The cold is pressing in, the days are short and dark, and colorful gardens are sleeping and gray. It’s easy to get a case of the Winter Blues, but you might also be dealing with something a little more insidious – Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you notice a pattern of depressed moods at the same time every year, you might have S.A.D.
Also known as S.A.D., this subset of mood disorders causes depressive symptoms at the same time every year. Unlike regular depression, S.A.D. comes and goes regularly with the changing seasons.
Though winter-pattern Seasonal Affective Disorder is more common, some people suffer from the mood disorder in the summer. In both varieties, the change in mood coincides with the change in temperature and length of daylight.
The causes of S.A.D. are not entirely clear, but researchers believe it may be related to serotonin, melatonin, or Vitamin D levels. Some scientists believe the change in daylight hours interferes with the brain’s ability to absorb serotonin. Others point to changes in daylight hours messing up melatonin and sleep schedules. Another common hypothesis is that lack of sunlight causes a vitamin D deficiency, leading to mood disruptions.
Other factors that may contribute to winter-pattern S.A.D. include environmental causes. Cold weather often forces people indoors, curtailing opportunities for exercise and social interaction. Fresh fruits and vegetables are less accessible, and those available in grocery stores are generally less nutritious after being force-ripened or shipped long distances. Winter holidays might also contribute to S.A.D., both in the stress leading up to them and the letdown after they’ve passed.
Symptoms of S.A.D.
The symptoms of S.A.D. are very similar to those of general depression, including empty moods, lack of energy, and loss of interest in usual pleasures and hobbies.
In addition, winter-pattern S.A.D. often includes symptoms that make the sufferer look a bit like a hibernating bear:
Oversleeping
Overeating, particularly of carbohydrates, leading to weight gain
Social withdrawal (feeling like “hibernating”)
On the other hand, summer-pattern S.A.D. can cause symptoms that are nearly the opposite:
Trouble sleeping
Poor appetite, leading to weight loss
Restlessness and agitation
Anxiety
Violent or aggressive behavior
S.A.D. History
Knowledge of Seasonal Affective Disorder goes back at least 2500 years! The Greek physician Hippocrates (c 460-377BCE) noted the correlation of seasonal changes and both mania and melancholia all the way back in the 4th Century BCE. Aulus Cornelius Celsus (c 25BCE-50CE) blamed bad weather for a spike in melancholia, madness, and epilepsy.
Some ancient physicians recognized the role of sunlight in treatment for S.A.D. The Greek physician Aretaeus of Cappadocia suggested treating lethargics by laying them in the light and exposing them to the rays of the sun.
Fast forward a few thousand years, psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal noticed that his moods fluctuated much more in the winter after moving from South Africa to New York in 1976. He conducted a study with the National Institute of Health on the relationship between melatonin, light, and mood. In 1984, the NIH research group published the results of their study, naming Seasonal Affective Disorder for the first time in print. The American Psychological Association recognized S.A.D. in 1990 as a mental disorder.
Since that time, many advances in science and medicine have created more effective S.A.D. treatments. Scientists were able to make full-spectrum lamps all the way back in the 1920s, with a combination of incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, but those bulbs are now easier to make and more effective to use. New anti-depressant medications have had promising results in trials for treating Seasonal Affective Disorder. People with S.A.D. can now download phone apps to track circadian rhythms, monitor hormone levels, or set a morning alarm that gradually increases light to mimic dawn.
S.A.D. Treatment
Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder overlaps in many ways with treatment for other forms of depression. However, the external factors involved in S.A.D. mean that there are some different options. For one thing, the seasonal nature may allow those affected by S.A.D. to anticipate and prepare for changes before symptoms start to occur.
If you suspect your “Winter Blues” may be a sign of something more serious, please don’t hesitate to seek treatment. In the US, you can text 988, call (866)903-3787, or visit https://988lifeline.org/ to speak with someone immediately.
Especially in winter, hot drinks have a special appeal after skiing or shoveling or when the heating system is on the fritz. And sometimes just for the pleasure of it.
In areas without easy access to safe drinking water, many people prefer to boil all water. Having a hot drink can be a convenient excuse to boil water before drinking it.
Here, for your consideration, are hot drinks galore, from the routine, tried and true to the truly exotic.
Water-Based Drinks
I have a friend who drinks plain hot water, but she is surely in the minority. Putting aside coffee and tea for separate consideration, here are a few ideas for variations on hot water that don’t even need recipes.
Simple additives like a squeeze of lemon, a little sugar, molasses or honey, or some other favorite flavoring such as vanilla, blackberry syrup, etc.
Consider heating un-carbonated flavored water.
Herbs, spices, and supplements can make for a very refreshing and sometimes medicinal beverage when mixed with hot water.
And then there is herbal “tea,” made with water and anything other than Camellia sinensis or Camellia taliensis leaves, such as rooibos, chamomile, or peppermint. This is very convenient, given that there are many varieties commercially available.
Broths and bouillons: water heated with cubes or paste flavored as vegetable, chicken, beef, or whatever.
Coffee-Based Drinks
Coffee isn’t singular. There are over a hundred different types of coffee plants, but only four main types of coffee beans that are commercially produced: Arabica, Robusta, Liberica, and Excelsa. Arabica and Robusta beans are the most popular, making up well over 90% of the market.
The first consideration is black or with various additives. Popular additions include milk of whatever sort, cream, creamer, whipped cream, ice cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk, butter, sugar, sugar substitutes, flavored syrups, or other sweeteners.
A thorough examination of coffee-based drinks is clearly beyond my purpose here. Suffice it to say, the Folgers website alone lists the following:
Espresso, 7 versions
Espresso with coffee, 4 more versions
Cappuccino
Mocha
Lattes, 2 versions
Breve
Macchiatos, 2 versions
Cortado
Dirty Chai
Dalgona
Dessert Coffees, 5 versions
Turkish Coffee
Cuban Coffee
Galão Coffee
Antoccino Coffee
Hot Tea
And then there is real tea, made of leaves from the Camellia plant. Aside from water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. There are roughly 1500 types of tea, categorized into a few main types:
Black tea, a fully oxidized tea that can be dark amber to black in color. Some types of black tea include Assam, Darjeeling, Ceylon, and Pue Yunnan.
White tea, a naturally oxidized, non-processed tea that has a floral and fruity aroma. Some types of white tea include Pai Mu Tan and Yin Zhen.
Green tea, a tea that is minimally oxidized to retain its natural green color and fresh flavor. Green tea may have health benefits such as boosting heart health and lowering cholesterol.
Oolong tea, a distinct tea varietal native to Taiwan and Fujian province in China, has properties somewhere between green and black tea. It is a semi-oxidized tea, best steeped for 2–3 minutes at a temperature of 195°F.
