It's Almost Here...

(Image is from a design on our Easter kitchen tablecloth.)

Easter is almost here.

It's a holiday mixed first, with sorrow, then unparalleled joy.

As a kid, my mother always bought new outfits for five daughters.

How she and my father ever paid for the new duds for all those kids is amazing.

We had bonnets, shiny new shoes, fancy dresses, little purses, and white gloves!  

Those were lah-dee-dah times.

If you celebrate Easter, no matter where you are, may it be blessed and happy.

DO YOU HAVE SPECIAL PLANS FOR EASTER THIS YEAR?

Holy Week Begins

 (Polish wooden, hand-painted Easter eggs in a glass dish make a colorful display on the kitchen table.)

These next several days comprise Holy Week for Christians.

It's probably one of the most meaningful weeks of the church year.

It commemorates Jesus Christ's passion and crucifixion.

It's a tragic week yet hopeful, too, because we know there is a glorious outcome.

On Easter Sunday, we remember that He rose from the dead, giving hope to this world.

There are several church services to attend this week.  

It is good to remember the immense sacrifice Christ made for His children. He gave up his life in order for us to live.

HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR EASTER?

Getting Ready for Easter

     (This happy sweetheart, made by my sister, Barb, adorns the front door. Isn't she adorable?)


This is it, the day before Easter!

Our Savior reigns and has risen from the dead! It's a glorious time, filled with hope and promise.

The Easter basket for a little one  and other gifties are ready and so are our hearts. 

 We are ready to honor our Lord!

In childhood, I remember my maternal grandmother kneading babka (Polish bread) at her kitchen table, flour up to her elbows.  Oh boy, she made fabulous babka.

As an Easter tradition that is still very much alive, I make it, too.  

You are supposed to use currants but since I didn't buy them, raisins were substituted.

It's a day-long process to make the babka.

Here's the dough, ready to be mixed!

Breads at the first rising:

Second rising:

Third rising:

In the oven at last!

Yum yum yum.

 See the missing pieces?  Hubs and I had them toasted for breakfast as we just couldn't wait until Easter morning.

 WHAT IS A TRADITIONAL EASTER DISH AT YOUR HOUSE?

Busy Time of the Year

Three days until Easter Sunday and there's lots to do.

I'm sure it's probably the same at your house.

  The Easter dinner, to be served after morning church services,  still hasn't been planned in total detail, but I will most likely get a spiral ham. 

 It's hard to break with tradition.

  This year, I think I'll put a maple glaze on it.

I like to set the dining room table in advance so it's not left until the last minute, when there are dozens of other preparations to complete.

Still have Easter basket surprises to wrap and lots of cleaning to do. (That's my least favorite part of any holiday but it's necessary, right?) 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF EASTER HOLIDAYS?

Holy Week for Christians

This is a very special week of preparation for many Christians as Easter Sunday draws near.

All my life I have participated in preparing for Easter.

Certain traditions and ceremonies we followed when I was a kid are still very fresh in my  mind.

There was a lot of church-going.  Every Holy Thursday, when the priest in church washed the feet of some parishioners, my prayer was always that I wouldn't get selected. 

As a child, there was no way I wanted to have anybody wash my feet in public. 

On Good Friday, my mother made us turn off the radio between the hours of noon and 3 p.m., in commemoration of  Christ's crucifixion. 

The silence in our usual noisy household was deafening.

Another strange phenomena was that it almost always rained on Good Friday.

 The cold, gray rain matched the sadness we felt in our hearts for our Lord's suffering and death.

Easter Sunday, of course, was always very exciting. My mom dressed us to the hilt in new outfits, including bonnets, white gloves and all. 

There was always church, a festive dinner and fabulous Easter baskets.

As Holy Week begins, all these memories come flooding into my mind. 

Once again, it will be good to remember and prepare.

DO YOU FOLLOW CERTAIN EASTER TRADITIONS?