There is an almost universal association of home with the hearth-the fireplace or area in front of the fireplace. Fire is essential in all cultures; it brings security and comfort and allows us to cook our food. On a cold winter night in Japan, a family in a traditional house gathers around the kotatsu, a heater under a low table. There is a blanket over the table, and the family sits with the blanket over their legs. Here , they tallk, drink tea, read, do homework, and keep warm. However, even in central Africa, where the weather is not so cold, the Pygmy people see fire as essential to their survival. Although they have a deep knowledge of the forest around them, they have a terrible fear of elephants and believe that fire keeps these animals away. In all cultures, though, people associate the hearth with food, and this usually means the kitchen. This room is often seen as the emotional center of the house. Is this why, at a party ina New York apartment, people begin in the living room but often end up gathering in the kitchen? Clearly, a hearth is more than it might seem. Interestingly, in English, the word hearth has an additional symbolic meaning: "home