Pu-Erh tea gets its smoky, earthy flavor from extended fermentation. After drying in the sun, pu-erh leaves are rolled into a pile and left to ferment for several months, then steamed, compressed, and dried again.
At Oh, How Civilized!, tea and coffee sommelier Jee Choe has provided recipes for a number of hot drinks. Some of these are not tea, in the strict sense, but they don’t clearly fit anywhere else in this blog.
Ginger spice
Pumpkin spice chai latte
Hot citron tea
Decadent chai latte
Easy chamomile tea latte
London Fog (Earl Grey tea latte)
Decadent hojicha latte
Matcha hot chocolate
Decadent Earl Grey hot chocolate
Easy matcha latte (using green tea powder)
Chocolate mint tea latte
Milk tea
Rooibos tea latte (this “red tea” is a South African herb)
Quick and easy Moroccan mint tea
Jujube ginger tea (jujube is a Chinese red date)
Juice-Based Hot Drinks
At its simplest, just heat your favorite juice, such as orange, apple, prune, or whatever.
Hot lemonade (hot water with honey and a bit of lemon) has been a common treatment for sore throats and stuffy heads for centuries.
Hot apple juice is not terribly popular, but its unpasteurized and unfiltered cousin, apple cider, is a very popular hot drink in the fall and winter.
Simply mixing boiling water with a bit of fruit preserves or compote makes a type of hot juice drink, warming and mildly sweet.
Or fancy it up a bit, for example, tomato juice with a dash of Worcestershire, or prune heated with a bit of lemon peel.
Milk-Based Hot Drinks
While some drinks already mentioned might arguably be lumped in with “milk-based” hot drinks, the ones that follow are undoubtedly so.
There is the classic, pure cup of hot (dairy) milk, especially appropriate for nighttime because it contains tryptophan. The brain uses this essential amino-acid to build both serotonin and melatonin, compounds that help us relax and prepare for sleep. Although the amount of tryptophan is small, don’t discount placebo effects, plus the effects of warmth and a full stomach!
Now there are numerous non-dairy milks available: soy, oat, almond, cashew, macadamia, pea, quinoa, rice, and maybe others I don’t know about. Consider these alone or in the options listed below.
Plus 2 recipes for steamers and 2 for sweet drinks
Looking farther afield, you can find recipes like hot spiced vanilla custard milk (at The Peasant’s Daughter).
Hot Cocoa and Chocolate
Last but not least, hot chocolate and hot cocoa!
Last because you probably thought of it immediately; not least because it’s such a favorite. The basic questions are, with or without marshmallows, with or without a sprinkle of chocolate or cinnamon on top. Beyond that, what are your favorite flavorings? Peppermint? Maple?
Hot cocoa and hot chocolate are technically two different drinks! Mixing hot water or milk with cocoa powder and sugar will give you hot cocoa, which is what most of us in America think of. However, melting solid chocolate and mixing it with hot milk will give you hot chocolate, a thicker and richer beverage.
If you need a recipe, consult any cocoa tin, any comprehensive cookbook, or go online. Or, for a very simple recipe, you could just heat pre-made chocolate milk.
Try Mexican hot chocolate, with cinnamon and chili powder. Or, for a French variation, melt chocolate with cream until it is barely liquid enough to drink.
For a lighter take on hot chocolate, consider steeping cacao husks. Martha Washington reportedly enjoyed an infusion of roasted cacao husks with her breakfast!
Hot Alcoholic Drinks
Here again, recipes are everywhere in cookbooks and online. And you might note overlap with some of the preceding categories!
Hot toddy is a wintertime favorite. The classic hot toddy is made with hot water, sweeteners like honey or sugar, whiskey (often bourbon), and a stick of cinnamon or star anise.
Another popular wintertime drink is mulled wine. Mulled wine is dry red or white wine heated and spiced with cloves, star anise, and cinnamon sticks, often with oranges.
Because of the lack of pasteurization, apple cider and perry (cider made from pear juice) ferment and become alcoholic very easily. Hot Buttered Spiked Cider, besides the title ingredients, uses dark brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, rum, orange peel, and cinnamon stick.
Spiked hot chocolate or a hot peppermint patty
Bailey’s hot chocolate
Amaretto coffee
Irish coffee
Spanish coffee
Hot buttered rum
Ginger bourbon
Cinnamon and tequila
Apple brandy hot toddy
Whiskey chai
Gaelic punch, using young Irish whiskey
Sake
Bottom Line: There are myriad ways to drink yourself warm from the inside out, not to mention warming your fingers as well. Go for it!
More than 99% of the world’s animals lay eggs! Who knew?
According to Reader’s Digest and Parade, January is National Egg Month. Other organizations celebrate in May, but the egg’s unique combination of health benefits and comfort associations make them the perfect dish to start off New Year’s resolutions. People are urged to try new egg recipes, appreciate the role of egg farmers, and enjoy various egg dishes. Maybe even try new eggs?
Categories of Egg-Layers
Egg varieties from Nouveau Larousse Illustré (1897–1904)
All species of birds lay eggs, including hens, ducks, turkeys, geese, ostriches, and emus. Bird eggs have hard shells to help keep them from drying out.
Most reptiles, including snakes, turtles, lizards, and crocodiles, lay eggs. Reptile eggs have softer, leathery shells that need to stay moist.
Most insects lay eggs, including bees, ants, mosquitos, ladybugs, butterflies, and moths. Insect eggs come in many shapes, sizes, and configurations.
Monotremes, including the platypus and the short-beaked and long-beaked echidna, are the only two mammals that lay eggs. Monotreme eggs are similar to reptile eggs, with a leathery outer covering instead of a hard shell like a bird egg, but they are not edible, so you’ll hear no more about them here.
Chicken eggs are the most common edible egg. Indeed, most people haven’t eaten any others. They are fairly mild as far as taste goes and they have many vitamins and nutrients. Store bought chicken eggs are typically white, but chicken eggs have various different colored shells, such as brown or green, depending on the breed of chicken.
Duck eggs are similar to chicken eggs, but with a larger yolk and higher amounts of some nutrients, like folate, iron, and vitamin B12. The taste is richer and smoother and contains more fat and protein than a chicken egg. They have a thicker shell that allows them to stay fresh longer.
Turkey eggs are similar to duck eggs in size and taste. The egg has a thicker yolk and egg white, giving it a creamier taste and consistency. Some people prefer turkey eggs for cooking pastries because of the richer flavor. Turkey eggs are hard to find in stores because most farmers get more value from raising the bird rather than selling the egg.
