Hosting a “Welcome Home Dinner” is a return to the simple practice of sharing stories and images of meaningful moments with others. 

The mediums of visual storytelling have sharply shifted over the last few decades. As a child, I recall any visit to my grandparents in Texas would include my grandfather setting up his slide projector, and click by click, washed-out images of their latest travels would appear on the screen. As I began working with students in churches in the early 1990’s, no summer camp or mission trip was complete without the end of the week video with a montage of pictures that captured the most memorable moments. Spontaneous laughter and applause would punctuate the photos of the highlight reel.

While social media has afforded posting and editing images while still on an adventure, it has removed the interpersonal nature of sharing the stories and images in an embodied way. There is an important emotional and relational connection that comes with being welcomed home and invited to share the images and stories of our adventures. Without intention and attention, we can quickly pass and miss the gifts of reflection and relationship. 

A “Welcome Home Dinner” is a practice that returns to sharing in person the images and stories of the places we’ve been, the experiences we’ve had, and the people we’ve encountered along the way. It is a practice of offering and receiving the invaluable gift of attention. Sharing stories in an interactive way offers both the listener and speaker an opportunity to pause, reflect, and hold in memory what has been formative. 

Invite a handful of friends or neighbors who have had a summer of adventures to spend an evening together sharing food, seeing images, and sharing stories. We exist in a cultural moment with an over-abundance of information, video clips, and streaming images. Make the intentional choice to choose quality over quantity. Select a handful of images that capture the essence of the experience. Instead of a phone being passed around a table, be creative about how images are shared. Print pictures or set up a screen large enough for people to interact together with the images while stories are being told.  

A “Welcome Home Dinner” is a way to be a witness to what is good, beautiful, and true in our own lives and the lives of our neighbors. It is a practice of sharing and receiving the important moments of life and helps us hold embodied memories. 

Practice

1. Invite family, friends, or neighbors to share in a “Welcome Home Dinner.” Set the intention to share stories and images in a communal way.

   
   

2. Share a meal, snack, or drinks. There’s a reason movies and popcorn go well together!

   
   

3. Curate a limited number of pictures to share. Choose images that evoke emotion and remind you of the moment.

   
   

4. Ask questions that encourage reflection. Why was this moment significant? What did you learn? Would you hope to do it again?

   
   

   
   

A cultural festival is a sacred place. It is a celebration of history and heritage.  It is an invitation to encounter the culture and experience the traditions of your neighbors. The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival is an opportunity to enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of a Chinese festival. 

The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival debuted in Denver in 2001 at Sloan's Lake Park. It was the dream of many Denver-area Asian community leaders to display their culture to surrounding neighbors and neighborhoods. Dragon boat racing is a unique sport and an engaging way to showcase traditional Chinese culture. The main event is boat races between rowing teams who glide across Sloan’s Lake in dragon-shaped boats, celebrating an ancient Chinese sport and tradition. 

In 2001, the Dragon Boat Festival drew almost 15,000 people to the one-day event. Over 200,000 now attend the two-day festival at the end of each summer. It is one of the largest celebrations of Asian American culture and the largest dragon boat festival in the United States, featuring over 60 performances on three stages and more than 30 food vendors creating Asian cuisine. 

“It’s more about the food than the boats,” Tim Hong says about the Dragon Boat Festival with laughter and an infectious smile. Tim was born in Taiwan and moved to California at age 8. He has called Colorado home for the last 8 years. “There are ocean people, and there are mountain people,” Tim shares, “I’m a mountain person.” He is an avid snowboarder, a community connector, and serves as a deacon with the Chinese Evangelical Church of Denver. 

Tim shares how the festivals are a place to connect with people of the Chinese community. “We have the Chinese New Year, Moon Festival, Lantern Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival. All are ways we gather,” Tim offers with a grin, “The festivals are a way to gather and eat!” In his joyous explanation of Chinese culture, Tim explains how the festivals allow people to experience traditions that are known and loved, while exposing others to new foods and diverse culture. Festivals can provide the ideal scenario to build relationship on shared experience. “It’s a unifying event for the Chinese community in Denver and a way to connect our lives together.”

The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival may be more about the food than the boats for Tim, but the Dragon Boat races are an exhilarating aspect of Chinese culture to witness. The boat’s distinguishing features are a mythical Asian-style dragon head attached to the front, a stylized dragon’s tail attached to the rear, and dragon scales painted along the sides. Boats are propelled by a crew using small single-bladed paddles with the stroke cadence marked by a drum situated in the bow. Dragon boat designs are elaborate, and crew sizes vary from 10 to over 50 paddlers. 

The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival is an opportunity to experience Chinese culture and connect with the Asian American community. It is an embodied invitation to experience connection and celebration. A cultural festival is a sacred place. 

Thank you to Tim Hong for the conversation about cultural festivals and contribution to this article.