Easter bread
In many European countries, there are various traditions surrounding the use of bread during the Easter holiday.
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[edit] Sardinia
In Sardinia, Italy, bread is a part of a wide social context. It is the most important food in Sardinia, as well as all over Italy and the Mediterranean. "Bread is a nexus of economic, political, aesthetic, social, symbolic, and health concerns" (Counihan, p.29). Bread is symbolic for life. A peasant proverb mentions, "Chie hat pane mai non morit - one who has bread never dies" (Counihan, p.29). The Easter Holiday is one where bread brings itself into the symbolic realm. Bread is significant for religious purposes. Luisa Fois described bread in her life after she was married and for the Easter holiday. The bread was made into a cross to represent the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Since they were married, they needed to eat it together. They would share their lives now, and they must share their "cross" together (their life's burden) as well. "Bread was a product of their union, and its shared consumption reaffirmed their interdependence" (Counihan, p.30). From this we gather than bread also displays a message, rather than being an item purely for consumption and nutritional purposes. Two kinds of Easter Bread are described in Counihans article. One contained two points, and an egg covered with a cross. "The egg and the points that recall birds in flight speak of fertility, sexuality, and procreation - basic themes in Easter and its pagan precursors" (Counihan, p.41). The second bread was designed to have no overall shape, but was rather baked to encircle an egg, with the initials "BP" put on it. The initials BP stand for Buona Pasqua or Happy Easter. "Letters rather than forms express meaning. Letters are symbolic of civilization and ... meaning" (Counihan, p.41).
[edit] Russia, Belarus, Ukraine
A kulich is a traditional Russian, Belarusian Easter Bread. Kolach is a traditional Ukrainian bread made at Christmas in the shape of a ring. Usually, three rings are stack on top of each other to represent the Holy Trinity. Ukrainian Easter Bread is called Paska, which is a rich, white bread decorated on the top with symbols, including crosses, flowers, braids, wheat, or other designs representing aspects of Orthodox and Eastern Catholic faith. Babka is a Ukrainian bread also made at Easter. Rather than being broad and round, like Paska, Babka typically is tall and cylindrical. It frequently contains raisins, may be iced on top, and is much sweeter than Paska. Babka usually is only made, like Paska, to celebrate Easter Sunday and the rising of Christ.
[edit] Sources
- Counihan, Carole. The Anthropology of Food and Body: Gender, Meaning, and Power. New York: Routledge, 1999.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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