tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32664912.post3857798375558439086..comments2023-06-29T09:41:55.215+01:00Comments on Thoughts in a nutshell.dot.com: A short description of Greek EasterTinsiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06117009077032779594noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32664912.post-5807960140437181792008-05-09T19:47:00.000+01:002008-05-09T19:47:00.000+01:00I have to say, I've never heard the Easter lamb be...I have to say, I've never heard the Easter lamb being in any way linked to Jesus or having any other religious significance. In Greece Jesus is usually referred to as the Son of God, but hardly ever as the Lamb of God (other than in the Bible, I suppose). I did a search on the internet and found the following explanations, both of which seem quite plausible:<BR/><BR/>1. Apparently there existed a Jewish tradition of slaughtering a lamb during Passover. A lot of Orthodox Christian traditions link back to Judaism, and it seems like natural progression to go from slaughtering a lamb to cooking and eating it.<BR/><BR/>2. From an eco-systems point of view, it's possible that eating lamb at the end of spring became a necessity in order to reduce the size of herds before food and water became scarce during the hot, dry mediterranean summers (if you wonder why not beef, cows are very rare in Greece - 50 years ago most people in the south of Greece had never even seen a cow, let alone had the chance to eat beef). The same explains why we (Greeks) traditionally eat pork at Xmas, as pigs used to be fed with the leftovers from the summer crops, which naturally dwindled to nothing at the end of autumn.<BR/><BR/>I guess it's quite possible that eating lamb is an old Jewish tradition that migrated over and took hold initially because it served a meaningful purpose and later because it just became part of how we celebrate Easter.Tinsiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06117009077032779594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32664912.post-30470256774945814682008-05-09T18:30:00.000+01:002008-05-09T18:30:00.000+01:00loops--That's what I was thinking, wondering if Je...loops--That's what I was thinking, wondering if Jesus as the sacrificial lamb was the reason for eating lamb at easter. Not all that different from the concept of communion, right? <BR/>Tinsie--If He rose again, I think eating the lamb is ok. Otherwise, it would be creepy (and there would be very little reason for celebrating Easter!).Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16137008679319158397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32664912.post-68655094746402355452008-05-09T08:26:00.000+01:002008-05-09T08:26:00.000+01:00@ Loops: You've got to come with us one Easter, it...@ Loops: You've got to come with us one Easter, it's even better in real life ;-)<BR/><BR/>@ Loops/Karen: But if Jesus is the Lamb of God, surely we shouldn't be eating lamb?!Tinsiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06117009077032779594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32664912.post-47415785559448134112008-05-08T22:47:00.000+01:002008-05-08T22:47:00.000+01:00@ Tinsie: What a wonderful description - I feel al...@ Tinsie: What a wonderful description - I feel almost as if I had been there myself!<BR/><BR/>@ Karen: Jesus is often described as the "Lamb of God". I think it signifies perfection and purity and the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. I also think some shepherds visited Jesus as a baby and brought him a lamb.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32664912.post-21545131644369840992008-05-05T13:34:00.000+01:002008-05-05T13:34:00.000+01:00Thanks, ladies! Glad you liked it :-)@ Karen: I'm ...Thanks, ladies! Glad you liked it :-)<BR/><BR/>@ Karen: I'm not sure about the significance of lamb, it's not that common a dish, so it must be something else.Tinsiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06117009077032779594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32664912.post-72926336580338763352008-05-05T02:07:00.000+01:002008-05-05T02:07:00.000+01:00Very nicely done! Thank you for taking the time t...Very nicely done! Thank you for taking the time to inform us, Tinsie. I would love to have been there in person (your grandparents look especially wonderful!), but this was the next best thing.<BR/><BR/>I'm wondering about all the lamb. Is there any significance (you know, the Lamb that was slain..) or is it just a common dish?Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16137008679319158397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32664912.post-51805581629699537222008-05-05T01:25:00.000+01:002008-05-05T01:25:00.000+01:00Thank you for blogging about Greek Easter, I knew...Thank you for blogging about Greek Easter, I knew it is a big celebration for all christians :DShiongehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02519286201719224882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32664912.post-1019321610674595422008-05-05T00:53:00.000+01:002008-05-05T00:53:00.000+01:00Very interesting. Thanks for sharing and broadeni...Very interesting. Thanks for sharing and broadening my horizons :)Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09897414542540122640noreply@blogger.com