Ostrich eggs weigh in at around 3 lbs., making them the largest of bird eggs. This is 20 times greater than a chicken egg! The shells have a creamy color and are extremely thick and hard to crack. If you do manage to get one open, you’ll find that each egg is packed with 2,000 calories. However, it has similar nutrients and runny yolk of a chicken egg.
Emu eggs weigh in less than an ostrich egg, at about 2 lbs. These eggs have a dark shell that is usually black in color and speckled with a deep green. Emu eggs are one of the richest tasting eggs. The yolk has the consistency of silly putty, and the egg white is thick like glue. When you cut into it, nothing will ooze out.
Goose eggs are about double in size to a chicken egg. They also have a heavier, more dense taste with greater protein content. The shells are thick and take more force to crack open. Goose eggs are much rarer than chicken or duck eggs because geese only lay about 40 eggs a year.
Quail eggs are tiny and delicate. The taste of a quail egg is lighter than most eggs and its nutritional contents are similar to those of chicken eggs. However, you would need to eat multiple quail eggs to match the same nutrition as a chicken egg. These tiny eggs are considered a delicacy in many countries and have even been used in healing remedies.
Pheasant eggs are similar in size to a duck egg, making them slightly larger than a chicken. The taste is light and less rich, like a quail egg. However, they have a more gamey taste.
What about insect eggs? Entomophagy is the technical term for eating insects. Humans have eaten insect eggs for thousands of years, and the practice is still common in many tropical countries.
Widespread
Around 3,000 ethnic groups practice entomophagy, and 80% of the world’s nations eat insects.
Escamoles: Black ant eggs that are boiled or fried and often added to soups, tacos, or omelets
Khai mod daeng: Weaver ant eggs that are high in vitamin, sugar, and protein
Some say ant eggs taste like little bubbles of flavor that burst in your mouth
Khai mot daeng vendor in Isaan, Thailand
Sustainable
Insects require fewer resources than conventional livestock, making them a sustainable food source.
However, eating insect eggs can also pose a health risk. Fly eggs or larvae that survive in the gastrointestinal tract can cause intestinal myiasis, leading to abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Fish Eggs
Yes, people eat fish eggs, also known as roe, as an ingredient in many dishes and as a snack. Who hasn’t heard of caviar?
Caviar A type of salted fish egg that comes from wild sturgeon. Caviar is often eaten with blini, crème fraîche, and champagne. It has a smooth texture and a buttery, nutty flavor.
Salmon roe Also known as ikurain Japan, salmon roe can be eaten in many ways, including on sushi, in pasta, or spread on toast.
Other fish roe Fish roe can come from many types of fish, including trout, cod, paddlefish, and whitefish. It can be eaten as an appetizer or in sushi rolls.
Fish eggs are a good source of nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. However, fish roe is also high in cholesterol and often prepared with lots of salt, so people who are watching their cholesterol or sodium intake should be mindful of overconsuming.
When sold in the U.S., fish roe must be labeled with the species of fish from which it came.
Beware! Some fish eggs are poisonous.
Reptile Eggs
Crocodile hatchling
And have you ever tried reptile eggs? Some South East Asian and Australian indigenous groups eat crocodile eggs, and you might be able to actually get them for consumption in parts of SEA and northern Australia. Some people report a mildly fishy flavor.
Iguana eggs are edible as are alligator eggs, but mother alligators are very protective of their eggs and young.
Snake eggs are edible but obtaining them often requires getting past a broody mother. Burmese pythons wrap around their clutch for months until they hatch. King cobras, the only snake that actually builds a nest, are quite protective of their nests. Even venomous snake eggs are safe to eat!
Python bounty hunter Donna Kalil takes python eggs as part of her efforts to rid Florida of the invasive snakes. Python eggs are chewy, but they can be tasty if prepared correctly. She even uses them to bake sugar cookies!
Tortoise hatchling
Sea turtle eggs are easily dug up, collected, and eaten or sold. Because one nest can contain as many as 100 eggs, they are a popular source of protein among communities living near sea turtle nesting beaches. However, the cumulative effect of consuming the heavy metals in sea turtle eggs can be toxic, particularly in children. Many species of sea turtles are endangered, and eating their eggs can cause serious ecological damage.
From what I’ve found online, reptile eggs are generally pretty bland and might taste a bit like chicken eggs, but with less flavor.
Danger!
In general, people should not eat the eggs of wild animals unless certain they are safe and properly identified. In particular:
Poisonous fish eggs In ichthyotoxic fish, such as catfish, gar, and scullpins, the reproductive organs and products (including roe) are poisonous to eat. However, the meat is usually still fine.
Seabird eggs While some seabird eggs are edible, many can have a strong fishy taste and may accumulate contaminants from their diet, so caution is advised.
Unidentified wild eggs If you cannot confidently identify the source of any wild eggs, do not eat them.
Many species of wild birds, fish, and reptiles are endangered or vulnerable. Eating their eggs could disrupt an entire breeding season and is often illegal.
Chicken Eggs
What follows is specifically about chicken eggs.
Varieties and Variations
In the United States, each person consumes 280-286 chicken eggs per year on average.
Egg vendor in Poland with many sizes of chicken egg
The grade of eggs in the US refers to the actual quality of an egg’s shell, whites, and yolk. From best to worst, the grades are Grade AA, Grade A, and Grade B.
Eggs have many nutrients that are essential for health. Some say that the healthiest eggs are pasture-raised eggs with a Grade AA rating, a USDA Organic label, and the Certified Humane Raised & Handled certification. Research from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences found that compared to eggs from conventionally-raised chickens, eggs from pasture-raised hens had double the amount of vitamin E and long-chain omega-3 fats.
Others say that the best tasting eggs come from pastured chickens. Pasture-raised chickens’ eggs (also known as pastured eggs) are by far the best eggs to buy, but make sure you at least get free range.
Commercially grown and free-range eggs
The color of the yolk indicates nutritional value, with darker yolks indicating a diet of foraged grasses and bugs. However, the color of the eggshell (white, brown, or pastel, determined by the breed of the chicken) has no effect on the taste or quality of the egg.
Frankly, commercial egg production is pretty brutal. I won’t go into it here, but some people buy eggs from free-range, pasture raised chickens because it’s the humane choice.
The type of chicken feed can influence the egg’s flavor, especially when the feed contains strong-tasting foods like onions, garlic, or herbs, which can impart a subtle taste to the egg; however, the change in taste is usually not dramatic and depends on the specific diet of the chicken.
Storage
Surprising, to me: raw eggs can absorb strong refrigerator smells. Yet another reason to keep eggs in their cartons and refrigerated foods in containers!
