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 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.

What is the significance of red for Juneteenth?

Red foods appear on Juneteenth tables, too.

Red symbolizes the bloodshed by enslaved ancestors due to the transatlantic slave trade, explains James Beard Award winner Adrian Miller, author of Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.

What is one special drink often found at Juneteenth celebrations?

But no celebration would ever be complete without Red Drink. This beloved drink is a modern take on traditional African hibiscus ginger tea, and is often said to revitalize the mind, body and soul.

What is the Juneteenth drink?

Whether it's soda, Kool-Aid, or cocktails, “red drinks” are the official beverage of a Juneteenth celebration. With “Watermelon and Red Birds,” Nicole Taylor has written the first cookbook dedicated to the holiday.

Why Juneteenth Food Traditions Include Hot Links, Red Drinks and Dishes

How do you celebrate Juneteenth strawberry soda?

STRAWBERRY SODA METHOD

Add lemon lime soda to a pitcher filled with ice and a ¼ cup of lemon juice. Add homemade strawberry syrup and quartered strawberries & sprigs of mint. Stir together and serve. For more ways to celebrate Juneteenth in PA, check out the visitPA.com website.

What food is Juneteenth in?

Common red foods seen at Juneteenth celebrations include red soda or lemonade, red velvet cake, and watermelon. (Plus barbecue and great sides.) History offers several explanations why Juneteenth food is often red.

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 color are you supposed to wear on Juneteenth?

A common theme is dressing in red, white, and blue to highlight the “Independence Day for Black folks” vibe of the holiday. It's also a nod to the Juneteenth flag, which sports bright red and blue stripes and a bold white star overlay to represent the "new star" on the horizon for our community.

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.

Why is red velvet cake eaten on Juneteenth?

Red velvet cake's relationship to Juneteenth stems from its red color, which according to Adrian Lipscombe, founder of 40 Acres & A Mule Project and owner of Uptowne Cafe & Bakery, actually became popular in the 20th century after a specific red food coloring started being used to give velvet cakes a red makeover.

What does the Juneteenth flag look like?

(CNN) You might see another red, white and blue flag flying this weekend over state capitols and city buildings. That banner with a bursting star in the middle is the Juneteenth Flag, a symbolic representation of the end of slavery in the United States.

What is the period after Juneteenth known as?

Fact #4: The period after Juneteenth is known as the 'Scatter. ' Undeterred by the recommendation to remain in place, many former slaves left the area during the original reading.

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.”

What are 3 facts about Juneteenth?

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.

What does the curved separation between red and blue mean?

Its colors-red, white, and blue-are the same as the U.S. flag, emphasizing that those formerly enslaved and their descendants are Americans. According to the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, the curved separation in colors symbolizes new horizons and opportunities for Black Americans.

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 liquor mixes well with strawberry soda?

Recipe makes one cocktail. In your cocktail glass, muddle strawberries, then fill with ice. Add in tequila, lime juice and tonic water.

Where is Juneteenth celebrated?

In all 50 states and the District of Colombia recognize Juneteenth in some form. Texas was first back in 1980. But, so far, only 24 states and D.C. have made June 19 a public paid holiday, though more states could soon follow. The city of Boston marked the holiday with a weekend celebration of Black arts and culture.

Is it appropriate to say 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.

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.”

Who was the last state to free slaves?

Mississippi Becomes Last State to Ratify 13th Amendment

After what's being seen as an “oversight†by the state of Mississippi, the Southern territory has become the last state to consent to the 13th Amendment–officially abolishing slavery.

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 ...

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.