St. Aloysius Parish

Blessing of the Easter Basket Foods - We offer this tradition at St. Aloysius. Prepare a basket and attend the blessing! You may claim 30 minutes of parish service or Spiritual Work of Mercy PLUS whatever time it takes to prepare your basket!

The blessing of the Easter foods is a tradition dear to the hearts of many Eastern European families. Being deeply religious, they are grateful to God for all His gifts of both nature and grace. As a token of this gratitude, they have the food of their table sanctified with the hope that spring, the season of the Resurrection, will also be blessed by God's goodness and mercy.

Baskets containing a sampling of Easter foods are brought to church to be blessed on Holy Saturday. The basket is traditionally lined with a white linen or lace napkin and decorated with sprigs of boxwood (bukszpan), the typical Easter evergreen.

The blessed foods and their symbolic meanings are:

* Egg (pisanka)—Symbol of life and rebirth.

* Sausage (kielbasa) or ham—All types of pork were forbidden under the dietary code of the Old Testament (Leviticus 11.7). The coming of Christ was seen as exceeding the old law and the dietary items now became acceptable (Mark 7.19).

* Paschal lamb—It can be made of butter, cake or even plaster. It is the centerpiece of the meal. Christ is seen as the "Lamb of God."

* Horseradish/pepper—Symbolize the bitter herbs of the Passover and the Exodus.

* Salt—Joins bread in Polish tradition as a sign of hospitality.

* Bread—Christ has been called "the Bread of Life."

* Vinegar—Symbolizes the gall given to Christ at the crucifixion.

* Wine—Symbolizes the blood of sacrifice spilled by Christ at the crucifixion.