Baking the ultimate Universal language

December 19th, 2014, 8pm

In Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Africa? Probably. Australia, for sure.

There’s always something, little things if you will, that unite nations and cultures together. They’re not always easy to spot, but there are thoughts and actions that act as common ground, something we all can relate to no matter where we come from and who’s surrounding us, from the West or from the East. It’s wonderful but tricky to try to come up with more of these Bluetacs of culture, or society’s Bostik if you will, and noticing which ones can be found in the largest amount of cultures.

For the last couple of weeks, I believe to have found the ultimate and most transversal of these multicultural adhesives, mainly due to the Christmas season. No matter where you are or who you talk to, there’s always someone that’s going to perfectly understand the meaning of:

”Going home for Christmas? Oh, yeah… mother’s cakes, am I right?”

December seems to be the season of what your mother or grandmother bakes, regardless of religion or holiday celebration. It’s the season of the family pudding, the carrot cake that ”she does just right”, the vanilla almond cake that’s been in the family for generations, the pumpkin filhós that only your mother does the way it should be done, and so many other indulgences that seem to be the true disguised highlight of the season.

It breaks the highest barriers of society, it shatters the hardest walls of prejudice, it blows away the cultural stereotypes that so often divide society. It’s the universal language of sweetness, and everyone speaks it fluently.

Mothers and grandmothers of this world are doing the best kind of humanitarian work without even realising. I’ll be certain to do my part and put on my share of world-loving pounds.

For a better and more connected future: nomnomnomnom.


Shu, Emanuel, David Wade, Tanja and 2 others said thanks.

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Ricardo Magalhães

Doing whatever possible to soak up what the world has to offer. I try to give something back. Currently working as a web developer in London, but it's the walking, the getting lost, the words and the photography that keep me best company.

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