“At the heart of Lidia Celebrates America is my own immigrant experience. When I came to this country at the age of 12, I had already spent two years in a political refugee camp. Whenever I meet American families with roots in other countries I know immediately that we have something in common.”
— Lidia Bastianich
A blushing bride glows in her gold-trimmed red sari. Mardi Gras Indians dressed in vibrant feathers move to the beat of a drum. A happy couple, clad in jewel-toned robes, bow reverently before their elders. From jumping the broom to tying the knot, wedding celebrations in America are as diverse as the nation itself.
Celebrity chef and culinary author Lidia Bastianich cordially invites viewers to be her “plus one” on a cross-country matrimonial odyssey in her new PBS prime-time special, Lidia Celebrates America: Weddings: Something Borrowed, Something New, airing Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 8pm on PBS (check local listings).
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The second in a series of Lidia Celebrates America specials airing on PBS, this one‐hour program explores America’s rich cultural heritage as seen through the lens of its wedding ceremonies and the special foods and traditions associated with them.
“Weddings are really telling of a culture, and they are all beautifully different,” says Lidia, who marries her passion for food with her love of family in the special.” Each ceremony is a celebration of family, continuity and new life.”
As viewers participate in the various ethnic and religious celebrations across the country, it’s clear food is the common denominator that ties all human beings. “No matter what your religion, or your ethnicity,” Lidia says, “we have the opportunity to celebrate whatever we worship, whoever our families are, and this is something to celebrate: America is something to celebrate.”
In Lidia Celebrates America: Weddings: Something Borrowed, Something New, Lidia attends four wedding celebrations:- A Punjabi and Sri Lankan Wedding in Chicago
- Let the Good Times Roll: A New Orleans Wedding
- A Korean Wedding in Queens
- An Irish- and Italian-American Wedding
Previous Specials
Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday Tables and Traditions
The first in a series of Lidia Celebrates America specials for PBS, this one-hour program explores the American immigrant experience through the revelry of the holidays. In future specials, viewers will join Lidia for a variety of tasty ethnic celebrations, including weddings, rites of passage, and celebrations of independence.
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