For The Love Of Mason

So what exactly is this fascination Southern folks have with drinking out of mason jars? Are we Just That Country? Is it a tradition? Or does sweet iced tea really taste that much better in a jar?

The answer is yes! to all of the above.

It is said that canning jars came about when Napoleon Bonaparte offered a reward for a method of preserving food for his traveling army. That first jar was a glass vessel, reinforced with wire and sealed with wax.

By the time the U.S. Civil War broke out, a new canning jar was in use. John L. Mason was an inventor and tin smith from New York City, and in 1858 he invented the mason jar that we recognize today. The difference between his design and previous jars was the seal:  his glass container had threads molded into the neck and a metal lid with a rubber ring.  The rubber created the seal, and the threaded lid kept it secure. Food preservation was simpler and safer than ever.

Much of The South was devastated by The War and many country families turned to sharecropping as a way to sustain life. The only way to survive a long, hot day in the cotton fields is to stay hydrated, and the easiest way to keep flies and dust out of the water was to keep it covered. Mason jars were common and the lids made transporting and drinking fresh water, or homemade brew, less a chore.

When Prohibition rolled around in the 1920's, mason jars took up a new role. The government had intended to hamper the consumption of alcohol by doing away with the businesses that made and distributed it. Instead, the moonshine industry saw a boom. With alcohol in short supply, personal backwoods stills became money-mines; the key to success was not getting caught. Mason jars were commonly used by country folk for putting up food, so they could be easily purchased without raising suspicion with the sheriff or the revenuers. The jars were smaller and lighter than pottery jugs, so they were preferred by the bootleggers who delivered the spirits, and they were transparent, so customers could gauge the clarity and quality of the product at a glance. And...they were just the right size for sippin'.

Tradition dies hard in The South and many of us still prefer 'shine, tea, lemonade and coffee straight out of Mr. Mason's jar.

So we see that the Mason Jar is rich with country tradition... but does sweet tea really taste better from a jar?

I would say so, yes. Maybe it's in the delivery - the particular angle at which the beverage goes from from the jar to your mouth - that makes the difference. Maybe it's because you're tasting pure, sweet iced tea instead of plastic chemicals.

Or maybe it just tastes like nostalgia.

MAMA'S SUN TEA RECIPE
  6 Regular Tea Bags
  Water
  A Glass Gallon Jug with Lid
  About 1 Cup of Sugar
  A Sunny Day
  Ice
Fill jug to about one inch from the top with fresh water. Drop in tea bags; cover. The best tea is made in the morning and steeps in the sun for about 4 hours. Properly served over ice and in a mason jar.

Decoration Day

“In Memoriam” by Miss Sophie B. Steel

I saw a post yesterday on Facebook that said "Memorial Day...in case you thought it was National BBQ Day." The accompanying image of a young lady lying atop a flag-decorated grave has lingered in my mind since I viewed it.

For many Americans, Memorial Day has become the offical commencement of summer - the three day weekend of beach trips and barbeque parties. Perhaps we need a reminder of what this "holiday" is all about.

Originally known as Decoration Day, this is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of our nation. Research suggests that, even before the end of the Civil War, Southern women were forming groups and decorating the graves of Fallen Soldiers. A hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920).

In May of 1966, President Lyndon B.Johnson offically declared Waterloo NY 'the' birthplace of Memorial Day, though it would be impossible to define the actual origin of the day. The official place of origin is not so important - what is important is that Memorial Day was established as a day to honor those who literally gave their all for our country.

Decoration Day was officially proclaimed in May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, as a day of remembrance for the soldiers who lost their lives in the Civil War. It was first observed on 30 May 1868, when the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery were decorated with flowers. By 1890 the holiday was recognized by all of the northern states however, many in the South refused to acknowledge the National Holiday, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I, when the holiday changed from honoring only Civil War soldiers to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.

In 1971 Congress passed the National Holiday Act, and Memorial Day is now celebrated in almost every State on the final Monday in May. It is interesting to note that several Southern states have additional days set aside for honoring the Confederate war dead: *January 19 in Texas
*April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi
*May 10 in South Carolina
*June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

Sadly, traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years as Americans rush the stores for charcoal and hot dogs in prepartion for the long weekend. Too many Americans have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day and too many have failed to impart the significance of the day to our young citizens. At too many cemeteries, the graves of fallen Soldiers are neglected or ignored altogether. Too many people have forgotten proper flag etiquette. (On Memorial Day the flag of the United States is raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains only until noon.It is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day. The half-staff position remembers the more than one million men and women who have given their lives in service of our country. At noon their memory is raised by the living, who resolve not to let their sacrifice be in vain, but to rise up in their stead and continue the fight for liberty and justice for all.) While most cities and towns hold parades for one reason or another, many have not held a Memorial Day parade in decades. In 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

But there are still those who remember. Since 1948, on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment - the “Old Guard” - have placed small American flags in front of each of the more than 300,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. Each flag is planted precisely one foot in front of a grave marker and perfectly centered. These Soldiers then patrol the cemetery 24 hours a day throughout the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing.

To help remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed in Dec 2000; it asks that, at 3 p.m. local time, all Americans "voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of Remembrance and Respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps." The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day.

As a nation we need to come together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their lives in service to our country. As Citizens we need to return to the solemn, sacred spirit of Decoration Day.