Varieties of grocery store eggs
As a general rule, unwashed eggs will last around two weeks unrefrigerated and about three months (or more) when refrigerated.
Washed eggs—i.e., grocery store eggs—while they can, technically, last longer, most experts recommend consuming washed eggs within a month for optimal freshness and safety.
Eggs of undetermined age? Fresh eggs sink in water, while older eggs float because they contain more air pockets.
And let’s salute hardboiled eggs in particular: portable and convenient, and beautiful when decorated for Easter!
Symbolic Eggs
Decorated eggs called pysanka have become a national symbol of Ukraine. This Museum of the Pysanka, established in 1987, houses collections of pysanka from every region of the country.
And just as an aside: eggs have many symbolic meanings.
Perhaps the best known is new life and rebirth, representing life emerging from within. Many cultures associate them with the cycle of life and death.
Luck, wealth, and joy: Several Chinese and Vietnamese traditions include red eggs as a symbol of joy, luck, wealth, or good fortune.
Protection: Mexican huevos limpia rituals use an egg to absorb negative energy and block curses a person may be carrying.
Spring: Many spring equinox celebrations, including Ostara and Nowruz, include eggs as a symbol of the new season, rebirth, and breaking the ice of winter.
Dichotomy: The yolk and the white became the essence of yin and yang, split by the god Pangu in Chinese mythology to become light and darkness.
Creation: In Hindu mythology, the cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha contained the essence of creation and the god Brahma.
Good and evil: The Dogon people of Mali believe the world was first created in miniature inside an egg by the supreme deity Amma, but it cracked, allowing the twins of good and evil to escape.
Resurrection: In Christianity, Easter eggs symbolize the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb.
The world: In Egypt, the egg often appears as a symbol of the world, with the yolk representing the heavens and the earth.
Pretty much everyone has tasted chicken eggs, straight up or fancied up. But as mentioned above, there are many other kinds of eggs out there with varying sizes, tastes, and looks. Mix it up from time to time with a different egg for an entirely renewed egg experience. What kinds of eggs have you tried?
Bottom Line: There’s more to the egg than a grocery store shelf.
According to a survey conducted in October 2022, flowers and plants, as well as beauty products, were some of the most unwanted gifts for Christmas in the United States. Specifically, over 40 percent of surveyed consumers in the U.S. said they would not want to receive presents such as these over the holidays.
Considering all the gift-giving occasions during the year—from birthdays to anniversaries, graduations to weddings, Hanukah and Christmas to Valentine’s Day, baby showers to bridal showers—surely all of us have received unwanted presents. Maybe not the things in the 2022 survey, but something that just doesn’t hit the spot.
But how could you not be delighted with a slobbery, half-chewed squeaky toy?
So what to do? First you give an exasperated sigh, or possibly an eye roll, even a scowl. And then?
Return
Easily done if your gift came with a “gift receipt,” especially if it’s an exchange for a different size or color. But often you can exchange for a totally different item, store credit, or even cash!
Regift
Nearly anything can be happily destroyed as a pet toy, though not always safely.
A choice of long standing. If you don’t do scented candles—or plaid neck scarves, or whatever—someone among your family, friends, or neighbors probably does. You can save it for the next gift-giving occasion, or just ask around for who might be interested. Your trash might be someone else’s treasure.
But be careful if you go this route. You don’t want to risk regifting an item in front of the original giver. Or worse—giving an unwanted item directly back to the original giver!
Redesign
Most easily done with clothes by adding or taking away. Trim, such as bows, ruffles, or lace are simple to change. Open the top of a knit cap and it becomes a neck warmer. Sweaters can become vests. T-shirts or sweatshirts can become undershirts by removing the sleeves. Jeans can become shorts. Etc.
Lots of suggestions are available online.
Repurpose
Ill-fitting socks become chia pets!
When you can’t think of anyone who might want a Christmas ornament of a skull wearing a Santa hat, consider turning it into a Halloween decoration—with or without changing the color of the hat.
Neckties can become headbands. Many cloth items can become quilt pieces, patches, appliqués, pillows, doll clothes. Particularly outrageous items can find a new home in the “dress-up box” for children or cleaning cloths.
Donate
The perfect destination for your boss’s three-volume autobiography
Charity shops are happy to take most good quality gifts. If they’re new, they’ll go for a higher price. Some shops now even log the items you’ve donated and send a letter a few weeks later telling you how much your gifts have raised.
Goodwill takes nearly anything, any time of year.
Libraries are almost always happy to have books, keeping some for their stock and some for the perennial sales tables.
Sell
An especially attractive option if you already offer things on eBay or similar sites. But if you are a novice, before taking the plunge, consider whether it’s worth your time and effort to list, package, and mail for a one-off.
And consider consignment shops! Some specialize (in clothes, for example, or glassware) but many are more varied in their offerings.
Recycle
An option depending on where you live and what the gift is made of.
Toss It
When all else fails, send it to the dump. It’s harsh, and some would say wasteful. But in my opinion, that’s better than cluttering your mental and physical space.
Bottom Line: It’s okay to get rid of gifts that aren’t adding value to your life: donate it, sell it, recycle it. Let go of stuff so you can focus on what’s important in your life. Most people won’t even notice, especially the people who care about you.
Worldwide, more people think about reindeer today than on any other day of the year! And here’s the scoop.
Rangifer tarandus saintnicolas magicalus
According to the Alaska Department on Fish and Game, Santa’s reindeer (R.t. saintnicolas magicalus) look very similar to common reindeer or caribou, but have many characteristics that distinguish them from the seven other common subspecies.
Santa’s reindeer possess the unique and remarkable ability to fly. A strenuous conditioning program developed by Mr. and Mrs. Claus enables them to travel great distances in a short time, provided they receive frequent carrot snacks.
My personal observation of reindeer in Norway has led me to conclude that Santa’s reindeer also have a much greater affinity for bells compared to common reindeer.
In most subspecies of reindeer/caribou, the adult bulls shed their antlers in late October. So, given the date of Christmas, all the males would have dropped their antlers. Female reindeer use their antlers to brush away snow to find food in the winter, and pregnant females usually retain their antlers until calves are born in late May.
In all reported sightings, the antlers of Santa’s reindeer appear extremely velvety and robust in late December. This has fired a debate over whether Santa’s reindeer are all female. Because there are no data on when or if Santa’s reindeer shed their antlers, some claim that males with antlers in winter is just another unique difference between Santa’s reindeer and regular reindeer.
The names of Dasher, Dancer, and the rest of Santa’s antlered reindeer are gender-neutral, also suggesting to me that they all could be female.
Rudolph’s Biology
In any case, Rudolf is a boy. Small bulls and non-pregnant cows shed antlers in April, and reliable sources claim that Rudolph was very young when he first started flying with Santa Claus.
