Old School Thursday: A Loaf of Bread, a Jug of Wine and Sardines Edition

Today is National Café au Lait Day – and I could totally use a café au lait right about now. I’m tired this week.


It’s also the Feast of Shesmu, the Egyptian god of the Wine Press and Fornacalia, which is the Old Roman Bread Festival, not a fornication feast. I can’t find much information about how the Egyptians or the Romans celebrated these days, but I’m comfortable with drinking some wine and eating some bread and calling it a party.

There’s not much regular historical news today – just that today in 1876 (or maybe it was 1873), canned sardines went on sale for the first time in the U.S. In the late 19th century, this was likely revolutionary and very exciting and it’s interesting still today, since canned fish remains popular as a snack. When I was a kid, my dad ate sardines (I thought they were gross, though I’d take down whole cans of smoked oysters). I’m not sure if my dad eats them anymore, but even now, Cooper eats sardines and other types of fish-in-cans, especially if they’re a little bit fancy.

So, today – wine and bread, of course, with a side of sardines. Preferably outside – it’s going to be 70 today! I’m sure Shesmu would be happy about that.