We were talking today at work about what day Easter fell on this year and foods that we'd be serving in our hot bar. Since we're “Hippie Pagans” and open not only on Easter Sunday but the resting day of several G-d's this is something we tend to plan this time of year.
(As a mater of fact a few years ago we got a call in from a customer on the Saturday before Easter Sunday asking if we'd be open the next day. Customer Service, who took the call, said that yes we would and that there would be a special “Easter” themed hot bar that day as well. The customer said “Bless your pagan, heathen souls!” and thanked us for being one of the few places in town still open so that she could come in and get last minute meal items.)
Anyhow, we were trying to figure out pricing on traditional Easter fare and how it would be prepared. Discussion, led by yours truly, got around to why do we celebrate Easter, the death and resurrection of a Jewish man, by eating ham. That stumped most people so when I got home I looked up some of what the great internet™ had for info.
First off, I'm a pagan and I'm not on TV (except for commercials, but more times than not you'll only see my white jacketed ass running in the other direction when there's any television crew in site) so I did know a fair amount of where the Christians stole some of their traditions from. Including the whole rabbit thing. That's actually German by the way. Little hassenpfeffer's of spring with the Goddess's own baskets in their mouths hopping around and delivering us all the Great Mother's wombs in pretty spring dyed packages.
So, I looked up the next step up. Judaic rituals, and foods for this period of the year. After all, Jesus wasn't born a Christian he just started the trend. Kind of like those emo kids didn't invent black, they just started calling the next hot pink.
Lamb was actually a Jewish tradition feast food and part of the Passover dinner. It was known as the “sacrificial lamb” and eaten along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs for Seder. I'm not big on gambling but I would lay down money that there's a connection to that whole “Lamb of God” thing going on there. This is the meat that most of the world eats at the end of Lent (ie. Easter Sunday).
Now, here in the United States, the hog is the big animal raised and consumed. Though you wouldn't think it with all the hoopla over precious cholesterol and such. While the lambs were just getting to the market in Europe, here in the states the cured pork from fall was ready to eat.
Unlike some people who live in fear of carbohydrates, I embrace them. Thus some of my favorite things to eat happen to be rather bread like. This time of year I love since the sweet breads like hot cross buns and bath buns (or any small bread with dried fruits). My maternal Grandmother turned these out on Easter morning by the dozens and I think I made myself sicker on those than the ham that was baked for the afternoon meal. Never stopped me from eating more than I could though.
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Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns!
One a penny two a penny - Hot cross buns
If you have no daughters, give them to your sons
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