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Have A Look At: How To Make Your Own Easter Eggs

Nothing says Easter like a fabulous Easter dinner with friends and family. What do you serve for Easter dinner with your family? Every year there are a few traditional Easter dishes that make their way onto dinner tables across America and many of them have interesting symbolism behind them that you may not even be aware of.

Hot Cross Buns

These currant or raisin filled yeast bun is a traditional favorite in England. Usually eaten on Good Friday they also have a “cross” on top of the bun. Mostly thought of as a Christian symbol it the hot cross bun finds its roots in pagan tradition. There is some disagreement with the symbolism of the cross from the pagan custom. Some thoughts are that the cross represents the sun wheel while others believe the cross might symbolized the four quarters of the moon.

When the Christian Church attempted to ban the buns the people balked so the church did the next best thing and "Christianized" the bread. Queen Elizabeth I passed a law that only allowed the bun to be eaten during Christmas, Easter or funerals.

Pretzels

Originally created by monks with leftover scraps of dough and given to students as rewards, pretzels became a popular part of Lent celebration during the Middle Ages. Pretzels do not contain eggs, milk, butter or lard, ingredients which are avoided during lent. Pretzels are said to represent praying arms and the three holes represent the trinity. In some countries, pretzels used to hidden together with eggs at Easter as well.

Greek Easter Bread

Greek Easter bread, or tsoureki, is a sweet dessert bread traditionally served as part of the Greek Orthodox Easter feast. Tsoureki was also traditionally given as an Easter gift from children to their godparents. Different versions many include a citrus flavor, topped with nuts. A red egg is traditionally cooked with the bread as well.  

This Easter treat is traditional shaped into a braid with a red egg tucked into the braids of dough. The bread is said to represent the light given to us by Christ’s resurrection and the red egg represents Christ’s blood. Another version of Greek Easter bread is cooked as a circle with red eggs forming a cross across the top of the bread.

Ham

Ham is a traditional part of the Easter feast in many American homes, and it’s origin is more practical rather then symbolic. In early years, before refrigeration, fresh pork slaughtered in the fall that hadn’t been consumed before Lent had to be cured for preservation. Curing was a slow process and the first hams were generally ready around Easter time, making it a common choice for Easter feasting. Today, many American families still serve ham as part of their Easter celebrations.

Lamb

Another meat commonly served at Easter time is Lamb. This tradition is actually a combination of two symbolisms. The original use of lamb dates back before Easter as part of the Jewish Passover where a sacrificial lamb is roasted and eaten as a reminder of the angel of God passing over their homes in Egypt.

Later, Jesus was often referred to by Christians as The Lamb of God. As Christianity grew, Hebrews converting to Christianity brought their traditions with and the combination resulted in the use of lamb as part of many Easter dinners.

As you plan your Easter meal think about incorporating some of these traditional foods. When you gather around your table this Easter season you’ll be able to share good food and interesting information. Your guests will be impressed by your cooking skills and your smarts.

Have a look at: Hendrika's Easy Holiday Recipes