One A Penny, Two A Penny: Fun With Food — Good Friday Style
Holidays, festivals, and food are inextricably entwined throughout the world and this is certainly true of Easter.
In New Zealand, we follow the British and European tradition of Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday and chocolate Easter eggs on Easter Sunday.
When I lived in Sweden, semlor (plural), a cardamom (and often orange peel) bun filled with cream and marzipan filling was traditional between Shrove Tuesday (its alleged origin) and Easter. A rich chocolate cake was also frequently eaten …
A friend who has spent a lot of time in Greece says the Paschal lamb, or goat, is always traditionally eaten there and often (now) baked over potatoes to create a kind of (delicious) “chip”.
For today, I stuck with the Hot Cross Buns, and despite it being just past the autumn equinox, the long hot summer has meant that I was able to add strawberries to the fare. Perhaps later in the weekend I’ll turn my hand to the Greek-style roast lamb and Swedish-influenced chocolate cake. (Watch this space!)
Food and festivals influence the Wall of Night world of Haarth as well, particularly in the Southern Realms. I discussed the seasonal cycle in this post:
Seasons and Festivals in the Southern Realms of Haarth
I managed to work in special food, too, especially in The Gathering Of The Lost (which is set in the Southern Realms rather than on the Wall of Night):
“What exactly is the festival about?” he asked Malisande one fine evening when she was down at the inn again, helping Manan sort and bag herbs. The damosel looked up in surprise.
“Don’t you celebrate Summer’s Eve on the River? The festival honors Imuln in her aspect of Maiden and is always held on the first new moon of summer. Those coming of age keep their sacred vigils and lovers make binding vows to each other.” She smiled. “That is the serious side, at any rate. But we also celebrate the beginning of the really fine weather by lighting bonfires, and use up the last of winter’s stores baking special cakes and breads. The fires are lit on the actual Eve, but the next day there is dancing and feasting through into the night. And because Manan is the most famous cook in the entire northern march, people come from all over to buy her spice bread and sweet pastries.” She wrinkled her nose. “So we won’t have the inn to ourselves anymore.”
“It sounds like fun, though,” Carick said.”
Spot the semlor influence? I thought you might! 😉