I posed the questions to my friend who is married into a Polish family from Buffalo, NY and now lives in Rochester. She is also an entertainer who has worked a lot of weddings in western NY. Here is what she said, in quotes:
On to my question: Have any of you ever been to a wedding
> that has a "cookie table"? This is a table that
> has lots of cookies that have been made by families (or in
> some cases, a caterer.)
"Yes - Many times! I'm not an authority on the subject - but here are my observations over 20 years of countless parties for many wonderful people of different ethnicities."
Where and when did you see it?
"Usually at Italian weddings - big deal - cookie table is ogled as much as the wedding cake - cookies are distributed very late in the party - after the wedding cake usually - people care more about the cookies than the cake - cookies can be catered (not as valued) or homemade (the best I've seen) and contain lots of almond paste, time and love involved with accolades going to the ladies (never gents) who made them as the grand dames of the event. Whenever I work a wedding - I joke that my payment includes a portion of the cookie tray - and the customer is always most gratified that I understand the custom."
Have you always known about cookie tables?
"Just from weddings."
( I wrote to her that someone on the list had mentioned a wedding in a Catholic Polish wedding)
"Polish families always bring food to any event - formal events discourage food being brought - but desserts are most always allowed and slipped in the door - again tradition. My husband's family brings food to weddings, showers, funerals, baby showers, holiday events, strangers, everywhere for everything! Many cultures have this custom too - very old world tradition.
Translation by experiences: Giving food is the greatest gift, nourishes the body, soul and family/relationships. If people are stingy with food, they are regarded as being stingy with everything else and not held in high regard. When you attend any kind of event, there must be too much food, enough for guests to take food home with them (!! - doesn't mean as a guest you have to take it, but there must be enough) or the host did not do a good job on the event.
A Polish household has cupboards filled with foods to eat, foods to serve to guests, and foods in case the world comes to an end tomorrow - kind of Egyptian (stocking the pyramid)."
If you'd like more info or a direct connection to my source, just email me.(Note I am going to be out of the office March 16-20)
Cindy Boyer
Director of Museums and Education
The Landmark Society of Western New York
133 S. Fitzhugh St.
Rochester NY 14608
(585) 546-7029 ext. 12
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The Landmark Society: Revitalizing Yesterday, Protecting Today, and Planning for Tomorrow
www.landmarksociety.org
Confessions of a Preservationist: The Landmark Society blog
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-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Britton, Kathleen
Sent: Friday, March 13, 2009 10:21 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Free Cookies?
I've bounced around upstate NY all my life an
Cookie cake - yum!
I've bounced around upstate NY all my life and didn't run across a
cookie cake or table until I landed in Western NY. I've seen them
primarily at weddings where at least part of the family is Italian and
they've been placed out along side the regular cake.
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Heidi Campbell-Shoaf
Sent: Friday, March 13, 2009 9:37 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Free Cookies?
Being from W.Pa. I agree with Judy, it is not Midwestern. I have been to
weddings with cookie tables. I did not have one but my cousin did. It
was not in place of the cake but in addition to it. I have a completely
informal theory that people in W.Pa. tend to have more sweets around in
general. When I moved to Md. I was surprised at the paltry candy
sections in most of the supermarkets.
Heidi Campbell-Shoaf, Executive Director Historical Society of Frederick
County
24 East Church Street
Frederick, Md. 21701
www.hsfcinfo.org
Current Exhibit:
What's Old is New: Recent Additions to our Collection January 26- May
31, Museum of Frederick County History
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