WILKES-BARRE — It’s Monday and it has been a rather dreary week, so what better time to hop in the Way Back Machine for a visit during Holy Week.
For Catholics like myself, this week is especially meaningful — from a religious aspect and for family traditions.
As Lent comes to an end and we return to going out for dinner without having to search for a non-meat entree on the menu, we also take time this week to recharge the batteries of our faith. Now, most Catholics pray daily and that is a good thing — but during Holy Week, everything is ramped up.
Like the Christmas holiday season, Easter Holy Week takes us back to years gone by and we fondly recall the values that were instilled in us by our parents and community leaders.
Each religion has its special traditions, and for my family, we were sure to always place faith first and candy and the Easter Bunny were akin to Christmas and Santa Claus. The candy at Easter and the toys at Christmas were part of the celebrations, but it was always faith first.
So, on Good Friday, between noon and 3 p.m., Catholic kids were not allowed to do anything for those three hours — no TV, no playing, no nothing. As my mom would tell me as I whined and nagged:
“Here’s what you can do — sit on the couch and breathe. Prayer is acceptable. But that’s it.”
So for three hours, I sat still. And yes, I did pray — a practice I have done every day since way back then. And we always attended the Stations of the Cross service at the church and we prayed there.
But when 3:01 p.m. came, all of the kids in the neighborhood were released into the outdoors.
The following day, Holy Saturday, my mom would pack food into a wicker basket and we would go to St. Mary’s Church where many of my aunts and cousins and neighbors also gathered to have their baskets blessed. This blessed food would be served first on Easter Sunday and we had to have some of everything offered. Then the real traditional Easter meal would be served.
We still do this, thanks to Cousin Claire, who gets a basket of food blessed every year. It’s one of those traditions that I cherish every year.
Attached to this column online is a graphic that explains how to put together a traditional Easter basket. Each item is listed with an explanation of its meaning and purpose for being in the basket.
The items include: horseradish, butter, kielbasa, bread, salt, cheese, eggs, ham, bacon and a candle. Give it a read. I realize Catholics will get this. But I am sure all religions have traditions as meaningful as this.
There is a religious significance to each food that is blessed, according to this century-old custom:
• The Easter bread, or paska bread, symbolizes the joy of new life given by Jesus Christ.
• The lamb-shaped butter serves as a reminder of the goodness in life.
• The decorated, hard-boiled eggs symbolize Christ’s resurrection.
• Kielbasa is indicative of God’s favor and generosity.
• Horseradish symbolizes Christ’s end of suffering and death.
• Ham symbolizes the joy and abundance of Easter.
• Cheese indicates moderation.
• Bacon symbolizes the over-abundance of God’s mercy.
• And salt reminds Christians that Christ is essential to their souls, as salt is essential to their bodies.
And of course, Easter marks the end of Lent and for many Catholics, the return of pizza or ice cream or chocolate or some other item that has been fasted on for 40 days.
And back in the day, as you can see from the other photo also attached, Easter was a day for dressing up. My mom went all out for this outfit, circa 1956. Everybody, except me, wanted to take a picture.
These are childhood memories of long ago. These memories are the same as yours — we may not have grown up in the same neighborhood or town, but we grew up the same way, with the same values, the same traditions, the same lessons learned.
I wish I really could fire up the Way Back machine — like Mr. Peabody and Sherman did — and return to those days.
Have a happy and blessed Easter.