Easter Traditions

A spoonful from Julia.... 

Growing up in Brazil with my family Easter was a very special holiday. The festivities would start on good Friday which is a national holiday and nobody works or goes to school. Because the weather is so so nice a lot of people go to the beach, or in our case we used to go to our vacation home in the mountains about an hour from the city. In honor of good Friday nobody eats meat. No chicken either. The family tradition is bacalhau. It's a cod dish that has been cured in salt and dried. Soak the fish in water for at least one day and cook with potatoes, tomatoes, black olives, peppers... And serve with white rice. It is DELICIOUS! Every time I go home I gotta have it!

Easter treats are also different than here. A lot of candy, toys, candy, chocolate... Candy! Our tradition is chocolate! Your favorite brands turned into gigantic chocolate eggs stuffed with more chocolate inside! Can you say heaven??? This is the first year my daughter can have all the Easter treats so I made her a traditional (American) basket with the little plastic eggs and everything! I'm still not very good at it but I have a few years to practice! And of course grandma sent her some stuff from Brazil so she can learn little by little the culture differences!

 A spoonful from Amy...

  

My favorite Easter memories center around both food and family.  Each year, as soon as stores start marketing the holiday candy, I am on the hunt for any new candies or anything chocolate.  My favorites are cadbury cream eggs, caramel and the original! Easter candy is definitely my favorite holiday candy!
 

Easter has always been my favorite holiday and not just because of all the great candy!  As a child, and up until recently, I have spent almost every Easter at my grandmas house. My grandmother passed away last year, so now we celebrate in different ways.  I remember spending the whole day at her house.  We would start out the day with donuts and napoleons (a delicious pastry filled with rich french cream topped with chocolate).  Then we would spend the day catching up with aunts and uncles and all of my cousins, eat an elaborate Easter feast followed by endless deserts. We ended the day with an Easter egg hunt.  I love getting together with family!

What are your favorite holiday traditions?