Re-Eastering

We're having Easter all over again, as today marks the observance of Orthodox Easter. It seems to usually fall one week after the Western Christian celebration, though sometimes the dates can be even farther apart -- and sometimes even on the same date. Complicated. Nonetheless, even the pie crow who lives on the windowsill above the kitchen sink seems to be enjoying himself.

We celebrate both Easters, and do so in pretty much the same way, following a number of traditions. Although the menu mostly contains the same elements, the way they're prepared may vary a bit. Last week the main course of lamb was chops on the barbie. Tonight it will be a pair of slow-roasted lamb shanks. Still, the traditional lamb appears both times and, of course, the beautiful coloured eggs are always part of the celebration -- a fresh batch each time.

Last week, I received quite a few Easter greetings, and one of them contained a phrase that made such good sense to me. It referred to the Easter observance as one marking the 'resurrection of life' -- a perfect description of the many forms of new life that occur in springtime.

Everywhere I look, I see the blossoms on the fruit trees, the bulbs now bearing flowers, the seedlings sprouting in the kitchen garden. After a challenging winter, all these signs of regeneration bring hope and the promise of better days.