A feast befitting the fast

It’s Easter. A time to reinforce one’s faith and sow the seeds of fresh hope. The Christians in the City are gearing up for the Easter weekend. With the inception of nuclear families and children moving away to distant shores in pursuit of education and jobs, Easter only assumes more relevance.

After a 40-day lent fasting, it’s only fair that one celebrates not only the resurrection of Jesus Christ but the spirit of togetherness, which is sparse in these times.

The one thing that is inseparable from Easter is its elaborate menu. The feast befits the fast. A Hindu married to a Syrian Christian, Lalitha Menon’s home celebrates almost every Indian festival with great gusto and it is no different for Easter.

Lalitha thinks Easter is more relevant today, compared to the earlier times. “In the day of joint families, every meal was a celebration but it’s not the same anymore. I have to look for occasions to get the family together. And more often than not, it’s a festival that brings everybody together,” Lalitha told Metrolife.

A lot of planning goes into the celebrations and of course, the menu plays an important role. Lalitha has chalked out her menu for Easter. Being summer, she wishes to keep it light and cool. There’d be a cheese Quiche Roast or Grilled Chicken with sauteed vegetables accompanying it, a Chilled Chicken and Melon Salad with some Cinnamon puffs. For the Indian touch, there will be Fish Molly and bread. There’d be muffins and Lemon Tart for dessert. Easter, says Lalitha, is a time to reinforce one’s faith. “The miracle of life is the spirit and significance of Easter. In this day and age, when there are almost no miracles to be thankful for, Easter brings forth a feeling of thankfulness,” she adds.

Young parents Binu and Anu have three daughters — Rebekah, Suzzanah and Tamarah. The couple make sure that they spend time with their families and friends on Easter. After an early church service,

Binu and his family head out on visits and the day concludes with a barbecue at a friend’s place. “Easter must be spent with our family. My kids ask a lot of questions about Easter and its significance. They may be young but they know the basics of the festival. It’s important to tell our children what Easter is all about and pass on the tradition,” says Binu.

G Clairon, a retired professor, Indian Institute of Science has a large family. Come Easter and her family members, however scattered they may be, make it a point to come together.

“Festivals like Easter are a time for each member of the family to consciously set aside time to sit together, chat and thereby renew our family bonds around a scrumptious meal.”

Clairon’s family has a strong European influence and their Easter menu too slants the European way. “We have a lot of canapes and other finger foods which blend well with the colourful cocktails and mocktails. Pates, spreads, salads, roasts, smoked gammon... are all made at home with each of us contributing in some way or the other to putting the meal together,” she avers.

Easter is triumph of good over evil. It’s a time to repent and make a sincere efforts to turn away from one’s sins, observes Clairon, “it’s a time to extend the same spirit of love and forgiveness to all, irrespective of how different or imperfect they may seem in our sight,” she concludes.