Easter is coming and that means Lamb, Kouloura (Easter bread) and Koulourakia (Greek Cookies)
Even though today is Palm Sunday and not technically Easter, it is Jordan's birthday so mom is making Lamb for dinner and Koulourakia for desert. This year Greek Easter happens to fall on the same day as Easter for everyone else. Now we don't celebrate Greek Easter as much as I would like, or as much as we did when I was little, but that's because we aren't Orthodox. Mom went to Greek School when she was little and church here and there, but her mother was an Irish Catholic so that was where they went most. Now, we're protestant and our Easter has a different focus than just tradition. But I still love the traditions, the food, fun and family time (especially the food). But thinking about how important these things are to me makes me realize how much more important the real meaning of Easter is. The thing that gets lost in the tradition, and even in the Modern Era in general. The celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christos Anesti! (Christ is Risen) Alithos Anesti! (He is risen indeed) is the typical Greek Orthodox greeting Easter Sunday, and also the only time you will hear my grandfather say those words. This is hard for me as I love him so much but our views are so different. and so I cling to traditions because I remember a simpler time with him, when I was too young to talk about religion. Not that I would ever reject my faith or that I don't believe and want to share it, but sometimes with the people you love it's so difficult. But I miss him, and I miss my nana. she's gone now, but he's still around, just hours away which makes it hard to stay in touch and hard to talk to about the big things when you don't want to have a fight, so I like to remember when I was young enough to know what I believed in and take joy in Easter for the right reasons without having to deal with grown-up issues of "religion." That's part of why I'm so happy to have all this food today. Jordan and I just got home and it's his birthday so it's just our family celebrating the truth and tradition of this holiday.
