2 weeks Ago
There seems hardly a need to define the efficacious, rich cadence of spring. The dreary wintry months provoked hot pots of broth, but when the first spring birds twirp their presence, shoots of tender asparagus and frisky, sprouted greens soothe and satisfy the defrosted, frazzled soul. Janice Schlau wonders what was served at the Last Supper.
Heading toward the end of Lent, leaveners enjoy babkas, breads and rolls. Not so much though on the Seder table where Passover chametz is restricted for 7 or 8 days. Imagine the Last Supper in Roman-occupied Jerusalem where Jesus of Nazareth and his disciples sat down to Seder dinner.
As a veteran chef, I ask myself what would be served? Perhaps in those days, each person employed freshly baked flatbread from a large dish in the center of the table as a utensil to eat from another platter. Most likely it would be a utilitarian meal made from lentils, onions, or dry edible seeds of legumes such as beans, peas and chickpeas. Some olive oil and maybe pomegranate juice might figure into the mix.
To celebrate Passover, a roasted lamb was served, minus the animal’s skin. Certainly, bread and wine helped complete the feast. I wonder what kind of bread? If the grain had been ground by a hand mill, it would have been coarse, no doubt, blended with water and salt, then flattened into thin loaves and baked in a communal oven.
At the Seder, Jesus performed an unusual ritual. He distributed the wine and broken bread pieces, exclaiming words that made this a “holy meal” that would be observed for centuries. This act on the part of Jesus helped cement community as well as foment a powerful message.
It was not the elite seated at this banquet. Jesus dined with the poor. Hailing from a strictly Polish heritage, I was raised to observe a “holy meal” on Easter Sunday.
Swieconka is a long-embraced ceremony of blessing baskets filled with foods on the Saturday before Easter – to be consumed on the morning of the Resurrection of Jesus. This delicious joy varies from household to household, but essentially certain items are symbolically present. These can be bread or babka, eggs (pisanki), salt, wine, horseradish, cheese and kielbasa, and the ubiquitous butter lamb is on display.
Decorated with pussy willow branches, fine, pressed linens with hand crocheted or tatted lace trimmings, tulips and daffodil bouquet, the baskets combine pride and tradition. SwiEconka is an event worth attending, especially at St. Stanislaus on Peckham St.
, the Mother Church of Polonia. Here the bishop marches through the aisles with branches dunked in blessed water sprinkling every soul and offering with a prayer and a mile-wide smile. Children are filled with awe and wonder, anticipating the blessing of their treasured, hand-colored eggs, jellybeans, chocolate bunnies and other treats.
Easter reigns supreme as the beginning of new growth, new life and hope. It is a time, as the crocus, snowbells, hyacinths and tulips emerge from the snowy, cold soil, that the world renews its faith by natural, cyclical events. Even if the kiddos perceive this via their candy offerings smothered in decorated Easter grass, it’s still a chance to demonstrate faith-based traditions passed on from generation to generation.
Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!.
