Show #101
CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN
In Taiwan Burt learns about the most important festival in the Chinese year - Chinese New Year. This episode focuses on the beauty of the Lantern Festival, the firecrackers that knock on the door of the future, paper gods that bring prosperity, and the great Lion and Dragon dances. Date celebrated: February 7, 1997.

Show #102
A BARBECUE IN PUERTO RICO
Burt heads to the Puerto Rican towns of Ponce and San German, and learns how the pirates of the Caribbean forced the Spanish settlers of the west coast off the shore and into the hills. He samples the cooking techniques used by the pirates that eventually became known as the barbecue.

Show #103
BORDEAUX’S HARVEST FESTIVAL
Burt explores the ancient traditions, folklore, beliefs and rituals of the harvest - from how the custom of sharing the first fruits of the year with the gods eventually resulted in federal taxation, to the harvest goose bone that forecasts the weather. He also samples typical foods and recipes from the Bordeaux area.

Show #104
A PICNIC IN ABRUZZO, ITALY
The district of Abruzzo, which contains Italy’s largest national park with some of the most unspoiled terrain in all of Europe, is the setting for this picturesque episode. Burt examines the history and rituals behind the picnic, most of which are based on our love of nature in the wild, and - at the same time - our need to tame it. Burt shares recipes typical of an Abruzzo picnic, and takes viewers to see how olive oil is made, and why it has played a role in many of the oldest and most important celebrations in Italian life.

Show #105
A FAMILY’S SUNDAY DINNER IN FRIULI, ITALY
This episode explores the rituals of the traditional family meal, and visits the town of Friuli in the northeastern corner of Italy - an area where thousands of years of foreign rule have resulted in an intense family life. Burt reveals the meaning behind the way a table is set, from the symbolic togetherness of the one big tablecloth, to the separation of the individual place settings.

Show #106
A FORMAL DINNER PARTY IN THE LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
This tour through the historic eastern region of France’s Loire Valley highlights the food that has made France famous throughout the world. Burt examines rituals that were set in place by the French nobility and still affect our table manners, including the reason why Cardinal Richelieu had the points taken off all the dinner knives.

Show #107
A BIRTHDAY PARTY AT DISNEY WORLD
What is the symbolism behind the birthday cake, and what do the candles really mean; why are certain birthdays (1, 16, 21, 40, 65) more important than others; what are the different ways birthdays are celebrated around the world? These are just a few of the questions asked - and answered - during Burt’s look at the history, folklore and rituals of the birthday party from ancient Rome to the present.

Show #108
ROBERT BURNS’ NIGHT, SCOTLAND
Burt takes a trip to the highland moors in Scotland to learn why the poet Robert Burns came to be the greatest hero of the land, and how he is honored with the year’s most important gathering. Burt also tours Glamis Castle, home of MacBeth and the birthplace of the present Queen Mother of England; reveals the story of the kilt; and introduces viewers to Scotland’s history and character. Date celebrated: January 27, 1997. Actual birthday January 25.

Show #109
JUNE’S FEAST DAYS IN PORTUGAL
This historic tour of two of the major cities of Portugal - Lisbon and Oporto - reveals the foods of the festival of the popular Saints, the rituals of Port wine, and the true story behind St. Anthony. Date celebrated: St. Anthony’s day in Portugal is June 13, 1997.

Show #110
CARNIVAL IN NEW ORLEANS
This episode finds Burt, and millions of other revelers, in New Orleans for the city’s biggest party. Burt shares the history of Carnival; tells the real meaning of each of the elements in the parade; and explains how Carnival has been used both as a satirical attack on the limitations of life, and as a way to express people’s dreams and illustrate their creativity. Dates celebrated: Shrove Tuesday - or Fat Tuesday - is February 11, 1997. Mardi Gras is celebrated during the two weeks preceding this date.

Show #111
MEETING FOR COFFEE IN EUROPE AND AMERICA
Burt recounts the legend of how coffee was first discovered and how it became popular around the world. He tells the story of the first coffee break; how the United States went from being a tea drinking colony to a coffee drinking nation; and the secrets of making a perfect cup of coffee and espresso.

