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Every family has its own holiday traditions. What were your parents' and grandparents' holiday traditions that you remember? What goodies were on the table? (I grew up in a nonreligious environment so I'm curious)
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I've lived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country all my life.
For many generations the folks would dye eggs by cooking them either in red beet juice for red, or in onion shells for a deep chestnut brown. Commercial dyes were slower to catch on.
Growing up, it seemed that the onion shell eggs were always hidden in the the houseplant containers--very hard to find.
My mother would always bake a cake molded to look like a rabbit, covered with flaked coconut atop the icing.
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cake molded to look like a rabbit, covered with flaked coconut atop the icing. This year please take a picture of the rabbit cake! I want to see it! In Russia the most popular homemade dye for Easter eggs is onion shell. It's usually boiled in an aluminum pot so that enamel pots do not get stained.
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cake molded to look like a rabbit, covered with flaked coconut atop the icing. This year please take a picture of the rabbit cake! I want to see it! Alas, there will be no cake. My mother reposed during Great Lent of AD 2000.
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I had a great-uncle who used to abstain from liquor all during Lent. Then on Easter Sunday he'd get rip-roaring drunk and become quarrelsome to the point of physical violence. It was legendary behaviour in our family. The penchant of many people of Eastern European descent for alcoholism and depression is well known.
He reposed (I hope it was in the Lord) a long time ago, in 1957. ( shot himself to death while cleaning his guns for a hunting trip) - he was drunk when he did it. It was ruled accidental.
Human behaviour can be so very strange & spooky. Oh, how we all need God's Mercy.
Last edited by sielos ilgesys; 03/12/12 03:26 AM.
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Mariya, here you got, this is a very popular Polish custom at Easter, you will be able to purchase these fresh (and delicious!) at Polonia Bakery on Monroe Street or Piast on River Road, Garfield and even some of the buthers will carry them (Garfield Bakery is the best, River Road) [ Linked Image]
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Thanks. Probably on Monroe Street I'll pick it up around Easter.
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I had a great-uncle who used to abstain from liquor all during Lent. Then on Easter Sunday he'd get rip-roaring drunk and become quarrelsome to the point of physical violence. It was legendary behaviour in our family. The penchant of many people of Eastern European descent for alcoholism and depression is well known.
He reposed (I hope it was in the Lord) a long time ago, in 1957. ( shot himself to death while cleaning his guns for a hunting trip) - he was drunk when he did it. It was ruled accidental.
Human behaviour can be so very strange & spooky. Oh, how we all need God's Mercy. Wow...
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You are welcome, make sure you call in and place an order though, that place is jammed at the holiday with people out the door and down the sidewalks, they also have very good health four grain bread, black bread and, natural honey which I highly recommend (their rye bread is to kill for also).
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Mariya, Great thread idea - let's do it again at Christmas (we've had some of those in the past and they were great). Now, I'm racking my brain though, trying to recollect any ongoing tradition. Bless, Pastor Thomas, May your Mother's memory be eternal. I have absolute faith in you, my friend - I'll bet that you can produce a rabbit cake for the occasion that would do your Mom proud  (says he, who wouldn't try to bake a cake on a bet  ). sielos, May your uncle's memory be eternal. Joy, Ok, I love the lamb cake, but I have to know - is the head made of frosting in a mold or by hand? Or is it plastic? Many years, Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
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Bless, Pastor Thomas,
May your Mother's memory be eternal.
Neil Thank you...today is the anniversary by liturgical date.
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Joy,
Ok, I love the lamb cake, but I have to know - is the head made of frosting in a mold or by hand? Or is it plastic?
Many years,
Neil Actually, this one is of White Chocolate, there are various ways to make these cakes and everyone tends to become quite creative, the Polish, Ruthenians, Slovaks and Ukrainians become quite creative, they also make a butter lamb, put a flag on it (with the cross like christ holds in some paintings), you name it..lastly, the cake does not have to be coated with coconut, it can be left plain, coated with icing, you name it. Here are some more examples [ Linked Image] [ Linked Image] [ Linked Image]
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Thanks.
Actually, those last two, with the drizzled frosting (think that's what one calls it) are very interesting (said he who isn't a big fan of traditional frosting)
Many years,
Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
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Back in the day, there were actually real bakeries in the Binghamton area and two were famous for their lamb cakes and at Christmas time, their honey molasses St. Nicholas cookies - akin to 'medovniki.' There was one dear woman, of blessed memory, who would always bake one for the 'rectory' and it would show up at our Easter meal. Unfortunately, it was always rather dry and .....Oh well - it's the thought that counts. We have made and sold butter lambs for years during our Lenten pirohi sales.
