Our basket has been put together and blessed, in preparation for tomorrow, when we enjoy the contents as part of our Easter celebrations.

Our traditional Easter baskets were one of my favourite things, when I was a kid. I loved our Easter celebrations more than Christmas – plus, I usually have my own tiny basket for blessing, too!

Everything in the basket has symbolic meaning. Along with the Polish traditional items, we’ve added a few of our own, over the years.

The most important part of the basket is the bread, which represents the Body of Christ. Many people use a paska, or babka, bread, made with saffron and raisins. We’ve made braided breads similar to challah, or purchased a rustic loaf of some kind. During blessings at church, I’ve seen people with nothing but a loaf of rye bread in their basket. It’s the one thing no Easter basket would be without! This year, we made a simple, overnight bread.

Of course, there are eggs, which represent resurrection and rebirth. They can be elaborately decorated pysanki, with the designs also having symbolic meaning, plain coloured or shelled. In our basket, we have shelled eggs that were pickled in the liquid from pickled beets, a soy sauce brine and turmeric. You can tell by the colours, which is which! We also have kraszanki (kra-shan-kee); eggs boiled with onion skins. Plus we added some little chocolate eggs.

The sausage represents God’s favour and generosity, while the ham represents great joy and abundance.

Salt (we used truffle salt this time, simply because we had some) represents prosperity, justice, and is a reminded that we are to be the “salt of the earth”.

Butter (I made a parsley butter this time) reminds us of the good will of Christ, which we should also hold towards all.

Cheese (we have a cheese ball, this time) represents moderation.

Other traditional items include horseradish (ours is still frozen in the ground), which represents the bitter Passion of the Christ. It is often shredded and mixed with beet juice to make ćwikla (chveek-la or chveek-wa) symbolizing the Blood of Christ, and bacon, representing God’s overabundant generosity and mercy.

This time, we have a little jar of apple cider vinegar, though we’ve used many other types of vinegar over the years. This represents the vinegar, or sour wine, that was given to Jesus just before he died on the cross, and represents judgement, purification, humility and redemption.

Some years, we also include olives and olive oil, both of which figured prominently in the culture of the time (still does, in some places). The olive represents peace, beauty, prosperity and the relationship between God and His people. In the Bible, the olive tree itself represented Israel and its people. I actually did get olives for the basket, but forgot about them when we put it together, but they will be included tomorrow.

I do so love this tradition!

The Re-Farmer