water because it's sweet and tastes just like strawberries.
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What does Juneteenth mean?

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.”
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What does red soda mean?

Red Sodas Are a Mainstay at Texas Celebrations Red soda water is as much a part of the Juneteenth celebration as are parades and barbecue. Tuesday is the Texas holiday that celebrates the liberation of black American slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865.
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What does the Juneteenth flag look like?

Deliberately consisting of a red, white, and blue color scheme just like the American flag, the Juneteenth flag has a white star in the center, meant to represent both Texas (the Lone Star State), as well as the freedom of enslaved people in all 50 states.
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What is red soda water?

Red Soda Water (and anything else that's red)

The classic color symbolizes blood lost during the struggle for emancipation or the hibiscus tea that was frequently drunk by slaves during celebrations, depending on who you talk to.
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What is a Juneteenth cake?

Since 1865, Juneteenth (a combination of June and nineteenth) has become a celebratory day within the African-American community. Evolving over the centuries, Juneteenth celebrations include parades, parties, prayer, and (of course) Juneteenth food. Red velvet cake makes a classic Juneteenth dessert.
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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.
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How is red velvet cake related to 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.
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What did Texas slaves eat?

Rations dispensed once a week typically included a gallon of corn, some farm-raised rice, molasses, three pounds of salt pork or beef and occasionally buttermilk and clabber.
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How red food and drink joined the Juneteenth feast?

After emancipation and over the years, these three red drinks evolved into teas and lemonades made from cherries and strawberries, with the color and flavor being extracted with vinegar and syrup water. In the 1920s, red food coloring was invented, and Texas soda brand Big Red became a Juneteenth staple.
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What does red food symbolize?

Red, in many West African cultures, is a symbol of strength, spirituality, and life and death. It's possible this cultural legacy along with these groups' distinct food knowledge of okra, beans, melons, and many other food groupings—some red, some not—was brought across the Atlantic.
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What did slaves do for fun?

During their limited leisure hours, particularly on Sundays and holidays, slaves engaged in singing and dancing. Though slaves used a variety of musical instruments, they also engaged in the practice of "patting juba" or the clapping of hands in a highly complex and rhythmic fashion.
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How did slaves sleep?

Once in the New World, enslaved people were usually still made to sleep in tight quarters, sometimes on the bare floor, and they struggled to snatch any sleep at all while chained together in the coffle.
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What did slaves do in the winter?

In his 1845 Narrative, Douglass wrote that slaves celebrated the winter holidays by engaging in activities such as "playing ball, wrestling, running foot-races, fiddling, dancing, and drinking whiskey" (p.
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