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Living Well with the Carrie Connection

CANDACE CARRIE - EXTENSION AGENT, FAMILY SCIENCES
Published Wednesday, April 11, 2001 in the Nevada County Picayune

Since the conception of Easter as a holy celebration in the second century, it has had its non-religious side. In fact, Easter was originally a pagan festival. The ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with an uproarious festival commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime, Eastre.

When the second-century Christian missionaries encountered the tribes of the north with their pagan celebrations, they attempted to convert them to Christianity. They did so, however, in a creative manner.

It would have been suicide for the very early Christian converts to celebrate their holy days with observances that did not coincide with celebrations that already existed. To save lives the missionaries cleverly decided to spread their religious message slowly throughout the populations by allowing them to continue to celebrate pagan feasts, but to do so in a Christian manner.

As it happened the pagan festival of Eastre occurred at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the resurrection of Christ. It made sense to alter the festival itself to make it a Christian celebration as converts were slowly won over. The early name, Eastre, was eventually changed to its modern spelling, Easter.

Easter has been celebrated on different days of the week, including Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In 325 A.D. the council of Nicaea was convened by Emperor Constantine. This council issued the Easter rule, which states Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox, or first day of spring. Therefore, Easter must be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25 with the date tied to the lunar cycle.

Another question remains. How does a bunny fit into the celebration?

The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The hare and the rabbit were the most fertile animals known and served as symbols of the new life during the spring season. The bunny as an Easter symbol seems to have origins in Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings in the 1500s.

The Easter bunny was introduced to American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. The arrival of the "Oschter Haws" or the "Easter Bunny" was considered children's greatest pleasure next to a visit from "Christ-Kindel" on Christmas Eve.

The children believed that if they were good the "Oschter Haws" would lay a nest of colored eggs. Children would build nests in a secluded place in the home, the barn or the garden. Young boys would use their caps and girls their bonnets to make the nests.

The use of elaborate Easter baskets would come later as the tradition of the Easter bunny spread throughout the country.

If you use real eggs for hunting, do not eat these after the hunt. The eggs will be unrefrigerated during the hiding and hunting process and this can cause food borne illness when eaten. Plastic eggs are a safer choice. An additional benefit the plastic eggs can be used year after year.

The last question to consider  What to prepare for your Easter meal?

The recipes that follow are good choices. If a traditional ham is chosen serve light side dishes. Steamed vegetables are healthy and easy to make. My favorite is a combination of steamed broccoli and cauliflower.

With a few Easter questions answered, have a safe holiday and enjoy the time with family.

ORANGE CRANBERRY HAM

Ham 5 to 10 lbs.

1 can frozen orange juice, thawed

1 can cranberry sauce (jellied or whole)

=-tsp. ground cloves

1 cup water

Place ham and one cup water in oval roasting pan. Mix thawed frozen orange juice with cranberry sauce, and cloves in bowl. Pour over ham, cover with foil and lid. Cook at 350 degrees F. for 1 to 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

SPECIAL GREEN BEANS

2= pounds fresh green beans

3 cups water

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

-cup chopped onion

8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained

=-teaspoon salt

=-teaspoon pepper

=-teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

-cup olive oil

<-cup grated Parmesan cheese

Wash beans, trim ends and remove strings. Combine beans and water in Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 6 to 8 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain beans and set aside.

Saute mushrooms and next 7 ingredients in oil in a Dutch oven. Stir in beans and cook until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serves 6 to 8.


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