When reindeer need to cool down, they can increase blood flow to their extremities, including their noses. Because the hair on their noses is finer and lighter in color than in other areas, their noses can appear red, just like a human with flushed cheeks. Though the bright glowing seems to be artistic license, Rudolph’s red nose was likely just a result of his healthy circulatory system!
There is a story abroad that Blitzen and Rudolph are father and son, who have a loving relationship. During Rudolph’s childhood, Blitzen worried about what others would think of his son’s red nose and became angry when people found out and ridiculed him. Perhaps that was Rudolph’s mother?
Old Santeclaus with much delight His reindeer drives this frosty night. O’er chimneytops, and tracks of snow, To bring his yearly gifts to you.
Two years later, in 1823, the Troy Sentinel published the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, commonly known as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. The poem featured eight flying reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh and, for the first time, identified each team member by name.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began guiding Santa’s sleigh in 1939, when Robert L. May wrote the story of “the most famous reindeer of all” as a Christmas coloring book for his employer, the department store Montgomery Ward. The company gave away the coloring books as holiday gifts to children to entice their parents to visit and shop at the store. Before settling on Rudolph, May considered the names Rollo and Reginald!
In 1948, May’s brother-in-law Johnny Marks made the story into a song. It was featured in a cartoon shown in movie theaters, but wasn’t released as a stand-alone recording until 1949 when “The Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry recorded the song and its popularity soared. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is one of the biggest-selling Christmas songs of all time.
Leaving Fantasy Behind
Apart from Santa’s workshop, reindeer are a real thing. Humans domesticated reindeer in Eurasia over 2000 years ago. Today, depending on where you are, reindeer is a blanket name that includes both the domesticated and wild populations.
The scientific name for reindeer and caribou is Rangifer tarandus. The term Rangifer likely comes from the Old French word rangier for reindeer and the Latin word ferus, which translates to ‘wild’ or ‘untamed’.
Caribou live in the Arctic tundra and the boreal forests of Greenland, Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, and Canada. There are two types of caribou (reindeer)—tundra caribou and forest and woodland caribou.
Reindeer vs. Caribou
All caribou and reindeer throughout the world are considered to be the same species, and, excluding Santa’s reindeer (R.t. saintnicolas magicalus), there are 7 subspecies.
Migration
Though most people use the terms ‘caribou’ and ‘reindeer’ interchangeably to refer to the same species, migration is a key difference.
Tundra caribou are larger in numbers and migrate between tundras and forests areas every year. They migrate in massive herds that can reach up to 500,000 individuals. ‘Caribou’ describes members of the Rangifer tarandus species living in North America, who migrate these long distances. According to a study of the longest terrestrial migrations in the world published in Scientific Reports, reindeer and gray wolves were the only species that exceeded 621 miles (1,000 kilometers). With their remarkably long legs, North American reindeer can travel an average of 23 miles daily.
‘Reindeer’ describes wild Rangifer tarandus living in Europe and Asia or domesticated caribou in North America.
Wolves are the greatest natural predator of caribou. For thousands of years, they have followed migrating caribou herds, killing mostly the aged, injured, or weak animals.
Although the similarities between reindeer and caribou are numerous, the differences are enough that they are classified as two subspecies.
Domestication
Domestication is the other main difference between reindeer and caribou, and many of the distinguishing traits are thought to result from that domestication.
Both male and female reindeer and caribou grow antlers — a trait unique in the deer family — although female reindeer antlers grow larger than female caribou antlers.
Reindeer are shorter, stouter and more sedentary than their long-legged caribou cousins, and although reindeer may migrate within their grazing range, they do not migrate long distances between wintering grounds and calving areas as caribou do.
Caribou bulls are larger than reindeer bulls, but reindeer cows generally weigh the same as caribou cows.
Reindeer have thicker, denser fur than caribou, although both have hollow guard hairs that keep them warm.
Russian reindeer pulling a sled
The reindeer breeding season begins about two to four weeks earlier than caribou, which results in reindeer calves being born at the end of April, while caribou calves are born at the end of May.
The Value of Reindeer
The main product of reindeer herding is meat. However, skins, bones, and horns are important raw materials for making clothes and handicrafts.
Meat and organs such as tongue, kidneys, brain, heart and liver are an essential food source. In Alaska, and Canada reindeer/caribou are an important food source, particularly in native communities throughout the north.
Reindeer meat is eaten widely in Norway and Finland.
Tallow or fat is used in recipes such as Eskimo ice cream and was burned as a light source.
Hard antlers and bone are used to make utensils, tools, and decorative objects.
Hides are used for clothing, mukluks, blankets, mittens, tents, boat coverings, sleeping bags, house coverings, and insulation.
Reindeer milk is some of the richest and most nutritious milk produced by any terrestrial mammal. It contains an impressive 22 percent butterfat and 10 percent protein. (Whole cow milk contains only three to four percent fat, and human milk contains three to five percent.) However, reindeer can only produce up to two cups daily. In Nordic countries, people use the milk of farmed reindeer to make butter and a kind of sweet cheese.
Antler velvet has been used in medicine since at least 100 BC, according to a silk scroll found in a Han tomb in China. Today, velvet is still used as a medicinal ingrediant in several countries, including China, Korea, and Indonesia.
Hair is edible! This practice has saved some groups from starvation.
Fun Facts About Reindeer
Antlers
Both male and female reindeer grow antlers, unique among the more than 45 species of deer where only the males have antlers. The males use their antlers primarily to battle for females whereas the females use theirs mainly to defend food sources. Males’ antlers grow up to about 50 inches long while females’ can reach up to 20 inches,
Compared to their body size, reindeer have the largest and heaviest antlers of all living deer species. A male’s antlers can be up to 51 inches long, and a female’s antlers can reach 20 inches.
Unlike horns which are never shed, antlers fall off and grow back larger each year. Male reindeer begin to grow antlers in February and female reindeer in May.
Both sexes finish growing their antlers at the same time but shed them at different times of the year. Typically, males drop their antlers in the late fall, leaving them without antlers until the following spring, while females keep their antlers through the winter until their calves are born in the spring.
Fur and Hair
Reindeer have thick, wooly undercoats, with a top layer of longer, tubular hairs. The hollow shafts allow the hairs to trap air, providing insulation to keep the animals warm in frigid environments. The hollowness of their coats is also what gives them their white color.
That hollow coat hairs (along with big feet) make reindeer excellent swimmers. They’re often seen crossing the Yukon River—the third longest in North America, a half mile wide in parts—mid-migration. They swim across these rough, wide rivers and can swim three times faster than the average human, up to 6 mph — which happens to be Michael Phelps’s top speed! According to the National Park Service, researchers have recorded calves just a few months old swimming between islands a mile and a half apart.
