Library News
ANZAC DAY
25 April
“Anzac Day is a National day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served". Wikipedia
Also called: Rā o Ngā Hōia (Māori)
National day of remembrance and first landing of the Anzacs at Gallipoli
Observed by: Australia; Christmas Island; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Cook Islands; New Zealand; Niue; Norfolk Island; Tokelau; Tonga
This year ANZAC Day is at the start of Term Two and is commemorated with a National public holiday. A display of books relating to various wars is available for students and staff to browse or borrow from the library.
Christian Easter Traditions
Blessing of the Easter food baskets on Holy Saturday or Easter morning is a tradition among Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian Central and Eastern Europeans, including Czechs, Croatians, Hungarians, Lithuanians, Poles (who call it swiecenie pokarmow wielkanocnych), Russians, Rusyns, Slovaks, Slovenes, and Ukrainians.
There are samples of symbolic foods lining the basket. Since Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians fast during Lent, not one morsel of this blessed food is eaten until after Mass on Easter Sunday when it becomes the traditional Easter breakfast.
Symbolic Basket Items
While tastes vary by region and family, the basket usually contains certain items: butter, bread, pysanky (decorated) eggs, sausage, ham and/or lamb, smoked meats, cheese, salt, and cake. A candle is placed in the basket so it can be lit during the blessing, and some families tie a bow or ribbon around the basket handle. Everything is covered with a richly embroidered cloth that rests atop the food.
Cheese is symbolic of the moderation Christians should have at all times. Usually, fresh dry curd or farmer's cheese (not aged) is placed in the basket, but another type of cheese, such as hrudka (also known as hrutka, sirok, and cirecz) might be included.
Candle
A candle, which will be lighted in a church at the blessing of the baskets, represents Christ as the Light of the World.
Easter Basket Cover
Although traditions vary from family to family about what goes into the basket that is to be blessed on Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday, what seems to remain constant is the colorful ribbons and greenery, pussy willows, or dried flowers attached to the basket as signs of joy and new life in the season of spring and in celebration of the Resurrection.
The other must is the richly embroidered cover, symbolizing Christ's burial shroud, that goes over the basket. It's usually made of linen or other fine cloth and is embroidered with religious symbols related to the Resurrection and the celebration of Easter. These basket covers are passed down from generation to generation. A Ukrainian paska cover is similar to a rushnyk or embroidered towel except it has Easter symbols on it.
References
Learn Religions. Slovak-Ukrainian-Russian Easter Basket Food
2022. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/traditional-easter-basket-for-blessing-4161079
Tingen, Terri. "Pysanky: Ukrainian painted eggs." Faces: People, Places, and Cultures, vol. 18, no. 7, Mar. 2002, pp. 30+. Gale In Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A84367158/SUIC?u=61stpeters&sid=bookmark-SUIC&xid=0582efd1. Accessed 3 Apr. 2022.
Mrs Madeleine Viner
Library Assistant
Cranbourne Campus