I know. It’s a bit of an oxymoron. But when best friends don’t share the same faith, religious traditions take on a whole new slant…our Christmukkah celebration of last year is a case in point. Sharing religious traditions, along with the fact that paganism is alive and well as part of most religious traditions, (just ask the Druids about our sacrosanct Christmas trees and mistletoe), maybe you can see how easy it is to celebrate the multiple cultures that make up our extended families.
So when my favorite 11 year old boy wanted to dip Easter eggs, his parents thought it would be a perfect way to celebrate the traditions of his non-Jewish friends. Hence…Jewish Easter…complete with coloring eggs, hiding and searching for chocolate-filled eggs, and cracking confetti filled eggs over the heads of the parents, an El Salvadorian Easter tradition my Jewish friend grew up with – are you starting to get the picture?
So as we celebrated all things related to a large, magical bunny, I was happy indeed that gluten-free Easter candy abounds in the form of Hershey’s chocolate kisses and Reeses peanut butter eggs. In fact, if you need a few great resources for Easter candy, look no further than Sure Foods Living and Celiac Family.
After the egg hunt, we feasted on a lovely meal of roasted chicken. Our hosts had intended to use the rotisserie feature of their brand new barbecue, but when it literally broke in half, the birds were placed over indirect heat (about 300-350 degrees) for almost two hours, resulting in perfectly moist chickens. Sweet Potato Hash with lots of fresh rosemary from the garden and a green salad were our only accompaniments, along with more chocolate, I’m so sorry to say.
So whatever your tradition, whatever your religion, widen it a bit and celebrate with those you cherish. I have to think, after all, that love and family are at the very heart of all our best traditions.