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| Easter eggs |
Last week's Easter celebration was the first since dad died. True, there was Christmas, but it came and went in a whirlwind of other unprecedented events (still to be blogged about) so it was easy to sort of overlook that was now one setting less at the table, no gifts for dad under the tree...
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| ham & cheese |
By Easter the chaotic things in our lives have balanced themselves
out so his absence was keenly felt. Especially since dad was always more
actively involved with Easter traditions. He always prepared the eggs
that were dyed in the onion skins, grated the horseradish and shelled
and ground the walnuts for
potica.
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| smoked cheese piglet*, smoked salmon, bakalar and pickled quale eggs |
I've already written about my penchant for traditions and how I relish in the quietly assuring repetitiveness of never changing
rituals. I adore the notion of having the same table cloth for
Christmas for years and years and a separate one for Easter. The menus
aside for a few variations remain the same too.
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| Easter salad |
To top things off mum contracted pneumonia a week before Easter and the weather outside was more appropriate for Christmas than Easter. It was a rather sad Easter. We divided dad's chores between the three of us and mum taught me how to bake potica.
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| Potica buns |
There was no denying it or going back... things are changing and try as I might I can't stop time.
* The cheese piglet was a gift from Mr. C before he went on a business trip to Germany the week before Easter. It made me smile, suck a quirky little thing.
I've never seen a cheese pig before - it's very cute! We have lamb-shaped butter blocks here around Easter time.
ReplyDeletein Slovenia butter block are sometimes stamped with traditional flower imprints like rosemary or carnation. I think it looks lovely.
DeleteNeither have I seen a cheese piglet. So cute.
ReplyDeleteIt feels different, when a loved one is missing, especially, as in your situation, that someone was especially close to you.
Oddly, having no older relatives anymore, I feel a sense of freedom- concerning the traditions.
I have totally dumped all old traditions now. For me, the holidays have always been a nightmare. I felt like an outsider looking at an odd theater play.
Finally a chance to spend Christmas, Easter, etc., in my ( our ) own way.
P.S. The potica buns look very familiar.
I can understand the dread surrounding big family gatherings when it's full of restraint and unnatural silly customs. i suppose for me it's different because I was never forced into something I felt uncomfortable with the passing of years our rituals have morphed into more informal events where the preparation for the fest itself is the most relevant bit. Just the three of us now, cleaning the house, decorating, talking, drinking coffee, preparing food, having the neighbours drop in for more coffee and chat. It's nice and spontaneous.
DeleteWhat an adorable cheese piglet. Mr. C is very thoughtful. You and I feel the same way about holidays. In recent years I'm not missing relatives who have died as much as I miss my grown children who are very busy with their lives and loves and have to dole out holiday time sparingly among many family members. We were all together for Thanksgiving, which was lovely, but it will likely be three years or more before that happens again. Now that I am 55, 3 years feels like a long time to wait to spend a holiday with my children.
ReplyDeleteI know how exhausting it is to run from one place to the next trying to visit all the family members on holidays. All you end up with is being exhausted and cranky and there's no fun in that. Over the years I've scaled back enormously on the in-person greetings and I now rely on cards and phone calls keeping my precious time to myself and Mr. C and mum. I suppose that's one of the positive sides of having a small family that lives relatively close by. I know that in the USA the distances can be enormous too so visting family requires expensive air travel or long car rides :-(
DeleteChange is not easy even though we are constantly changing ourselves, our bodies. I am like you, I get attached to certain traditions that i like preserving. I love the potica buns, adorable. I hope your mom is doing better now. The cheese pig is really cute and your easter festive table is truly beautiful. Sending you love xx
ReplyDeleteyou are absolutely right, everything changes all the time, it's just that sometimes I'd like to turn a blind eye to certain aspects of life that's changed and I haven't yet reconciled with. Mum is doing better, still not quite there yet, but she's taking it slowly, getting plenty of rest, her sweet cats and wonderfull neighbours keep her company.
Deletexoxo Ana
In our fast changing world these small time honoured traditions keep us focused on family values,
ReplyDeleteand happy memories of times past.
I am sure your father's love and kindness will always be within you wherever you are.
Your Easter food looked delicious,the Portica buns remind me of what we call here Danish pastries.Judith
Judith, I looked up Danish pastry and potica is very similar when it comes to the dough. The differences are the way potica is rolled and that there is no icing.
DeleteAnd I completely agree with your thoughts on how traditions keep us rooted to our family ties :-)
All your food looks delicious. Potica buns look yummy. What's in the Easter salad? My dad has been gone almost seven years and we still sorely miss him. It's worse at holiday gatherings, and I know you must keenly miss your Dad since you lost him such a short time ago. Traditions are great, and I sometimes think here in the US we don't uphold them as stringently as people in other parts of the world. Thanks for a delightful post.
ReplyDeleteI think traditions are fading when people get too busy and stressed out by their lives, jobs,... also keping traditions when you don't like the rituals, find them exhausting and overbearing can be the reason why people drope them completely. I guess I'm lucky that we are balancing traditions with the go easy and have fun with it rule.
DeleteThe Easter salad is made with grated horseradish, grated apples and grated hardboiled eggs seasoned with salt, sunflower oil and mild apple vinegar.