St. Louis County MN - Family Traditions

Marlene Trader Molisee - mmolisee@ameritech.net - February 2, 2002

THE BLESSING OF THE EASTER BASKET

My mother and grandmother would line a very large basket with some silky material, then flowers of all colors were added around the basket and on the handle was a large bow. Inside the basket was a pound of butter made into a lamb, a box of salt, a box of pepper, a bottle of horse radish, the whole ham for the Easter dinner, kielbasa, 12 decorated eggs with a painted cross on them, fruity type bread (two kinds), two dozen cookies, one unfrosted poppyseed cake, one pair of white candles, one book of matches, some jelly beans and a small bottle of wine (red). This was to represent the food that we would be eating after mass for Easter Dinner. This basket was taken to mass and set in front of the Altar, at some point during mass Father would Bless all the baskets. Polish and German families were the ones that I have seen do this the most. This is an Easter Tradition in our family.