Reindeer hair covers their bodies from their noses to the bottom of their feet (hooves). The hairy hooves may look funny, but they give reindeer a good grip when walking on frozen ground, ice, mud, and snow.
Reindeer are the only deer species to have hair completely covering their nose. Their specialized nose hair helps to warm incoming cold air before it enters their lungs. Their good sense of smell helps reindeer find food hidden under snow, locate danger, and recognize direction. Reindeer mainly travel into the wind so they can pick up scents.
Behavior
Reindeer eat mosses, herbs, ferns, grasses, and the shoots and leaves of shrubs and trees, especially willow and birch. In winter, they make do with lichen (also called reindeer moss) and fungi, scraping the snow away with their hooves to get it. Lichen is exceedingly high in carbohydrates and contains a fair amount of vitamins and protein. An average adult reindeer eats 9 to 18 pounds of vegetation a day.
Reindeer travel, feed, and rest together throughout the day in herds of 10 to a few hundred. In spring, they may form super-herds of 50,000 to 500,000 animals. The herds generally follow food sources, traveling south up to 1,000 miles when food is hard to find in winter.
Reindeer are the only deer species humans have managed to domesticate widely.
Caribou and reindeer are important to their ecosystems. In the tundras and forests, they help regulate vegetation and cycle nutrients through the soil to encourage growth.
Baby Reindeer
In yet another departure from the rest of the deer family, reindeer aren’t called bucks, does, or fawns. Instead, like cattle, a male is a bull (or in some cases a stag), a female is a cow and a baby is a calf.
Calf in Finland
Cow with calf
Females give birth to one calf each year. Calves can stand within minutes of being born. Within 90 minutes of birth, calves can run as fast as an Olympic sprinter. In a matter of hours, they can keep up with the herd. It isn’t abnormal for calves to run at speeds of up to 50 mph for 30-some miles a day during migration. That speed is only slightly slower than the pronghorn (top speed 55 mph), the second-fastest land animal in the world. This quick development helps the vulnerable young survive against predators like wolves, bears, and lynx.
Also an anomaly for the deer family, reindeer calves aren’t born with spots. According to Henderson State University, spots on a young deer are an adaptation for survival. Because other deer can’t run as fast as adults when they’re young, their spots help their mothers locate them if they’ve been outrun. When running from a predator, the spots break up the pattern of the rushing herd. However, reindeer calves can run as fast as their adult counterparts within hours, so they haven’t developed the adaptation.
Meat
Reindeer tastes like venison. It is popular in Scandinavian countries where it is served with sweet sauces most of the time. If you like venison, you will probably like reindeer. Both are available in many forms, some more gamy than others, and in both the back strap is the best cut.
Reindeer meat is very healthful. It has more vitamins and micro nutrients and less fat than pork or beef.
Reindeer meat is also an ethical choice for free grazing and a cleaner environment.
Reindeer meat is very popular throughout Europe, widely available in supermarkets and restaurants as steak, stew, ribs, jerky, sausage, soup, smoked, and fried.
Weird Deer
Caribou/reindeer hooves are large enough to distribute their weight, which helps them walk easily on snow and paddle through water. During winter, their footpads shrink and harden, the World Animal Foundation says, exposing the hoof rim so it can cut into ice and snow for traction. The hoof’s hollow underside also helps them dig through snow to reach lichens, their primary winter food source. In summer, the underside is spongy and soft to help them grip the earth.
Thanks to an intwined arrangement of arteries and veins in their legs, reindeer have a counter-current heat exchange. Like Arctic foxes and moose, this allows them to “recycle” their body heat rather getting cold feet standing in the snow!
Researchers at University College London discovered that reindeer are the only mammals that can see ultraviolet light. Their ability to see ultraviolet light helps the animals spot food and predators more clearly in the glaring light of the Arctic.
Reindeer in Danger
The involvement of young people in Norway and Sweden in raising and herding caribou is hindered by legislative acts, and the lack of pastures and economic opportunities hamper the growth of the industry.
Caribou are classified by the IUCN RedList as Vulnerable (VU). Prior to 2015, they were classified as Least Concern (LC). Caribou have experienced a population decline of 40% over the last three generations (21 to 27 years).
The numerous threats contributing to this decline include habit disturbance through human activity, hunting, predation, and climate change.
Bottom Line: There’s a lot more to reindeer than Christmas!
Reading, unless you’re reading aloud, tends to be a solitary past-time. However, watching movies based on or inspired by books can be a group activity. Watching movies inspired by Christmas books could be a fun way to combine the best of both worlds while visiting loved ones during the holiday season. So here, for your watching pleasure, is a selection of Christmas movies based on books.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Although not as old as some, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Dr. Seuss) is definitely a Christmas classic. Three film adaptations of the story have come out, in 1966, 2000, and 2018.
The Polar Express
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. The 2004 movie has had a mixed reception, but it appears that most people like the book.
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
Clement Moore’s 1823 poem Account of a Visit from Saint Nicholas is more commonly known as ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. There was a silent film version of the story made in 1905. The original plot is a secondary story in the 1974 film by Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass—but then, most movies vary from the books. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) retains almost nothing of the original story except Santa Claus and his reindeer!
A Christmas Carol also inspired Philip Van Doren Stern’s 1943 short story The Greatest Gift. In 1946, Frank Capra produced It’s a Wonderful Life, loosely based on Stern’s story.
With its snowy setting and themes of overcoming winter, Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen, is often included with Christmas stories. The story has been made into several films, ballets, operas, ice skating productions, television series, and animes. The 2013 Disney film Frozen is loosely based on the original Andersen story.
Terry Pratchett’s 1996 comedic novel Hogfather, though taking place in an entirely fantasy world, “begins on a midwinter festival bearing a remarkable similarity to your Christmas.” In 2006, the BBC adapted the novel as a four-hour miniseries.
Technically, Miracle on 34th Street shouldn’t be here, as the book by Valentine Davies and the movie came out simultaneously in 1947. But who wants to be technical? The film was remade in 1994.
And if you want still more movie options, go to imbd.com for 100+ Christmas movies based on books.
Of course, you should feel free to read the books instead—or even in addition!
As a writer, I enjoy playing with words. This is one of my favorite sesquipedalian word games. How many of the following songs can you name? Hint: they’re all Christmas songs.
Note: a title may occur more than once.
