DEAR SUN SPOTS: Congratulations to the Lewiston boys hockey team on their outstanding year and on winning the state championship. Inquiring minds at the local coffee shops want to know why players dye their hair yellow? — Ginny, Lewiston
ANSWER: I was told that dyeing/bleaching hair is a playoff tradition in high school hockey. Many teams do it as a team bonding experience. It’s the equivalent of playoff beards in the National Hockey League.
According to the Lewiston Blue Devils Hockey Boosters, it’s a tradition for players to bleach their hair during playoffs. “They are not the only team that did it — St. Dom’s and Bangor also did. There are also other states that do this as well. It all started to form team chemistry and bonding.”
Sun Journal sports writers and the LHS hockey coach also weighed in, echoing the same response as above but with a bit more detail. Coach Chris Pomerleau wrote, “It is a newer thing, but teams always have had traditions to get the team to bond. Whether dying hair (newer) or getting heads shaved, or having a mullet (hairstyle), or growing a beard. It’s all to get the team to bond and to accomplish a goal.”
Bleaching and/or dyeing hair has been happening in sports across the country since at least the mid-1990s. A lot of basketball teams have done it over the past few years, too. When my high school granddaughter was playing basketball, the girls all dyed their hair with the school colors during playoffs. This adds to school spirit and the fun of the season. Congratulations to all the winning hockey teams this year!
DEAR SUN SPOTS: I have another simple recipe for you cooks who want to use a double boiler on top of the stove to make your bread pudding: Bring water to boil in the bottom pan of the double boiler.
In the top part of the double boiler, place 1 cup brown sugar and 3 slices of bread, buttered on each side, and cut into pieces.
Beat 3 eggs in 1 cup milk, add a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cover the bread with the egg mixture then sprinkle with 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and add a handful of raisins.
Press bread into the liquid then cover and cook on low heat for 1 1/4 hours. This is delicious with whipped cream. — Irene, Auburn
ANSWER: I’ve never heard of this method before but it sounds very easy. Let’s give it a try!
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