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Stuart, The wierd thing about that video is that it makes it seem like the Bunny Cake is a *Greek* Orthodox tradition, when it is not!
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I always thought the Slavs would try to make a bunny out of cabbage leaves and piroghi.
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I always thought the Slavs would try to make a bunny out of cabbage leaves and piroghi. No, but the rabbit kielbasi is a seasonal delicacy. 
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More family Easter recollections anybody?
You don't know how nostalgic it was for me to answer...with my grandparents long dead, but fondly remembering those days in the 60's in Brooklyn.
So many times I hear Italian-Americans (who were our neighbors) recollecting on television about their big family Sunday dinners in Brooklyn...and you can almost place yourself in their beautiful memories because they are so vivid and so pleasant.
It was a special place and a special time for many ethnic groups.
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Oh there are many. But, I am so excited about Pascha this year. I just hope I am not going to be overwhelmed because my husband isn't there. Some days I have so much trouble during the Divine Liturgy. My youngest son found a recording he did of his dad serving the Liturgy. Such a treasure. My heart has always gone out to Penetheria ( sure I spelled that wrong), it must be terribly hard. I am so crying ight now.
Ooouuhh, I could make small paschas in ramikins, for the parish. Not certain I could do all the braiding though. Will have to think about it.
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Some days I have so much trouble during the Divine Liturgy. My youngest son found a recording he did of his dad serving the Liturgy. Such a treasure. My heart has always gone out to Penetheria ( sure I spelled that wrong), it must be terribly hard. I am so crying ight now. I posted this in another discussion, a classic by The Rev. Berthold Von Schenk (1895 - 1974) [As quoted in For All the Saints, vol IV (American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, 1996)] Our human nature needs more than the assurance that some day and in some way we shall again meet our loved ones "in heaven." That is all gloriously true. But how does that help, us now? When we, then, view death in the light of the Communion of Saints and Holy Communion, there is no helpless bereavement. My loved one has just left me and has gone on a long journey. But I am in touch with her. I know that there is a place where we can meet. It is at the Altar. How it thrills me when I hear the words of the liturgy, "Therefore with angels and archangels and all the company of Heaven," for I know that she is there with that company of heaven, the Communion of Saints, with the Lord. The nearer I come to my Lord in Holy Communion, the nearer I come to the saints. to my own loved ones. I am a member of the Body of Christ, I am a living cell in that spiritual organism, partaking of the life of the other cells, and sharing in the Body of Christ Himself.
There is nothing fanciful or unreal about this: Indeed, it is the most real thing in my life. Of course, I miss my loved one. I should miss her if she took a long holiday trip. But now. since she-is what some people call “dead,” she is closer to me than ever. Of course, I miss her physical presence bitterly. I miss her voice and the sound of approaching footsteps. But I have not lost her. And when my sense of loss becomes too great, I can always go to our meeting place at the Altar where I receive the Body and Blood of my Lord that preserves my body and soul just as it has preserved her unto everlasting life.
Do learn to love the Altar as the meeting place with your beloved who have passed within the veil. Here again the Sacrament is the heart of our religion. The Blessed Sacrament links us not merely to Bethlehem and Calvary, but to the whole world beyond the grave as well. For at the Altar the infinite is enshrined in the finite, heaven stoops down to earth, and the seen and the unseen meet.
Last edited by Thomas the Seeker; 03/13/12 07:12 PM. Reason: bb tag
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Here we go! This is my first Easter lamb! [Linked Image] [ imageshack.us]
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I've lived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country all my life.
For many generations the folks would dye eggs by cooking them either in red beet juice for red, or in onion shells for a deep chestnut brown. My mother (of blessed memory, reposed 12 years this Paschaltide) had ceramic egg holders that were painted to resemble a chicken--beak and comb on one side of the cup and claws at the base. An "onion shell" egg was placed in such a cup at each place. We began the feast by eating the "onion shell" egg as the first course. In her final years my mother had acquired her cousin's oil paints, and we would decorate 12 to 15 inch pillar candles to be miniature Paschal candles.
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On Easter Monday if a girl likes a boy she tosses some water on him. On Easter Tuesday if a boy likes a girl he tosses water on her.
