Happy New Year! We had a smaller than planned New Year’s Day celebration with just my immediate family and my parents due to covid. Every year on New Year’s Day, my family observes a Korean tradition called Jesa, which is a memorial ceremony for deceased ancestors. There are traditional foods, fruit, wine, and rice cakes that are prepared as offerings, and then we perform ritual bows. Traditionally the male descendants were the only ones to bow, but customs have changed in modern times and our family has all the females bow as well. Most of my Korean American friends no longer keep up with this tradition, but I love that my parents have maintained this tradition every year on New Year’s Day and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), even though it’s been over 40 years since they moved to the US.
Here are some interesting links from around the web this week!
H E A L T H
10 Lessons We’ve Learned About Eating Well via New York Times
F.D.A. Will Permanently Allow Abortion Pills by Mail via New York Times
Covid vaccines rarely lead to problems in younger children, according to two C.D.C. reports. via New York Times
When They Warn of Rare Disorders, These Prenatal Tests Are Usually Wrong via New York Times
E D U C A T I O N
Omicron Upends Return to School in U.S. via New York Times
Universities Are Shunning Their Responsibility to Democracy via The Atlantic
The White House will freeze federal student loan repayments until May 1. via New York Times
What parents should know about sending kids back to school during Omicron via CNN
F A M I L Y
The ‘cannamoms’ parenting with cannabis via BBC
The 135 Coolest Names For Babies in 2022 via Popsugar
Our 12 Most Popular Comfort Food Recipes of 2021 via The Kitchn
The 15 Most Popular Recipes of 2021 via Natasha’s Kitchen
American motherhood vs. the American work ethic via Vox
The Movies You Shouldn’t Watch With Your Kids via Esquire
How we built new traditions during the pandemic via PBS
‘A Blessing and a Relief’: How Four Families Used the Child Tax Credit via New York Times
Mom in viral video explains why she doesn’t allow sleepovers via Today
Here’s how to win at Monopoly, according to math experts via TED
Kids need to see themselves reflected in media. Here are some recommendations via NPR
I grew up living with my grandparents — here are 10 important life lessons they taught me via Insider
The Good Dad: I was obsessed with doing things “right” with our new son. It nearly broke us the first night he came home. via Slate