1. Move hitherward the entire assembly of those who are loyal to their faith.
2. Listen, the celestial messengers produce harmonious sounds.
3. Nocturnal timespan of unbroken quietness.
4. An emotion excited by the acquisition of expectation of good given to the terrestrial sphere.
5. Embellish the interior passageways.
6. Heavenly beings from exalted surroundings.
7. Twelve o’clock on a clement night witnessed its occurrence.
8. Tintinnabulation of vacillating pendulums in inverted, metallic resonant cups.
9. Small municipality in Judea southeast of Jerusalem.
10. Diminutive masculine master of skin covered percussionist cylinders.
11. Omnipotent supreme being who elicits respite to ecstatic, distinguished male personages.
12. Natal celebration devoid of color.
13. In awe of the nocturnal timespan characterized by religious consecration.
14. The first person nominative plural of triumvirate of far eastern heads of state.
15. In a distant location the existence of an impoverished unit of newborn children’s slumber furniture.
16. Jovial yuletide desired for the second person singular or plural by us.
17. Castaneous-colored seed vesicated in a conflagration.
18. Red man enroute to borough.
19. Frozen precipitation commence.
20. Quadruped with the vermillion proboscis.
21. Delight for this planet.
22. The dozen festive 24 hour intervals.
23. Bleached yule.
24. Singular yearning for the twin anterior incisors.
25. Righteous darkness.
26. Arrival time: 2400 hours; weather: cloudless.
27. Loyal followers advance.
28. Far off in a feeder.
29. Array the corridor.
30. Bantam male percussionist.
31. Monarchial triad.
32. Nocturnal noiselessness.
33. Proceed and enlighten on the pinnacle.
34. Query regarding identity of descendant.
35. Give attention to the melodious celestial beings.
Bottom Line: Is a song by any other name as melodious?
—Increased productivity: Gratitude can increase productivity by activating the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for critical thinking and rational thought processes.
—Strengthened self-worth.
—Optimism: Positive reframing underlies the relationship between trait gratitude and a sense of coherence. A sense of coherence is how confident a person feels about potential life outcomes. It is the degree to which a person feels optimistic and in control of future events (Lambert, Graham, Fincham, & Stillman, 2009).
—Reduced stress: Gratitude can help calm the nervous system and reduce stress. (UCLA HealthMar 22, 2023)
Physically Grateful
from The Greater Good Science Center
— Every time a person expresses or receives gratitude, dopamine releases in the brain, thus making a connection between the behavior and feeling good. The more a person practices gratitude, the more often dopamine releases.
—Better sleep: People who practice gratitude tend to sleep better and longer.
Encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom
Group Gratitude
Strengthens relationships
Increases prosocial behaviors
May help employees’ effectiveness
May increase job satisfaction
Research Into Gratitude
Emmons & Mishra (2011) concluded that there is “considerable evidence that gratitude builds social resources by strengthening relationships and promoting prosocial actions.”
Gratitude disconnects us from toxic, negative emotions and the ruminating that often accompanies them. Writing a letter “shifts our attention” so that our focus is on positive emotions.
Expressing gratitude helps us even if we don’t explicitly share it with someone. We’re happier and more satisfied with life because we “said it to ourselves.”
The positive effects of gratitude writing compound like interest. You might not notice the benefit of a daily or weekly practice, but after several weeks and months, you will.
A gratitude practice trains the brain to be more in tune with experiencing gratitude — a positive plus a positive, equaling more positives.
“In the past, I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.”
Grateful people help the people who helped them (benefactors) and strangers similarly, and
Reminding people who helped them (a benefactor) still increased helping behavior exhibited toward strangers. The reciprocity norm wasn’t a factor.
Dickens and DeSteno (2018) found an association between self-control (patience) and gratitude. Grateful people delay future rewards to a higher degree than ungrateful people, positively affecting one’s finances. Increasing levels of gratitude could also help people positively affect health-related behaviors.
Robert Emmons (2010), a preeminent scholar in this field, makes the argument that gratitude allows a person to do several things:
Journal about things, people, or situations for which you are grateful. Consider including negative situations like avoiding an accident, for instance.
Think about someone for whom you are grateful.
Write a gratitude letter to someone for whom you are thankful. Consider sending it or giving it to them in person.
Do the “Count Your Blessings” exercise (at the end of the day, write down three things for which you were grateful).
Practice saying “thank you” in a real and meaningful way. Be specific. For example, “Thank you for taking the time to read this article and leave a comment. I enjoy reading your contributions because they broaden my understanding of this subject.”
Write thank you notes. Some might say this is a lost art. Challenge yourself to write one hand-written note every week for one month.
If religious, pray about your gratitude or use specific prayers of gratitude. Interfaith Worker Justice offers Muslim, Jewish, and Christian examples. Secular Seasons has several graces and invocations. You also can find a collection of secular gratitude approaches on BE. Orlando Humanist Fellowship.
Recall a negative event. Doing this helps you appreciate your current situation.
Be mindful of your five senses. How does each enhance your life?
Create visual reminders to practice gratitude. Sticky notes, notifications, and people are great for this.
Focus on the good that others have done on your behalf.
Be a grateful gazer. Be on the lookout for opportunities to feel grateful.
Give something up. We tend to adapt to newness; sometimes it’s a good idea to give something up so that we can increase our appreciation of it.
Think about what your life would be like if a specific positive event [hadn’t] happened. Write all the decisions and events that would have been different in your life. For instance, what if you didn’t meet your spouse? What if you didn’t get the dream job you have now? What if you hadn’t stopped a particular bad habit?
There’s always something to be grateful for!
Lack of Gratitude
Unfortunately, not everyone eagerly jumps onto the gratitude bandwagon. Emmons (2013) offers the following characteristics of ingratitude:
Excessive sense of self-importance
Arrogance
Vanity
Unquenchable need for admiration and approval
Sense of entitlement
Thomas Gilovich (2017) describes ingratitude as the result of “adaptation, dwelling on negatives, and skewed perceptions of hardships.” In Enemies of Gratitude, Gilovich explains how and why these three experiences interfere with one’s ability to express gratitude.
Appreciating the positives in one’s life making life better seems a little woo-woo, not to mention circular. But there’s a ton of research indicating that it works. And it’s a small, no-cost investment with potentially great rewards.
If you look for synonyms or associations, you find words like grime, dust, soot, smut, muck, mud, filth, sludge, slime, ooze, dross, scum, pollution, waste, smudges, stains, crud, yuck, grunge, and the list goes on. Dirt certainly has negative associations.
When one isn’t being literal? Well, there’s scandal, gossip, revelations, rumor(s), tittle-tattle, slander, libel, calumny, smears, lowdown, dope, poop. Yep, dirt has lots of black marks against it.
