Beyond the Byline: Of baskets blessed, chocolate and memories

WILKES-BARRE — As we celebrate Easter Sunday, I’m reminded of years gone by and the values that were instilled in us by our parents and community leaders.

Each religion has its special traditions, and for me, growing up Catholic, 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, not 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. Some years, we went to the Stations of the Cross 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 people gathered to have their baskets blessed. This blessed food would be served first on Easter 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 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. And 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 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. All I can say is that it was for a very special day.

Easter was church first, food next, then company arriving, then “get me out of this outfit!”

This was the way it was back then — holidays, especially Easter, were held in such high reverence. All the kids in the neighborhood would get a bath, comb their hair and put on their Sunday very best. And we would go to church and sit quietly through Mass.

When we got home, the clothes stayed on as we waited for company to come and dinner to be served. Sure, we all had baskets filled with candy and jelly beans, but that was for later.

But when the solemn celebration was over, and the big Easter meal was ingested, now was the time to change into our “play clothes” and tear open the big Easter basket and start at it.

Chocolate was everywhere — and good stuff, like the solid chocolate, not that stuff that has a hollow center. We would crack open a big bunny or other item and start gnawing on it.

And a few white chocolate items were thrown in for good measure, plus some foil wrapped eggs and, of course, jelly beans.

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.

Holidays were always special times back in the day. And it was all about people getting together and having fun.

Easter signaled the start of spring — warmer weather, April showers, flowers blooming, trout fishing and baseball tryouts. Those really were the days.

I still long for those days. I wish I could fire up the Way Back machine and return to those days. It would be a spring day and the smell of lilacs would come through my screened window.

Attached to a post on our back porch was a pulley system. We would hang our wash on the bottom line of the pulley system — with wooden clothespins — and send each item out to hang to dry in the fresh air.

Take time to remember and have a blessed Easter.