A Taste of Tradition: Family, Heritage, and Fourth of July Memories
By Kathryn Dean-Dielman, Commissioner for America 250-Ohio Commission and Co-chair, Under-Told Stories Committee
My mother’s side of my family hosted a July 4th picnic every year since 1946, the year my grandparents were married. Some gatherings were small with only a dozen or so people, but there were many more July 4th picnics when over 40 people attended. This photo was from 1996, in which we also celebrated my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary (grandma is the one in the red shorts sitting on grandpa’s lap). People flew in from as far away as California for this one, and it was the first one to which I brought my future husband.
There was badminton, tables full of scrapbooks, music for polkas. The kids would play in a small pool or sprinkler if it happened to be a sweltering day. No matter what, we took a group picture, usually with 10 different cameras!
The Picnic Table Was Always Full
The food – oh, the food! Chicken on a spit, or backyard rotisserie, was crispy, juicy and so flavorful. Hamburgers, hot dogs – why does everything seem to taste better when cooked outside? The larger the gathering, the greater variety in the potluck – corn on the cob, stuffed cabbage, pasta salad, halushka (cabbage and noodles), fruit salad, beans and rice.
In addition to iced tea and sodas, there was a punch that I remember being called “lemon orange.” It was a mixture of lemonade and orange drink and it was so refreshing and delicious.
Even though there were already so many desserts – brownies, homemade apple and cheese strudels, cookies, pies – my mother always made a beautiful, festive cake.
A Taste of Hungarian Heritage
There was one delicacy I could only get on July 4th, mostly because it’s a hassle to prepare. Szalonna bread, also known as “gypsy bread,” was apparently eaten by caravans and wandering groups back in the “old country.”
The variety we ate is called “sutni szalonna,” in which the pork fat is roasted over an open fire with the drippings saturating the slices of bread. After the bread was saturated, toppings like cucumbers, onions, or even crispy ends of the pork were added, with salt and pepper to finish.
Sutni Szalonna
1-2 loaves rye or pumpernickel bread
1-2 slabs of fatback or pork belly
Thinly sliced onions
Thinly sliced cucumbers
Salt
Pepper
Family Traditions, Old and New
My cousins and I played “restaurant,” pretending to be waitresses and taking orders, running back and forth to the men cooking over the fire. I’m not sure why, but it was always the men who made the szalonna.
Starting in the mid 1990’s, once the picnic at my grandparents’ home concluded, festivities continued at my mom and stepdad’s house. They have a home on Lake Erie and we gathered for another buffet and fireworks over Lake Erie. This made for long, fun, but exhausting days.
My grandparents have passed, families have scattered, and we no longer have those large picnics. I suppose it’s time for me to start my own traditions, and to be honest, I’m craving the szalonna bread!
Every family picnic tells a story. Whether it’s a treasured recipe passed down through generations, a favorite lawn game, an annual reunion, or simply gathering around a table with the people you love, these traditions help preserve our history and strengthen the bonds between generations. We’d love to hear about your favorite picnic memories, family recipes, or Fourth of July traditions. Share your story with us and help celebrate the moments that make Ohio’s communities—and families—so special.
Do you have fond memories of the 4th of July or picnics growing up in Ohio? Share them with us!