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Easter Traditions

(94 Posts)
Oldwoman70 Fri 19-Apr-19 08:16:18

We are all aware of the tradition of not eating meat on Good Friday, but what other traditions do GNs remember from their childhood - I remember my mother telling me you should never do washing on Good Friday

phoenix Fri 19-Apr-19 15:28:27

SueDoku veal on Mothering Sunday seems wrong in so many ways, especially if it was milk fed veal, from calves that had been taken from their mothers!

I know that it is usual practice to take calves from their mothers in dairy herds, before anyone reminds me!

So glad that when I was keeping stock it was sheep, and the lambs were with the ewe for quite a time (the poor ewes used to seem quite fed up with their hooligan offspring practically lifting them off their hooves when they decided it was feed time!)

sodapop Fri 19-Apr-19 15:34:13

Same here Jananana I was brought up as a Methodist and had a new outfit for Whitsuntide. We were not allowed to play outside, sew, knit on Sundays and Good Friday.

janipat Fri 19-Apr-19 15:41:00

phoenix I didn't think we had milk fed veal in this country anymore. I'm probably wrong, but I only eat rose veal any way, which usually has had a longer life than lambs, and certainly chickens. Lots of rose veal is 6 months or older ( I "think" anything under a year can be called veal) Better than slaughtering the male calves at birth.
Easter traditions were always hot cross buns fresh from the bakers on Good Friday, eaten as breakfast. No playing out. Easter egg ( note singular!) on Easter Day. We still have fish today and will have lamb on Sunday. I have faith so Church today and Sunday, OH doesn't so not for him.

BlueBelle Fri 19-Apr-19 15:46:12

Well I don’t recognise any of this. We didn’t have any different meals that I can remember or new clothes nor any he not allowed out to play or anything
I do remember everywhere being shut on Good Friday and as we weren’t a church going family that was about it well of course having Easter eggs on Sunday or maybe it was Monday I can’t remember but really Easter passed my family by fairly quietly apart from the Easter egg bit it was much the same with my own children and I think also all the grandchildren

BlueBelle Fri 19-Apr-19 15:49:35

If you are a believer why does God not want you to eat meat on a Friday but you can slaughter animals on Saturday That has always puzzled me

janipat Fri 19-Apr-19 16:28:35

I don't think God has anything to do with meatfree Friday?? It is a Church thing in some Churches. I'm Methodist so doesn't apply, it's just something I remember from my childhood for Good Friday. I don't necessarily abstain from meat any other Friday, although Friday fish and chip supper was always lovely!

janipat Fri 19-Apr-19 16:34:57

And I should clarify I was brought up in a non Churchgoing family, but one that observed the traditions associated with the various feast days.
Can't remember having new clothes for Easter, although when I met OH his sister always bought her children new clothes for Easter. That was a new one on me, and not one I adopted.

lincolnimp Fri 19-Apr-19 16:44:07

Always fish on Good Friday, and hot cross buns.
We still follow this, I only buy hot cross buns on Maunday Thursday ready to eat on Good Friday, and we never ever shop on Good Friday
At home there was always an 8am Easter morning Holy Communion (Methodist) and we never ate or drank anything from getting up until after the service.
Unfortunately this doesn't seem to be the tradition where we now live Down South

phoenix Fri 19-Apr-19 17:26:34

janipat rose veal is definitely the way to go, just wish more people were aware.

Like I wish venison was more widely avaiable, and eaten.

B9exchange Fri 19-Apr-19 17:27:59

Hot cross buns were for after the Good Friday service, something to look forward to, and I still can't bring myself to eat them before then. Fish in the evening. It was, and still is, a day of reflection. Saturday we could bring Spring flowers into the house, ready for celebrations on Sunday. My father used to dye eggs whilst boiling them for breakfast, and would draw faces on them. On the day, Sunday church service, he was in the choir, and then believe it or not, roast turkey followed by a left over Christmas pudding! It was kind of like a rerun of the Christmas meal, except no sprouts or parsnips, and no sausagemeat and chestnut stuffings, only sage and onion.

janipat Fri 19-Apr-19 17:46:52

phoenix I love venison too when I can get/afford it.

eilys Fri 19-Apr-19 17:47:52

This morning at 6.30 am the council were here to empty the bins,never happened years ago, felt like a normal day deliveries as usual except post, shops trading, about it, church service at 3 pm

Whitewavemark2 Fri 19-Apr-19 17:51:05

I’ve just eaten 2 hot cross buns and have got indigestion?

