Tomorrow is Easter, and I have been thinking about family traditions. One tradition in my family is Easter breakfast. It is something that my Nonna did every single year, and the whole family would get together at her house, no matter what. I made the Easter bread with the hardboiled eggs inside of it last year, for the very first time. It was extremely time consuming! I got a special appreciation for how much time the preparations must have taken her.
My cousin Lucy has been doing Easter breakfast for many years now. She is going to be doing it this year. The menu has not changed much--Easter bread (she makes individual bread baskets wrapped around a hard boiled egg), cold cuts, cheesebread (the two main ingredients are cheese and lard), fruit, coffee, and egg nog. Over the years we have added the mimosas, I think because there are so many little kids running around, the champagne steadies the nerves.
I recently found this photo and really got a kick out of it, and hopefully you will too.
This was taken probably in the early 80's or thereabouts. Nonna is seated at the table and I'm on the left in a green dress. My cousins are on the right, aunts and uncles to the left and my parents are standing behind my cousins. My youngest brother was cut out of the picture because he is sitting on dad's shoulders. And an uncle is missing (most likely the one who is taking the photo). But other than that, this is the family that would assemble every year at my father's childhood home, with his two older brothers, wives and all the kids. There are 6 grandchildren in all, 2 girls (including me) and 4 boys.
This year our breakfast will be at Lucy's house. She is the young girl on the far right in a suit, with feathered hair. She may not be happy with me for posting this photo, but hey, I'm wearing a homemade dress with a bunny pin on it--she looked a heck of a lot more fashionable than me! And also, she hasn't changed at all since the picture was taken--and I'm not even saying that just to be nice--it's totally true! She has the good genes!
Sometimes it's hard to believe that all this time has passed since this photo was taken. In that time, one cousin and both brothers became pharmacists, one cousin became a doctor, one a pilot, and between all of us, we have twelve children, (8 girls, and 4 boys.)
In that time, 3 family members in this photo have passed on. My Uncle Dominick, pictured on my left, my Great Uncle Dominick, pictured on my right, and of course, Nonna. They are not here anymore, but I think they must know about the breakfast. And are probably thinking, those kids would never be able to pull it off if we didn't show them what to do first!
Hope that everyone has a Happy Easter, and God Bless.
Faith, Hope and Love,
Angela
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