Just like India has a plethora of religions and plenty of festivals and rituals associated with them, the Christians rejoice on days like Christmas and Easter. While Christmas is believed to be the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ, it is Easter that is celebrated as the day of resurrection. On the third day after Jesus Christ was buried post his crucifixion, it is said that he resurrected from death. The day is filled with happiness and joy and marks a significant moment in history. Easter is usually celebrated on a Sunday and this year, it falls on 17th April.
With just a few days to go before Easter day, Christian households have started prepping up for the big Sunday feast. You may have heard of how Easter eggs are so intrinsic to the celebrations of this day, right? The essence of these eggs lies in the fact that it is symbolic of a new lease of life since ancient times. Several activities like painting Easter eggs take place around this time. Moreover, there are special food traditions that are followed across the globe.
Here are some fascinating food traditions that depict how Easter is celebrated worldwide.
1. White Borscht From Poland
A popular holiday tradition across Poland, this white borscht is a delicious and filling soup that is prepared on special occasions. The Polish soup is dunked with hard-boiled eggs, sausage, rye and many other ingredients that bring together a borscht or zurek. These are traditional recipes inherited from ancestors and followed by the generations to come so the recipe might vary from family to family. It is usually slurped on Easter morning.
2. Leg Of Lamb From France
Roasted lamb is the most central part of Easter celebrations. Like Turkey is to Thanksgiving, lamb is to Easter. The Sunday feast is incomplete without a leg of lamb on the table. This simple and easy lamb preparation has a special recipe in France where the meat is seasoned before it is roasted. The essence of this tradition lies in the fact that lamb has been known to be an animal of sacrifice in various customs.
3. Hot Cross Buns From United Kingdom
The soft and sweet buns that are quietly placed at the corner of the table hold high symbolism for Easter. An Easter tradition for ages, the hot cross buns are usually devoured on Good Friday, two days before Easter. It is the drizzle of cream at the top of the buns in the form of a holy cross to depict the crucifixion of Jesus. These buns also signify the end of Lent season.
4. Capirotada From Mexico
This might seem like an ordinary bread and cheese combination at first but each of the ingredient that goes into the making of this sweet and savoury dish symbolizes something important for Easter. In the this bread pudding, the bread forms the Christ’s body while the cinnamon sticks are symbol of crucifixion and the cloves represent nails.
5. Kerbelsuppe From Germany
This is an enriching soup that is traditional drunk on Maudy Thursday during Easter week. The thick and creamy soup has the nourishment of chervil, a herb that is similar to parsley. The seven herbs that go into its making signify the last 7 words uttered by Christ as well as the last supper Jesus Christ had on a Thursday.