Święconka

Święconka - the blessing of the the Easter food on Holy Saturday is a tradition I try hard to keep up here in the Northeast - where the nearest church for it is an hour away. This year, it was also a lesson in the beauty of imperfection - my basket lacked bread, baba, and kiełbasa (embarrassing! But at least I had ham); I was almost later for the service because I tried to get kiełbasa and got caught in awful traffic, and I may or may not have lost my favorite hat in town. But Yarrow delighted in the blessing, brought her own tiny basket of chocolate and a much-love cheese, and we frolicked together in the spring sunshine, anticipating the Resurrection. I love the whole experience of Święconka, and honestly, I’ve never actually eaten Easter food that hadn’t been blessed, as far as I know. I want my daughter to have that, to have the click of consonants around her as the prayers are said, the scent of meats and breads in the air, the anticipation, and the touching mystery..and I want it for myself, always. We sang along with Christian pop, waved at birds, and hugged the poor Infant of Prague closer on the trip, and came home again with blessings to share. Wesołego Alleluja!