Today’s Spiritual Journey Thursday is being hosted by Ruth Hersey at https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2023/04/spiritual-journey-thursday-origins.html. This month Ruth invites us to look at the origin of one of our spiritual practices. Thank you, Ruth, for guiding us through this most holy time of the year.
I chose to reflect on something from my childhood. I am a Byzantine, as opposed to Roman, catholic. This means that we follow the Eastern rite instead of the Latin rite services. I do, however attend a Roman catholic church since there are no Byzantine churches nearby.
Anyway, Easter has always been a major holyday in our house. My grandmother would prepare an Easter basket for us to take to have blessed by the priest at Holy Saturday services. Inside you find all of the things needed for the Easter meal…kielbasa, ham, butter, paska, hrudka, hard boiled eggs, salt, horseradish. This food would be blessed on Holy Saturday but not eaten until after mass on Easter Sunday.
I remember on coming into my grandmother’s house Easter Day, we would be greeted with a plate containing slices of one of the blessed hard boiled eggs. We would each take a slice and she would say to us in turn, “Christos Voskrese” (Christ is Risen) to which we would respond. “Voistinu Voskrese” (Indeed He is Risen).
As many know, the egg has great significance during Easter. The egg is a symbol of new life. Eggs were once a forbidden food during Lent. In fact, on Good Friday we still abstain from meat and all dairy products. The hard shell symbolizes Christ’s tomb. Cracking open the shell is symbolic of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
So, dear friends, even though it is a bit early, in anticipation of Sunday’s great event I give you the traditional Greek greeting:
Christos Voskrese
Encased in darkness, The shell is cracked; the Son shines. Indeed He's risen.
arjeha 
Fascinating. Thank you for sharing your memories.
Holy Werk was always a solemn week in our house ending with a joyous Easter.
In homage to your childhood spiritual practice, “”Voistinu Voskrese.”
Yesterday Knopf published Marge Piercy’s poem, “Beytzeh: Season of the Egg,” for the first day of Passover. I loved these lines (and hope you will, too).
“The egg of the world cracks
raggedly open and the wet
scraggly chick of northern
spring emerges gaunt, dripping
…
Everyday there is more work
to do and stronger light.”
Yes, I do love those lines. The emergence of life…new beginnings. Thanks for pointing them out.
Thank you for writing. Hope you have a joyful Easter Sunday.
Here’s a link to a mini-poem about Easter Eggs.
Thanks for the link to the poem. Enjoyed it.
Bob, I am glad that you shared your Easter basket blessing and information about eggs. I did not know the backstory of the egg so that was fascinating. My Nonnie made Easter bread with a hard-boiled egg centered in the bread. I plan trying this for Easter. I send you and Kathy wishes for a beautiful Easter weekend.
Carol, I have heard of people making bread with a hard-boiled inside. My grandmother did not do this, though. I do remember how wonderful her house smelled when she was baking bread. In fact, the smells of all of the Easter foods being cooked and knowing they couldn’t be eaten until Easter Sunday just heightened the anticipation. Happy Easter to you and your family.
What a wonderful tradition, the blessings traveling from Church to home! Indeed, Christianity is born of the Resurrection. I hadn’t thought of the Easter egg from the perspective of the tomb cracking open…but I will from now on. Thank you for your thoughtful post!
Chris, the egg was always very symbolic at Easter. Although my grandmother never decorated pysanky, her neighbor did so she always had some for the Easter basket. Wishing you and your family a blessed Easter.
He is risen indeed! Yes, we share this greeting in our church also. Thank you for this beautiful explanation of your practices. I had not considered the cracking of the egg shell. Perfect!
I do think that this is a beautiful way to greet people on Easter.
One of my close friends while raising my kids married a Byzantine Catholic. She taught us so much about the eastern rite. One of my favorites was adopting the response, “Indeed he is risen!” I was able to attend her husband’s deaconate ordination at their Byzantine parish. Such beautiful rituals and traditions. Thank you for these memories, Bob.
My wife always laughs that we do things three times until we get it right. A Byzantine mass really is something special to attend if someone has never seen one.
It’s interesting to learn about your family traditions. I love the repeated phrase – “Christ is risen.” and the reply, “Indeed He is risen.” I’m reading this on Easter evening, but will try to remember the significance of cracking the eggshell to share with the grands the next time we have boiled eggs. I have a recipe for a bread with a marshmallow inside. After baking, the marshmallow is gone and it represents the empty tomb. Planning to try it next year.
I have not heard of the marshmallow inside the bread, but I love the significance of it.