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When you hear the words “Easter basket,” you might think of chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and crinkly plastic grass. But this modern image is a watered down version of the original Easter basket tradition, and the story behind it is truly lovely.
In an earlier era when Christians gave up meat, dairy products, and eggs for all of Lent, eating these things again at Easter was a very exciting and special occasion. So it became customary to bring these foods to church in a basket on Holy Saturday for the priest to bless. Then families would bring the baskets home to share the feast.
Many different cultures practiced this custom, but it seems to have been especially common in Eastern Europe.
I found a really beautiful description of the Easter basket tradition as it was practiced in Ukraine in the early 20th century, and I’d love to share it with you here. This is quoted from “Easter Red Letter Day of Year in Ukraine” from the Tacoma Sunday Ledger-News Tribune, April 22, 1962.
The tradition persists in many places. There’s even a beautiful prayer for the blessing of the Easter Bread. It’s lovely to see such an ancient tradition continue today.
Whether your Easter basket holds eggs and horseradish or chocolate and marshmallow bunnies, may you and yours enjoy the happiest of Easters!
