If there's one thing I've learned over my last several weeks of travel, it's that, while we may all look and sound very different from place to place, the global cookie community is fundamentally connected by the same things: a love of family; a desire for peace, health, and financial stability; and a passion for spreading joy by sharing beautiful cookies. In a world so often torn apart by religious and political differences, we can forget about the simple pleasures that bind us all together as human beings. But when I travel and am welcomed with open arms - and hearts - into people's homes and lives, and see the unbridled enthusiasm in my students' eyes, I am reminded of the powerful force behind this simple craft. I am eternally grateful to have it, you, and all of my newfound cookie friends in my life.
Julia with her students in China.
That said, this week I'm celebrating our site's cultural diversity, and the common cookie thread that unites us, by showcasing the hottest* "patriotic" cookies on the site. (On Cookie Connection, "patriotic" means a cookie or set of cookies that celebrates a culture anywhere.) I sincerely hope that Cookie Connection can continue to grow as a nexus for cross-cultural cookie sharing!
In the meantime, please enjoy this week's honorees, which come to us, and represent themes, from all over the world.
#1: Wedding of Japan by salon de Masyu (from Japan)
#2: Sakura Box by Laegwen (from Germany)
#3: Folding Screen by salon de Masyu (from Japan) 
#4: Koi Box by Laegwen (from Germany)
#5: French-Themed Cookies by Sugar Shimmer (from Canada)
#6: Oh La La, Paris!!! by The Lovely Cookie Studio (from the USA)
#7: Parisian Cookies by Compassionate Cake (from the USA)
#8: Frozen Kokeshi by Laegwen (from Germany)
#9: Happy 4th! by The Cookie Monger (from the USA)
#10: US License Plates by Maggie Morrison (from the UK)
Before I go, a special congrats to both salon de Masyu and Laegwen for their multiple "wins" this week! Have a great weekend, everyone, no matter where you are! 
So that no one has an unfair advantage in making it onto a hot list, the algorithm is secret even to site administrators. Only our platform developers know the code, which has been exhaustively tested by those developers and Cookie Connection staff.
All photos shown here are the courtesy (and copyright) of the designers listed.
To check out our other hot lists, at any time of day, visit our Hot Spot, also found in the site's main navigation line.
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