Show #112
THANKSGIVING AT COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
Burt spends Thanksgiving in Colonial Williamsburg and delves into the history of the holiday from ancient kingdoms to the present. He also looks at the foods of this feast, their symbolic meaning, and the belief of some sociologists that the turkey stands for the universe and the stuffing represents the uniqueness of the particular family. Date celebrated: November 28, 1996.

Show #113
THREE GLORIOUS DAYS IN BEAUNE, FRANCE
Interesting stories abound in the town and great vineyards of Beaune. Burt tells the story of Nicholas Rolin, a powerful Lord of Burgundy who funded a hospital in the 1300s. It became customary for the well-to-do to donate the grapes from part of their vineyards to the hospital when they became well; a custom that has developed into the world’s largest charity wine auction. Burt explores the parties, parades, and contests that go along with the event, and the traditional local foods of Burgundy.

Show #114
FOOD AND ROMANCE IN VERONA, ITALY
The vocabulary of the kitchen, Burt explains, became words of love, and he demonstrates a few recipes that might affect one’s love life. He also tells the story of how fountains, festivals, cafes and restaurants became the traditional meeting place of lovers. And no tour of the romantic city of Verona would be complete without a visit to Juliet’s balcony.

Show #115
FINLAND’S MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL
Burt is off to Finland to discover the rituals that have become part of this solar celebration - a day that is full of mystical events dedicated to love, spirits and food, including the baking of a “silent cake” that will tell a woman who her future husband will be. He also delves into what the sauna represents in Finnish culture, and the foods and drinks of the Longest Day. Date celebrated: Summer solstice is June 21, 1997.

Show #116
CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY
Burt investigates the history, folklore and rituals of Christmas, going back to Trier, the oldest city in Germany and the place where Constantine the Great lived when he declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. On the lighter side, Burt tells the story of St. Nicholas, and why we continually include the colors of red and green in our decorations, and use nuts and spices for flavor, during this holiday season. Date celebrated: December 25, 1996.

Show #117
NEW YEAR’S EVE IN VERSAILLES AND NEW YORK
Burt welcomes in the New Year with a look at New Year’s Eve past and present. He visits the palace of Versailles where King Louis XIV gave some of the best New Year’s parties in the history of the western world, and the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City, a popular spot for today’s partygoers. Burt also answers questions such as why some countries do not celebrate New Year’s on January 1; why certain foods and drinks have come to symbolize good luck; and why people do certain things to affect their fate in the upcoming year. Date celebrated: December 31, 1996/January 1, 1997.

Show #118
THE MOON FESTIVALS OF CHINA, TAIWAN
In Taiwan, Burt explores the fascinating customs and beliefs that make this uniquely Chinese holiday so intriguing, including how the movements of the moon came to control the rituals of Chinese life. He also looks at: the Tomb-Sweeping Festival that connects each family with its past and its future; seven habits of highly polite people at a Chinese meal; the dragon boat races that honor an ancient poet who stood against the corruption of his government; the beautiful princess of the Autumn Festival who saved her kingdom from an evil tyrant and ended up in the moon; and the foods that are part of each of these celebrations. Date celebrated: September 27, 1996.

Show #119
THE SPRING FIESTAS OF SEVILLE, SPAIN
Seville is transformed from winter into spring amid this gigantic rite of passage as the procession of the ancient brotherhoods twists through the streets carrying three-ton floats of the Madonna and Christ. Burt takes a tour of Southern Spain and its 5,000-year history, the fair week that follows Holy week, and the traditional foods of the two-week period that signify the end of Lent and the return to luxury. Date celebrated: Around the last two weeks of April in 1997.

Show #120
EASTER IN FLORENCE
In this historical tour of Florence, Burt discovers the meaning behind the foods of Easter, including Easter eggs and the chocolate bunny. This episode also features the celebration of Easter at the Cathedral of Florence, including the Easter parade, the Last Supper rites, and the lighting of the Easter candle. Date celebrated: March 30, 1997.