Holidays away from your family are always harder than average days. Most people who have ever lived somewhere else will probably agree. Christmas is usually the worst for me. Easter is tough, because we always had a number of nice family traditions such as blowing out and painting Easter Eggs hanging them on an easter tree. My grandma always baked.
When I was little, I always sat with my grandfather painting eggs. He painted these wonderfully detailed Easter Bunnies with Backpacks filled with Easter Eggs or carrying Easter baskets. He was so good at that. I was always fascinated how he could fit it all on that small space on an egg. I usually do colorful patterns, and to this day, I still add 3-4 new eggs every year, just to keep the tradition alive.
What usually helps me a on holidays, is to bake German recipes and do some crafty stuff, that reminds me of home and/or start our own new traditions.
Here people like to color eggs with food coloring dissolved in water, with some vinegar. Like we did as kids you can use a candle or wax pen to personalize them and the wax part will stand out in white.
Always a fun project, I've made color eggs with friends' and family's kids and usually its a project that everyone enjoys, the kids and the adults alike. For me this stuff never gets old.
So tonight I made an Easter basket for my husband Terry, me, and, of course, Jack our Jack Russell Terrier, I baked some Easter Bread, a braided Yeast Bread with Rum Raisins, and I even colored three Easter Eggs with Terry's, mine and Jack's name on them. Everything turned out great.
Bringing a piece of home to a holiday when you're away from home always helps me. Although it usually takes me long to find the energy and get motivated, I usually feel better when making something homey.
And I think it helps my husband and everyone here, understand me and my culture better as well. Even though I'm sure some of the foods may be acquired tastes for Terry, he always tries everything and some things he's become a downright fan of.
One funny little cultural quirk is that I still don't get is why they call it an Easter Egg hunt here. In my minds' eye this word always conjures up the image of a child chasing an escaping Easter Egg, like in a cartoon. Makes me giggle every time.
When I was little, I always sat with my grandfather painting eggs. He painted these wonderfully detailed Easter Bunnies with Backpacks filled with Easter Eggs or carrying Easter baskets. He was so good at that. I was always fascinated how he could fit it all on that small space on an egg. I usually do colorful patterns, and to this day, I still add 3-4 new eggs every year, just to keep the tradition alive.
What usually helps me a on holidays, is to bake German recipes and do some crafty stuff, that reminds me of home and/or start our own new traditions.
Here people like to color eggs with food coloring dissolved in water, with some vinegar. Like we did as kids you can use a candle or wax pen to personalize them and the wax part will stand out in white.
Always a fun project, I've made color eggs with friends' and family's kids and usually its a project that everyone enjoys, the kids and the adults alike. For me this stuff never gets old.
So tonight I made an Easter basket for my husband Terry, me, and, of course, Jack our Jack Russell Terrier, I baked some Easter Bread, a braided Yeast Bread with Rum Raisins, and I even colored three Easter Eggs with Terry's, mine and Jack's name on them. Everything turned out great.
Bringing a piece of home to a holiday when you're away from home always helps me. Although it usually takes me long to find the energy and get motivated, I usually feel better when making something homey.
And I think it helps my husband and everyone here, understand me and my culture better as well. Even though I'm sure some of the foods may be acquired tastes for Terry, he always tries everything and some things he's become a downright fan of.
One funny little cultural quirk is that I still don't get is why they call it an Easter Egg hunt here. In my minds' eye this word always conjures up the image of a child chasing an escaping Easter Egg, like in a cartoon. Makes me giggle every time.
No comments:
Post a Comment