Celebration: Easter Dinner

It never fails.  Everyone that I take through the mansion is AMAZED to learn that the Woodruff's dining room was rarely used.  Only for the most formal dinner parties, holidays, and birthdays would the family and/or guests gather around (what would have been very large and very expensive) table.  The Woodruff's would be served dinner in the family parlor!  In those days parlors, large or small, served a multitude of purposes...but, that's an ideal topic for another day.  The "Victorian" holidays most celebrated were Yuletide (Christmas...all twelved days), St. Valentine's day, Eastertide (all holy days during the spring season), and All Hallows Eve (Halloween).  I digress, however.  This particular Celebration entry is about Easter dinner...

The traditional Victorian Easter dinner table would be set in grand style.  Lace and linen graced the table.  The best china, silver, and crystal was used.  Small favors like baskets or eggs would be set for each guest and the centerpiece was always very large and definitely in Eastertide theme.  This year at WF we chose to use a gorgeous silver centerpiece.  It has two candle wells and a large glass trumpet vase filled with dogwood branches.  (Dogwood trees were original to the property and can be seen today dotted in the back yard.)  These kinds of centerpieces were most common during this period.  Eggs are hung from the branches for a bit of whimsy. 

An Easter dinner was much like it is today.  The menu would consist of baked ham, fresh spring vegetables, deviled eggs, assorted salads, and carrot cake.  A traditional confection that has passed with this era is the hot cross bun.  Usually these were made on Good Friday and eaten all weekend.  The cross of icing  is symbolic of the cross and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  However, this confection is believed to pre date Christianity!  The Saxons are believed to have eaten small cakes with a cross on them in the spring to honor the goddess Eostre (probably the root of "Easter").  The cross represented the four quarters of the moon...springtime being the first quarter of the lunar calendar year.  A popular tradition would be to break the bun in half with a neighbor and recite "Half for you and half for me, Between us two shall goodwill be" . 

While many traditions have gone with the wind, we southerners hold on to a few traditions still and pass them on to our children.  Whatever your chosen path during this sacred time, be blessed and share these times with your family and friends with the security that the Light will always prevail.