Monday 23 April 2012

Happy Saint George's Day





Happy Saint George's Day to all of you. Today's grand plans included making a dragon cake for the childen to "slay". Here's the result:


It was generally agreed that our dragon wasn't nearly ferocious enough, that he was probably called "Dongo" or something equally mild and was probably a reject from the fierce dragon school. However he was tasty when speared and eaten - and with a cake dragon, that's what counts.


Saturday 7 April 2012

Święcone - Blessing of Easter Food




Traditionally on Holy Saturday food to be eaten in the Easter feast is brought to the parish to be blessed. A traditional blessing includes prayers over the meat, eggs and bread as well as salt. The tradition has been kept alive by Polish Catholics, and for the past two years our Parish Priest has invited families to bring baskets of food representing their Easter meal to Church on Holy Saturday for the blessing (Święcone in Polish - rather close to my maiden name!). As I'm half-Polish and our children are, therefore, one quarter Polish, we thought this was a good practice to add to our family traditions. The photo is our our basket this year  - bread, eggs from our our chickens, and lamb prepared with sea-salt and rosemary. 


We've abstained from meat during Holy Week - my youngest has woken up every morning for the last three days asking "Can I have sausages NOW?"  so we will appreciate this meal when its time comes.
                 
               ... not long to go until we can celebrate. 
                                          
                                            Not long now to wait for the Resurrection.

Wishing you all a happy and blessed Easter!