Good afternoon on a beautiful, sunny, and WARM day in NYC! Unfortunately, it may be the last one for a while because it looks like rain all next week. It figures that I'm on vacation from the job, too. Today's blog post is extra long since the shop will closed all weekend (although you may still place orders).
This weekend, we celebrate the annual holidays of Passover and Easter. These holidays do not fall on a fixed date but vary according to astrological and historical occurrences. Although the traditions for each holiday are different, they both symbolize rebirth and freedom.
Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a holiday that commemorates the liberation of Jews as slaves from the Pharaoh in Egypt. It is one of the three pilgrimage festivals—along with Sukkot and Shavuot—during which the entire population of the kingdom of Judah made a pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem. Passover commences on the 15th day of Nisan. This year, it will begin at sundown tomorrow night. Traditionally, the holiday is observed for eight days although Reform and Reconstructionist Jews observe it for only seven. To celebrate Passover, Jews participate in a ritual called a seder (which means "order" or "arrangement" in Hebrew). The Seder is a retelling of the story of liberation and revolves around the following themes
1. Slavery and Freedom: Under Pharaoh, the slaves worked from sunrise to sundown. On the 15th day of Nissan, the slaves were freed after the ten plagues were released in Egypt. Participants recall slavery by eating matzo (unleavened bread), maror (bitter herbs), and charoset (a paste made of apples, walnuts, and wine, which represents the mortar the slaves used to cement bricks). To celebrate the freedom of the slaves, they eat the matzo, sit in a reclining position, and dip vegetables (karpas) in salt water.
2. Four Cups of Wine: The four cups of wine represent the four expressions of deliverance followed by the almighty in Exodus: "I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and I will take."
3. Seder Plate: This is a special plate that contains six symbolic foods used during the seder. Below is a typical Seder plate with the arrangements of each of the six items. In addition to maror, charoset, and karpas, we also place chazeret (lettuce whose roots are bitter-tasting), a roasted shank bone, which symbolizes the lamb that was offered in sacrifice and eaten at the first seder, and a hard-boiled egg, which was also a festival sacrifice offered at the temple in Jerusalem and was also eaten at the first seder.
4. Focus on the children: A big part of the seder is the retelling of the story of Exodus to one's child. It's a long night, so efforts are made to arouse the interest and curiosity of the children. This is why the youngest child at the seder asks the Mah Nishtanah ("Why is this night different from all other nights?" Among Sepahardic Jews are asked by the assembled company rather than the individual child.
In the coming weeks before Passover, Jews get rid of chametz (bread products) and change the dishes. This is symbolic of spring cleaning. The thing many Jews miss about Passover is not being able to eat leavened products for eight days. Over the past several years, cooks have found ways to create delicious recipes using unleavened products. For Passover recipes and ideas, please consult either a Jewish cookbook or any food-centric website (e.g., Allrecipes, Epicurious, or the Food Network).
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For Christians, Easter is a deeply religious holiday.. It marks the end of the 40-day period of Lent, which commences on Ash Wednesday. The holiday is celebrated on the Sunday following the paschal full moon (the first full moon that occurs after the first day of spring). This year, Easter falls on April 5th. Christians from around the world will attend church in their finest outfits, and in New York, one has the opportunity to witness the annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival. At the same time, Easter is one of the most commercial events of the year--there are displays of chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, marshmallow Peeps, and Easter baskets almost everywhere you go. Colorful eggs are also an Easter tradition.
Some people say that Easter is derived from Eostre, a pagan goddess of spring and fertility. Eostre supposedly found a bird that was so cold she turned it into a bunny. but the rabbit still laid eggs as a bird. This may be one of the reasons that bunnies and chicks are connected with the holiday.
Dyeing of Easter eggs may be related to Mary Magdalene, the first person to see Jesus after resurrection. She was holding a plain egg and the egg began to turn red as Jesus was rising from the dead, and it turned bright red when he started speaking. During the period of Lent, Christians give up dietary items such as meat, eggs, and milk and spend their time praying, meditating, and making personal sacrifices.. In Europe, eating eggs on Easter was one of the joys of the holiday. The eggs were often prevented in colorful baskets that resembled birds' nests, which is another reference to Eostre.
The tradition of chocolate on Easter started in 19th century France and Germany. These traditions soon spread throughout the rest of the continent. The immigrants brought these traditions to the United States. In order to receive their chocolate, children were told to make hats or baskets so the Easter Bunny could leave them there (just like Santa Claus leaves gifts under the tree). Chocolate is a common modern-day sacrifice during Lent, and many are happy to eat it at the end of the period.
Lamb is a traditional Easter meal because Jesus's last supper was the Passover seder. It was most likely that he ate lamb. Ham is also a big part of table at Easter because salted pork lasted all winter and be ready to eat before other fresh meat was available.
Because Easter is a serious holy day, Christians divert these lighthearted symbols of Easter-egg hunts, rabbits, and chickens to the children, who may not be ready to deal with the issues of life and death.
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Here are some other observances taking place in April:
National Humor Month: Laugh long and hard during National Humor month! We honor those comedians who make us laugh as well as our relatives who always have a joke. National Humor Month is designed to boost public awareness on how laughter can boost morale and improve the quality of one's life. The National Humor Month website contains resources, ways to have fun at work, and a gallery of smileys. This event was founded in 1976 by comedian Larry White. He started this event because April is usually bleak with rainy weather and taxes are due on the 15th.
Autism Awareness Month: Nearly 25 years ago, April was declared Autism Awareness Month by the National Autism Association to promote inclusion and independence for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is celebrated through declarations by politicians, online events, local events through organizations, and partner opportunities. The puzzle ribbon is one of the most recognizable symbols of the autism community and many show support by wearing it during this month.
Jazz Appreciation Month: For twelve years, April has been declared Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) by the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. In partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities, along with several other organizations, a number of programs will be held this month to promote jazz, including concerts, lectures, and exhibitions. April was chosen to recognize several jazz greats born in April--Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Gerry Mulligan, and Tito Puente. Check with your local cultural institutions to learn how you can celebrate jazz in your community!
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Next week's milestone birthdays:
Happy 30th!
Ben McKee (4/7)
Barkhad (4/10)
Happy 40th!
Juicy J (4/5)
Frank Black (4/6)
Bill Bellamy (4/6)
Paulina Porizkova (4/9)
Tim "Herb" Alexander (4/10)
Happy 80th!
Bobby Bare (4/7)
Still Going Strong!
Wayne Rogers (82 on 4/7)
Shecky Greene (89 on 4/8)
Hugh Hefner (89 on 4/9)
Jim Fowler (85 on 4/9)
Max von Sydow (86 on 4/10)
Liz Sheridan (86 on 4/10)
Joel Grey (83 on 4/11)
We'll be back next week to talk about the rest of our baby shower games, graduation games, and new listings, along with the usual party ideas, fun facts, and trivia.
Have a PRINTASTIC weekend and happy holidays!
Kathy
celebration easter
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