Happy New Year -- Eat 12 Grapes! 40*25' N, 3*4' W

Madrid Spain:  I read this morning an article about unusual New Year's traditions in various parts of the world. In Columbia, for instance, people walk around the block with any empty suitcase so that they will have a year full of travel. I'd do that too if there was a guarantee that the travel would be for pleasure and not just for work.

In Spain, people eat one grape at each bell stroke at midnight to ensure a year of prosperity.  Each grape represents one month of the year. The key is to get all 12 grapes into your mouth before the last bell stroke. We have fresh grapes in our refrigerator, so I think I will try this one tonight.

I hope the world is more prosperous in 2014. I look around and see so much good, but there is also a lot of bad, especially if you are a child. Hundreds of millions of people do not have access to life's basic necessities, including clean water and food. According to the United Nations, in 2012 nearly 870 million people, or 13% of the world's population, suffered from chronic undernourishment. Millions more have uncertain access to a steady and nutritious food supply. Nearly all of these people, 852 million, live in developing countries. And while progress to combat hunger has been made in Asia and Latin America, the number of hungry people in Africa has risen steadily since 2007. Also, this is not just a third world problem; hunger also is a growing concern in the developed world.

Sadly, children are the most visible victims of hunger. Children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness each year, and poor nutrition plays a role in millions of child deaths annually. Here in the United States, the Department of Agriculture estimates that 49 million Americans—including 16 million children—live in households that lack the means to secure adequate and nutritious food on a regular basis.

Rates of food insecurity, the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, are highest among households with incomes near or below the federal poverty line, among households with children headed by single parents, and among Black and Hispanic households.  Twenty-five percent of urban households battle food insecurity, although the problem also exists in rural areas.

I would hate to think that this is just the way things are.  Some people have food and some do not.  I think about how much food we waste in this country.  Even in my own household, we are constantly throwing out uneaten leftovers or spoiled food.  It is shameful and unnecessary, and I suppose the first step toward solving a larger global problem is to adjust my own behavior.

Jim and I are very fortunate.  We have a roof over our heads, food on our table, good jobs, and access to health care.  By any measure, we already are prosperous, and we try to do our part to provide prosperity to others.  So tonight, we will join the Spanish and pop 12 grapes at midnight with the hope that the world, especially hungry children, will find some prosperity. 

Happy New Year.