Saturday 22 March 2008

AGNUS DEI

Easter traditions differ throughout the world: we have chocolate eggs, but in Poland they have sugar lambs...

On Holy Saturday, baskets containing Easter foods (bread, eggs and sausage) are taken into church to be blessed. The baskets are traditionally lined with a white linen or lace napkin and decorated with ribbons and sprigs of boxwood (bukszpan), the typical Easter evergreen.

The baskets always contain the Baranek Wielkanocny - the Easter Lamb, representing the resurrected Christ. Made from dough or from butter, shaped using special moulds, the lamb is the last item to go into the basket in order that it can protect the contents. As a special treat, children's baskets contain a sugar lamb...


At the following day's Easter feast (Swiecone) the centerpiece of the table will be plaster lambs bearing a cross-emblazoned flag representing the Resurrection.


Desert can take the form of a lamb-shaped cake, iced cakes decorated with the greeting, "Wesolego Alleluja" or individual cakes decorated with flowers and pussy willow...


Oh, yes, and Buttons points out that some people have CHOCOLATE RABBITS!

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