Easter
is a little more than a week away, but we’ve just barely started our
preparations! Here are the five things I’m thinking about as the holiday
approaches;
1.
Traditionally dyed Easter eggs. Latvians use onion skins and red cabbage to
color their eggs, using natural ingredients before it was en vogue. If you would like to give au natural a try this year, my post Œufs blancs covers the onion skin method and Natural Easter eggs instructs on the red cabbage method. Either we’ve
eaten fewer onions this previous year or I’ve been slacking on saving the
skins, as my bag was far too empty for the deep brown color I strive to get.
Yesterday was the day I rummaged through all the onions in the produce
department earning strange looks from other customers and the cashier, but
after I buy white eggs we’ll be all set to color our eggs next week.
2. Last
year I couldn’t procure the necessary farmer’s cheese to make my grandmother’s paska
(we were in Ohio and we must have called thirty stores in our search!), and so
this year I’ll be driving to Spartanburg’s European Market to pick up the
stuff; harder to find than morels in these here parts.
3. Our
local Bi-Lo supermarket had pussy willow branches for sale on my last shopping
trip, saving me from a mad last-minute search across the Upstate to be prepared
this Sunday. I fully intend to be the first one up, earning the privilege to
give all the boys a good apaļš kā pūpols,
vesels kā rutks wake-up call! (Read my post Pūpolsvētdiena or Palm Sunday here if you're wondering what I'm talking about.)
4. The
giant Easter bunny at the company Easter party doesn’t get any more
normal-looking as the years go by; every year I think how different this
human-size rabbit is from the more rabbit-sized one I imagined hiding all the
eggs of my childhood. Eventually won over with the promise of securing bubble
wands, the boys still had their doubts; good thing they were too busy admiring
one another’s haul from the morning’s egg hunt to give it too much thought.
5. Easter
egg baskets. Three favorite things to find in yours on Easter morning?
The look Vilis is giving the rabbit is priceless! And I, too, have foraged onion skins at the grocery store. :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Love reading more about the traditions of Latvians. I have learned so much from you... I had never heard of using onion skins and red cabbage to decorate eggs... NEAT......
ReplyDeleteLove the picture of the kids with Mr. Rabbit... Your little one is giving the rabbit a BIG BIG look... Wish I knew what he was thinking.... ha
Happy Easter.
Hugs,
Betsy