When my husband and I were dating (my husband is of the same ethnic background) i tossed a shot glass of water on him and said Christos Voskrese. As soon as the water hit him I knew he had no idea what I did. When he got home later that evening he called his parents to confirm my story. his parents also laughed themselves silly.
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On Easter Monday if a girl likes a boy she tosses some water on him. On Easter Tuesday if a boy likes a girl he tosses water on her.
When my husband and I were dating (my husband is of the same ethnic background) I tossed a shot glass of water on him and said Christos Voskrese. As soon as the water hit him I knew he had no idea what I did. When he got home later that evening he called his parents to confirm my story. his parents also laughed themselves silly. What a cute story! Thanks for sharing it! If you don't mind me asking, from where is this tradition from? I can imagine that your husband must have thought you were a little whacky when you first did it! 
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My wife makes the bread Paschas, bakes the Artos, and I make the syrnik Pascha with the pyramid-style mold, make the hrin, hrudka and a baked syrnik. And of course lots of krashanky for the kids. And of course there is kishka at breakfast on Bright Monday.
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I may be alone here, but I was left scratching my head at Diak's post, because although I know what the 'Pascha' is, I did not know the other words! So here goes, for anyone else like me:Syrniki: In Russian, Belarusian, Lithuanian, Polish, and Ukrainian cuisines, syrniki (Russian: сы́рник[и]; Ukrainian: сирники; Belarusian: сырнікі) are fried quark pancakes, garnished with sour cream, jam, honey, or apple sauce. The cheese mixture may contain raisins for extra flavor. In Russia they are also known as tvorozhniki (творо́жники).
Syrniki are made from creamy quark, mixed with flour, egg, and sugar, sometimes adding vanilla extract. The soft mixture is shaped into cakes, which are fried, generally in vegetable oil. The outside becomes crisp, and the center is warm and creamy. They are sweet and served for breakfast or dessert. Their simplicity and relative lack of expensive ingredients makes them very popular in Eastern Europe [citation needed][neutrality is disputed].
In Russia we name them “syrniki” which means cheesy pancakes, but the main ingredient – cottage cheese Russians calls “tvorog” which is not a cheese actually. We eat “tvorog” with sour cream or jam on breakfast, it is very healthy and tasty.[1]
The name syrniki is derived from the word сыр in Russian or сир in Ukrainian (transliteration: syr), meaning "cheese" in both languages. Although the modern meaning of the word сыр (syr) in Russian is hard yellow cheese, the original word in Slavic languages stood for soft white cheese (similar to today's quark cheese, which is still called сир in Ukrainian but metamorphosed into творог, tvorog in Russian).[2] Thus, the word syrniki, derived from the old meaning of syr, came to designate pancakes made from soft white cheese.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SyrnikiKrashanky: http://web.mac.com/lubap/Types/Krashanky.htmlHrudka: "Hrudka pronounced (hur-UT-ka)is a simple custard cheese that's essential for many Eastern European Easter tables. It's sliced and eaten by itself or, more often, as part of a ham or kolbassi sandwich made on Paska bread that's slathered with beet horseradish. The recipe is as easy as it is healthy. Ha!" http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easter-cheese---hrudka/Kishka: Kishka or kishke (Slovene: kašnica; Belarusian кішка, kishka; Polish: kiszka; Romanian chişcă Silesian krupńok; Yiddish kishke; Hebrew קישקע; Russian Кишка) refers to various types of sausage or stuffed intestine with a filling made from a combination of meat and meal, often a grain. The dish is popular across Eastern Europe as well as with immigrant communities from those areas. It is also eaten by Ashkenazi Jews who prepare their version according to kashrut dietary laws. The name itself is Slavic in origin, and literally means "gut" or "intestine."[
One Eastern European kishka type is kaszanka, a blood sausage made with pig's blood and buckwheat or barley, with pig intestines used as a casing.[2] Similar to black pudding, it is traditionally served at breakfast.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KishkaDiak: I would love some of the 'syrniki' please! 
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The sprinkling or tossing of water was from the Stara Lubovnia region of Slovakia. Other areas of of the Carpatho Rusyn region also had this tradition. another Carpatho-rusyn tradition was on Pentecost besides decorating your home with green, if a young man liked a young woman he would bring some green branches to her home. well my uncle dugged out a entire tree and put it on my aunt's front porch. My memory of my aunt and uncle was of an elderly couple. Certainly not romantic. After I heard this story I had a new respect of my romantic uncle. 
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