The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters Bonus Episode: Do Holidays Leave You Exhausted, Not Restored? Priya Parker, Francis Lam & Kate Bowler on Celebration
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Dec 2, 2025 
Join Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering, as she shares insights on creating meaningful celebrations. Food expert Francis Lam explores the emotional weight of culinary traditions, and shares his family's dumpling making ritual. Author Kate Bowler offers wisdom on navigating grief during holidays and suggests small rituals to honor mixed emotions. Together, they reveal how to transform gatherings into intentional experiences, emphasizing connection and shared contributions like playful desserts and communal cooking.
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Define Your Gathering's Purpose
- Define the purpose of your holiday gathering before planning to guide decisions and tone.
- Host a gathering you actually want to attend; dread is useful data.
Tree Trimming With Photo Ornaments
- A Cirque du Soleil dancer hosted a tree-trimming party asking guests to send two happy photos.
- He printed them as ornaments so conversations centered on shared moments of happiness.
What Makes Food Rituals Meaningful
- Francis Lam says ritual comes from remembrance, nostalgia, and repeated action.
- Those ingredients transform ordinary meals into emotionally meaningful rituals.
