How does a Mango Smoothie sound to you right now? Or what about a delicious Egyptian Barbecue with fresh salad and tasty pastries? Are you getting hungry? Save your appetite for the exotic foods and good times coming to the Central Valley June 8 -10, 2012 at the Egyptian Festival in Visalia. Free admission sweetens the deal so you can spend more on foods, gifts from the vendors selling jewelry, art, clothing and a variety of unique items, and then come home with a smile.

There’s no official count of Egyptians in California but estimates range from several hundred thousand to close to one million. The largest concentrations of Egyptian communities are in Los Angeles metropolitan area and the Bay Area. Part of the Egyptian culture in California surrounds the church, much like you’ll see in Greek culture. A coptic church tour is offered at the Egyptian Festival in Visalia. And like Greek festivals in California, the Egyptian festival provides a great fund-raising mechanism to support church programs and community causes.

In history, Egyptians are credited with providing many cultural advancements, and one that cat-lovers may fancy is the domestication of the cat approx. 6,000 years ago. Egyptians trained cats to become domesticated pets and loved these pets so much, they often bought jewelry for their beloved animals. All of our cats today are descended from Egyptian wild cats.

Cats were considered to be protectors of the house. After death, the housecat was mummified and given a decent burial, sometimes even in the coffin of their owner. The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, Calif. has many examples of cat images from ancient Egypt, including mummies! (egyptianmuseum.org)