And that’s not even counting dirty words, dirty dancing, dirty jokes, dirty looks, dirty minds…
The slang meaning of “eating dirt” means to accept blame, guilt, criticism, or insults without complaint; to humble or abase oneself.
Is There Nothing Good About Dirt?
The obvious answer comes from growing plants: any gardener or farmer swears by good dirt.
Not so obvious: exposure to dirt and microorganisms can help train your immune system to fight off foreign substances and build resilience to illnesses.
What follows is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional.
Dirt and bacteria in the environment help your immune system learn how to react to foreign substances.
Early exposure to microbes helps children develop regulatory T cells, which are white blood cells that control how the immune system responds to foreign invaders. Mycobacterium vaccae, a type of bacteria found in soil, can reduce inflammation and improve mood by influencing the release of serotonin.
Playing in mud can be beneficial for a child’s health.
Outside activities like mountain biking, camping, and hiking can help people come into contact with a diverse microbial ecosystem.
Don’t constantly clean an infant’s pacifier. A dirty pacifier can stimulate your child’s immune system.
Having a furry pet in the home, regardless of how clean the pet is kept, will introduce bacteria and pet dander into the atmosphere.
And Then There is Actually Eating Dirt!
Mud cookies in Haiti, by David Levene
Written accounts of humans eating dirt date back more than 2,000 years. For many people, all over the world, dining on dirt is nothing out of the ordinary. Now an extensive meta-analysis reported in the June, 2011 issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology helps explain why.
Dr. Sera Young and her colleagues analyzed reports from missionaries, plantation doctors, explorers, and anthropologists to put together a database of more than 480 cultural accounts of people eating dirt. According to this research, the most probable explanation for humans eating dirt (geophagy) is that it protects the stomach against toxins, parasites, and pathogens.
“The database shows that geophagy is documented most commonly in women in the early stages of pregnancy and in pre-adolescent children. Both categories of people are especially sensitive to parasites and pathogens, according to Young and her colleagues. In addition, geophagy is most common in tropical climates where foodborne microbes are abundant. Finally, the database shows that people often eat earth during episodes of gastrointestinal stress. It’s unlikely the intestinal problems are caused by the dirt itself because the type of clay people usually eat comes from deep in the ground, where pathogens and parasites are unlikely to contaminate it. Plus, people usually boil the clay before eating it.”
University of Chicago Press Journals. “Eating dirt can be good for the belly, researchers find.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 June 2011
In one 2017 study, 54% of pregnant women in South Africa ate dirt, and three-quarters of them ate more than 3 teaspoons per day.
Although soil is generally low in nutritive value, deficiencies in iron and zinc may play a role in why some people eat dirt. A 2023 study of children from Sri Lanka suggested that pica (eating things that aren’t food) could indicate a zinc deficiency because the average zinc levels in the children with pica were significantly lower than the average zinc levels in the group without pica.
Note: Eating dirt can be dangerous because soil may contain harmful substances like heavy metals, human waste, and parasites.
Numerous bacterial genera and species that produce antibiotics in vitro have been isolated from different soils. Actinomycetes, in particular Streptomyces species, have been the primary resource of clinical antibiotics and other therapeutics.
Immunologists and allergists in Europe are working on the so-called “farm effect.” Children raised on ecologically managed farms in Central Europe have much lower rates of allergy and asthma than urban children or those raised on industrialized farms. Almost everything points to microbes—in manure, in unpasteurized milk, in stable dust, on unwashed food and, yes, in the soil. How soil microbes and other farm microbes protect against allergic diseases is still a matter of debate.
Volunteering is a positive thing, as nearly everyone agrees. A volunteer benefits not just their community but reaps a range of benefits mentally, professionally, and personally.
Maureen Sullivan and Shirley Conn, American Women’s Voluntary Services (F. Palumbo, 1941)
Words associated with volunteering include:
Passionate
Reliable
Team player
Patient
Creative
Energetic
Positive
Willing to help
Compassionate
Organized
Why to Volunteer
So, if you volunteer, you are likely to enhance your image. But if your image is “fine,“ why bother? There are many more substantive reasons for people—even selfish people—to volunteer.
Social scientist have studied the phenomenon of volunteering for years, and the benefits are clearly documented for physical benefits, a range of mental and emotional positives as well as a sense of self-worth, and social networking.
Dr. Eric Kim, psychologist, has studied the connection between psychological well-being and physical health. One study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, followed people who volunteered at least two hours per week over a period of four years. According to Kim, “Our minds and bodies are rewarded when we give to others.” Study participants showed less chance of early death and also reduced “physical functioning limitations.”
Developing confidence: discovering hidden talents that may change the volunteer’s view of their own self-worth.
Learning new/valuable skills: opportunity to develop transferable skills applicable to any position, such as interpersonal communication, time management, leadership, delegation, communication, leadership and problem-solving.
Networking: volunteer work can demonstrate to those who may be in a position to recommend you to others or hire you for a paid position based on the kind of person you are (e.g. how you work with others, how you approach tasks, how you take initiative, how you manage your time).
Targeted volunteering gives you the opportunity to develop meaningful connections with professionals in your field of interest.
Career exploration: volunteering is also a great way to explore different career opportunities by engaging with professionals in a variety of fields to better understand your interests, likes and dislikes and determine which fields you might want to pursue further.
Other professional benefits:
Gaining professional experience
Expand your resume
Career advancement
Develop social skills
Mental Health Benefits
Mental health professionals agree that focusing on a cause outside of yourself has many benefits for mental health and well-being.
Interrupts tension-producing patterns.
Increase happiness: reduce stress, combat depression, anxiety and loneliness by releasing dopamine.
Moods and emotions, like optimism, joy, and control over one’s fate, strengthen the immune system.
Physical health (by encouraging more physical activity)
Gratification of giving back
Meet new people/make new friends
Finding purpose
And bring fun into your life!
Benefits to Your Community
Community cohesion: assisting in uniting people from diverse backgrounds to work toward a common goal and building camaraderie through teamwork.
Personal growth and fulfillment: through working with local non-profit agencies, learn about the functions and operations of our government, gain knowledge of local resources available to solve community needs.
Saving resources: volunteering provides valuable community services so more money can be spent on local improvements. The estimated value of a volunteer’s time in California is $26.87 per hour based on the Corporation for National & Community Service.
Cons of Volunteering
The constraints on time, funding, or manpower can make it tough for volunteers to hit their goals or create a significant impact. Such failures can cause the volunteers to lose faith in the cause or in the benefits of volunteering altogether.
In addition, you may also encounter resistance. Introducing new ideas or initiatives can face pushback, both from within the organization and the community.
Bottom Line: Weighing the pros and cons, even selfish self-interest supports volunteering.
