When Christmas and New year are already memories, but the soul still needs a holiday, the Cristian world starts waiting for the next festival called Easter or Pascha (Latin). This day is a commemoration of resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Easter is a movable feast which doesn’t fall on a fixed date. But it always falls on Spring’s months, which are perfect to celebrate the start of new life. Fine, but if you decide to start something new, you should know your history very well. So let’s discover some historical facts about Easter together…
How to celebrate the Easter?
First of all, Easter has pagan roots. It’s kinda strange that a holiday, that now represents Christianity, was being celebrated long before its spread all around the world. But it’s true. Heathenish Armenians, for example, also were coloring eggs for this festival, but then Easter was a festival to celebrate the end of winter and the start of spring.
Now we are coloring eggs for Easter too. But we are doing it in a boring way if we compare it with our ancestors. They were celebrating Easter for two weeks. And imagine for all this days they were coloring eggs and playing lots of games with that eggs. Best of them was the “duel” of eggs. It was a competition during which eggs were beaten one to another, and all the broken eggs went to the winner as a trophy.
Differences from Easter celebration
Actually Easter has different ways of representation in different countries. Like in Germany, and in several more countries, trees are decorated with embellished easter eggs. Or in some countries the festival has become more like a carnival. So, in Italy, Florence they have Scoppio del Carro or “Explosion of the Cart” where a cart filled with fireworks and pyrotechnics is lit on Easter Sunday. Or in New York, USA the Easter Parade began with the decoration of sanctuaries in churches with Easter flowers.
But in this difference of celebration’s ways, all the countries have one common similarity… Cuisine!! On that day in every Christian house, you can find a table full of delicious dishes and, of course, red wine, the symbol of Jesus Christ’s blood. Easter Evening is a gastronomic feast. All the dishes, the fish, eggs, fried greens, rice with raisins and dried fruits…, are eaten in accompaniment with red wine. The dinner is the great end of this great day.
Armenian sweet Pilaf with dried fruits and nuts
To help you enjoy Easter even more this year, we’re sharing one of the super delicious Easter recipes from Armenian cuisine. Try to prepare it for your relatives.
Armenian sweet pilaf is a festive meal, mainly eaten at Easter. The Pilaf is delicious, easy to prepare and at the same time a good “vitamin kick”. Traditionally, Armenians use prunes, apricots, raisins, walnuts and almonds. But all of this, as well as the amount of ingredients, can be changed to your taste.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cup of rice
- 1 small carrot grated
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- Spices to taste (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, barberry)
- Dried apricots
- Dried plums without stone
- 1/2 cup of raisins
Preparation method:
- First of all, wash the rice, pour into a frying pan, pour in cold water – it should cover the rice with 2 fingers, cover and boil in salted water. After cooking, wash the rice under cold tap water and strain.
- Then wash dried fruit and raisins and steam for 10 minutes with hot, but not boiling water. This way you can immediately see how big they are and how much dried fruit you want to add to the rice. Wash the steamed fruit with cold water, dry slightly, then roast in oil until light brown.
- Grate the carrot and roast it with the fruit and add the herbs. Mix everything and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Finally, add roasted ingredients to the rice and the incredibly tasty dish is ready.
When the sweet pilaf with raisins is done, stir it and serve hot.
Enjoy your peaceful dinner with your family members, remind them of your love one more time and don’t forget the wine !!
