Easter Recipes

After a long Lenten fast, people around the world agree on at least one thing: a fantastic meal is in order. The foods, as well as the style in which the foods are prepared may vary; but the sentiment of celebration and renewal reigns. Some cultures have their primary Easter meal for breakfast, while others wait until noon or afternoon to sit down to their own tradition-rich meal. Regardless of the time designated for eating, every meal contains many of the foods that were recently abstained from: eggs, cheese, meats and coffee. Globalize your Easter celebration this year; handpick one or two dishes from each of the following country's celebrations and incorporate them into your family's feast. Accompany each dish with a short story of its origin and the traditions that come attached to its apron strings.

Travel to Sweden for Easter Breakfast
Most of the Easter celebrations in Sweden take place during the Holy Week preceding Easter Sunday. On Maundy Thursday (or in some regions Easter Saturday) little girls dress up as Easter Hags: witches wrapped in aprons and dark shawls with bright red lips and cheeks who travel from door to door (Halloween-style) handing out handmade pictures in exchange for sweets. This tradition stems from an old Swedish folk belief that witches were most powerful and destructive during the Holy Week. Upon its establishment in Sweden, the Christian church worked hard to rid the country of witches. Come Easter Sunday, after a hard week of dodging and satisfying the little Easter hags, the Swedish people are ready for a large morning meal full of eggs, breads, sweets, and coffee!

 Ham and Cheese Quiche
 Aebleskiver
 Swedish Limpu Bread
 Swedish Nut Cake

Journey to Eastern Europe to pack your Easter basket
The tradition of blessing foods for Easter during Holy Saturday's mass is not exclusive to Eastern Europe, but it is an extremely popular Slavic tradition. The practice of blessing Easter foods finds its roots in the biblical story that tells how Jesus was recognized by two of his disciples after his death and resurrection. The two men came upon Jesus at mealtime and did not believe that he could really be alive. They were convinced that it was truly he only after he blessed the evening's foods and shared in their meal. In Eastern Europe, the foods for the day's feast are chosen with care and artfully packed into a large basket covered with an embroidered cloth.

 Paska Bread
 Babovka (Poppy Seed Rings)
 Quick Kolacky
 Honey Glazed Ham
 Easter Cheese -- Hrudka
 Horseradish Beets (Chrin)

Don't forget to pack in your dinner-decorated eggs, condiments like butter, sour cream, and salt and pepper.

Sit down to dinner in Greece
The Greek people believe in breaking the fast with a large dinner full of traditional foods. Before the big meal, however, the Greek people have a solemn week full of processions and mass to attend to. One pre-Easter Sunday tradition takes place on Maundy Thursday and includes dying Easter eggs a deep red. During Saturday's Mass the red eggs are cracked and opened to recall the miracle of Christ's rebirth and resurrection. In addition to the holy symbolism of Christ's rebirth, the cracked eggs symbolically kick off the fun and celebration that fill Easter Sunday. The Sunday meal begins around noon and will stretch languorously through the afternoon and into evening. Take a hint from the Greeks and pull together an elaborate feast complete with tasty appetizers, salads, soups, entrees and rich desserts to celebrate Easter day!