Now, we are currently in the period called Holy Week, but what is it? Holy Week is the week, running from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
But what does this all have to do with food?
Well… when everyone thinks of Easter, you start thinking about Easter Eggs. Traditionally across Lent, people were told NOT to eat Eggs until Easter, as part of their Lenten fast (which is why you make pancakes to use up the eggs and flour etc.) The eggs were then given out as a present for Easter day. Usually stained or decorated, or filled with gifts, the first chocolate Easter eggs appeared across the world in the 19th Century, and then in 1873 were introduced to UK by the company Frys.
Now the next food item that might come to mind is… Hot cross buns. This is a tradition that goes further back. Hot cross buns were first recorded in 1773, and by the 18th Century were tied to Good Friday, through the cross on top. Also, the bread is a nod to the bread, broken and shared at the Last Supper and the spices were to represent the spices Christ was wrapped in, in his tomb.
Nb. I know recently there has been some discussion on changing the cross to a tick, or something else, but we won’t be discussing that here.
Finally, a lesser thought of food is the Simnel cake. If you haven’t come across one, it is a simple fruit cake containing lots of marzipan, with eleven marzipan balls representing the disciples (minus 1 for Judas). It started off as medieval bread, before the 18th Century turned it into a boiled pudding. You can find smaller versions of these in shops from Mothering Sunday, right up until Easter. For those of you who love Marzipan, it is a must have!
With all this food, I’m feeling full already!
There is plenty to join in with across the 2 Churches... Maundy Thursday experience, Good Friday witnessing then "at the foot of the Cross", Easter Sunday Dawn service and then Easter Sunday 10am joint service.
Please feel free to join in when you can. You will all be very welcome!
Happy Easter!
