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 The holiday of Anastasis — Easter – is the most important event of the year for orthodox Christians. They celebrate this holiday in honor of transition from death to eternal blessed life. When Jesus Christ was dead, he gave us the expiation, and when he rose from the dead, we obtained the eternal life.
The divine service this day is specially solemn. Besides, it is the end of fast. The symbol of Easter — an egg painted in red — signifies the regeneration by Jesus blood.
5 Things About Easter Foods
Did you have something special Sunday? The Easter table doesn’t have just dyed eggs, ham, fake grass and chocolate bunnies.
CROSSING PATTERN
The ever-popular hot cross buns are made using spice, yeast and currants or raisins. The cross can be drawn with a knife or icing.
It’s said that in pagan times, the four corners represented seasons. Later came the children’s song “Hot cross buns, hot cross buns. One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns.”
OF BRAIDS AND BREAD
Greeks enjoy a braided bread called tsoureki. It’s said to date to the Byzantine era.
Bakers use warm milk, yeast, sugar and orange rind and can add such items as makhlepi (the essence of Mediterranean wild cherries) and two hard-boiled, red-dyed eggs for decoration. The red dye represents the blood of Christ, and painting is done on Holy Thursday.
FAITHFUL FRUITCAKE
The British go for Simnel Cake during Easter. It’s basically a fruitcake with marzipan or almond paste on top and 11 balls to represent the disciples who stayed faithful to Jesus.
The cakes were first made by servant girls to take home to their mothers for Mothering Sunday, which fell on the fourth Sunday of Lent.
There is a version, that the name came from two sons, Simon and Nell, who couldn’t agree on how to make the cake.
POLISH FARE
Polish Easter traditions include different flavors of mazureks, or flat cakes, covered with pastes or icing. These are decorated with such things as jam, nuts and lettering celebrating Easter.
The cake flavors include almond, chocolate, poppy seed, orange, nut and raisin.
You also might find something shaped like a lamb on the table — made of butter or sugar or cake.
DON’T FORGET BABKA
That’s a rich yeast cake with butter, lots of eggs, orange peel, raisins and optional glaze. It’s allowed to rise in a cake form and then baked.
Some families guard their recipes and pass them down like heirlooms.
The dessert is also known as Grandmother Cake, said to be derived from the Polish word baba for old woman.
By Jeff Juterbock
From freep.com | 
