Eastover Brisket!
It’s the Saturday before Easter and I’m not sure that anyone wants any social media, events or business networking tips today. Instead, today I want to talk a little bit about tradition. This week I wrote about making assumptions and talked about how people try to guess at which holidays we celebrate based on our last names or other factors. I was brought up celebrating a mix of holidays. As an adult, I have been able to form my own traditions. I love this because I have been able to take classic traditions and adopt them for my life style.
I often celebrate holidays with my extended family. Jewish holidays are usually spent in Reading, PA with my aunt and uncle and the various people who flock to their home to enjoy my aunt’s gourmet meals. My Thanksgiving traditions have ranged from dinner for two, to eating in a cafe in Paris to eating chicken because we don’t really like turkey. The rest of the holidays are often spent with my “modern family.” This family includes my friends Vicki and Lina and their teenage boys, my sister Tiffany (a.k.a. TLev), and whatever stray cats show up at Vicki’s house on the particular occasion. This year, Tiffany’s boyfriend, Peppi will join us. He is visiting from Australia and will help to add a new cultural component to our celebration.
We don’t celebrate Christmas or Hanukah. We celebrate Christmakah. Tomorrow we will be celebrating Eastover. Religious types, correct me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure that the Bible doesn’t reference a large rabbit running around leaving chocolate eggs for children to find. The holidays that we celebrate are not about our own personal religious beliefs. They are celebrations of friendships, of family and of life. They are about creating traditions on our own terms.
As an example, tomorrow’s Eastover dinner menu is slightly eclectic. I am sharing it with you and along with the links to the items that I am cooking.
- Wasabi Deviled Eggs (Vicki)
- Lasagne (Vicki)
- Sweet and Sour Brisket
- Three Cheese Scalloped Potatoes
- Pineapple Stuffing
- Homemade Apple Pie (courtsey of Peppi, TLev’s Australian boyfriend)
- Banana Cupcake covered with Coconut and Jelly Beans (Vicki)
In addition to our day of dining, we will be sporting homemade Easter bonnets and playing a few games of Trivial Pursuit. It might not be typical, but the tradition is ours.
No matter what your traditions are, I hope you enjoy them. I hope to think about how you can add a new component to your holidays and continue to keep them special. Happy Passover, Happy Easter and Happy Eastover!