CANORA - Along with their families, Sunday School students from the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Sts. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canora gathered at Rainbow Hall on April 5 for a “master class for making paska.”
Also known as Easter bread, the paska workshop was led by Dobrodika Liudmyla Obukh of the Orthodox Church.
Two types of paska dough, also known as Easter bread, were prepared beforehand. Added to one were raisins, oranges and turmeric, creating what is also known as sweet bread.
Fr. Yurii Obukh of the Orthodox Church led in reciting the Lord’s Prayer in Ukrainian prior to the start of the class.
A variety of paska shapes were created by hand, and they also used ordinary tin cans to make taller, round paskas.
They also showed how a Phosphora stamp is used to create special bread for communion.
The majority of the students at the workshop, aged two to seven, and their families, are recent arrivals in Canora from war-torn Ukraine.
Fr. Yurii said getting together in this way is an important source of fellowship for these young families, and it also carries on a longtime tradition of the Easter basket, in which paska is an important component.
“The priest blesses everything in the basket,” he said. “The contents of the basket each contribute important symbolic elements.”
Easter basket elements include:
• Easter Bread – a round loaf, sweetened yeast Paska or rye, topped with a cross, symbolic of Jesus, the Bread of Life.
• Eggs – decorated Ukrainian pysanky or various dyed or plain white eggs; symbolizing hope, new life and Christ’s Resurrection from the tomb.
• Butter – dairy products are included to celebrate the end of Lent and the richness of salvation.
• Horseradish – symbolic of the bitterness and harshness of the Passion of Christ.
• Pepper – also symbolic of the Passion of Christ and the bitter herbs.
• Kielbasa/Sausage – the links are symbolic of the chains of death that were broken when Jesus rose from the dead, as well as God’s favour and generosity.
• Ham, Lamb or Veal – meats are symbolic of great joy and abundance in Christ’s Resurrection.
• Smoked Bacon – with its great fattiness, it is a symbol of the overabundance of God’s mercy and generosity.
• Salt – a necessary element in physical life; symbolic of purification, prosperity and justice; preserves from corruption. Jesus used its symbolism: “You are the salt of the earth.”
• Cheese – usually fresh, dry curd or farmer’s cheese shaped into a ball, it is the symbol of the moderation Christians should practice.
“The historical roots of the Easter basket custom have to do with the forbidding of eating meat, eggs and dairy products during Lent,” said Father Yurii.
The food included within any Easter basket can be personalized to meet family needs and desires.
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