BlueBelle Fri 19-Apr-19 18:03:59

I have remembered something we did We had hard boiled eggs for breakfast with faces painted on them
I caught a bus to the shops today and was surprised that the post office was open
Why is rose veal (whatever that is) the way to go phoenix

1inamillion Fri 19-Apr-19 18:07:32

Always fish on Good Friday ( salmon tonight) and we had hot cross buns this morning.
Always lamb on Easter Sunday but this year we're having minted lamb chops and minted lamb burgers on the BBQ as the weather's so warm. Someone gave me some chocolates for my birthday which I've kept so we'll have those on Sunday too.
I was born into a chapel going family, married into a church going one. Always church on Easter Sunday. I loved the little baskets DC made in S School which had little chocolate eggs in them.
Neither my mother or MiL would dream of doing the washing on a Good Friday. Whatever your traditions - A Happy Easter to you.

Skinnylizzie Fri 19-Apr-19 18:08:55

Oh that’s very like my childhood memories. And the new outfit and always white ankle socks!!

Nanah67 Fri 19-Apr-19 18:09:54

Growing up in Ireland in the 1960s and catholic Good Friday was the longest day of the year. Church at least 3 times in the day with everything covered in purple. Breakfast was porridge boiled fish and potatoes for dinner hot cross buns for tea. Cinema closed from Wednesday to Easter Sunday ,no tv on Good Friday. Easter Saturday house was cleaned from the top to bottom to welcome the lord. Mass at 9 fasting would be after 10 when we got breakfast a fried egg and toast a real treat as we had not had a one all of lent (40days). Then the 1 Cadbury’s Easter egg. Lunch was roast lamb and we had a simmel cake for tea marzipan and chocolate inside. Thank god times have change!!!!

1inamillion Fri 19-Apr-19 18:10:56

Our Post Office was closed Bluebelle. It is one of those housed in our local Spar, maybe that was why. DD wanted to change some currency, so she'll have to do it tomorrow.

pydora Fri 19-Apr-19 18:17:30

I remember growing up in the 60's, DM would always get up early and bake home made hot cross bums for breakfast - warm and running with butter smile
Haddock for lunch - no meat allowed. It had to be haddock because the skin bears the thumb print of Jesus where he held the fishes on feeding the 5000 with fishes and loaves - so I was always led to believe.

And definitely no Easter eggs before Easter Sunday....

phoenix Fri 19-Apr-19 18:26:41

janipat I am an advocate of eating more venison!

Deer have no natural predators, and do serious damage to woodlands, as they eat saplings, thus depleting natural woodlands.

The meat is low cholesterol, and could make a healthy option for carnivores!

Grannybags Fri 19-Apr-19 18:27:44

Hot cross Buns and fish on Friday. Egg (just the one) on Sunday.

Bellanonna Fri 19-Apr-19 18:33:11

Have always eaten fish on good Friday. We still do. In earlier years we went to Stations of the Cross. As a young person everything was very sombre. No shops. No entertainment. Always had hot x buns usually home made. One Easter egg on Sunday. Eggs boiled in cochineal for Easter Sunday breakfast after return from church.

Nanah67 Fri 19-Apr-19 18:39:17

Forgot to mention we always got a new outfit. A dress hat and gloves also sandals. Did not matter if it was warm or cold. They were Sunday best for the rest of the summer.

NanaSuzy Fri 19-Apr-19 18:49:45

Nanah67 In our Town in the 50s and 60s the new clothes were for the Whit Monday parades. Sad that it's all gone now.

phantom12 Fri 19-Apr-19 19:36:23

I remember my Gran saying that if you put washing out on Good Friday that the devil would wee on it!