Pisanki!

Isn’t it lovely how the holidays and holy days connect us to our ethnic traditions? I always think of my Baba this time of year. She was Slovak and celebrated Orthodox Easter and she is the one who introduced me to Jesus, who was not someone we were interested in in my household. But Jesus wasn’t a person to my Baba, he was big time God. She had crucifixes all over the house that my siblings and I secretly snarked about to each other, and she used to come into my bedroom when I was a little girl to tuck me in and sprinkle me with holy water. Oh, Baba! The whole concept of Jesus as a radical reformer, man of the street and healer was sacrilegious to her. Every time I tried to broach the subject of christology with her when I was in Div School, she would just look uncomfortable, change the subject, and force more pierogies on me.

I love the springtime holidays because they’re about food and feasting just as much as they’re about worship. Not only is there the big family dinner known as Seder for Pesach, I have a tradition of hosting dinner for clergy friends on Easter night. I appreciate so much how planning the food for my pals and their kids helps me stay balanced between theological reflection and domestic planning.