Ukrainian Church Observes Food Blessing Tradition

Regina Pisechko brought her basket filled with items she will serve at her Easter meal on Sunday: hard-boiled eggs, ham, kielbasa, red beet horseradish, cream cheese and a decorated paska, a sweet, Easter bread, that granddaughter Danielle Pisechko made.

Coming to St. Anne Ukrainian Catholic Church in Warrington for the customary blessing of the food is something she has done since 1970.

Danielle, of Warwick, came with her this year, as well as her other granddaughter Samantha Luna, 9, of Philadelphia, who brought her basket of dyed Easter eggs to be blessed.

“It’s a tradition,” the Warrington woman said as she waited for Father Vasil Bunik’s blessing to begin. “And secondly, this brings the whole family together.”

The sentiments were echoed by Natalie Stutz, also of Warrington, who came with her own family.

She grew up attending a Ukrainian Catholic Church in Philadelphia where the blessing of food was practiced as well.

“Hopefully, my kids will continue with this tradition,” she said.

The blessing is held on Holy Saturday or after the Divine Liturgy on Easter Sunday.

Each family brings baskets filled with foods they will eat on Easter. Hard-boiled eggs, intricately decorated pysanky, Easter bread, butter shaped as a lamb, honey, salt, pepper, kielbasa and horseradish are some of the items.

The foods are symbolic: The meats represent sacrifice. Eggs signify life. Salt is a symbol for self-denial. Horseradish represents bitterness and hardships we endure. The bread is representative of Jesus, and the lamb-shaped butter stands for the lamb of Christ.

The baskets are also adorned with spring flowers (artificial ones are forbidden) and during the ceremony, each family lights a candle and places it in the basket.

Both English and Ukrainian are spoken during the blessing, which culminates as the priest blesses each basket and family with holy water.

From Good Friday through Easter morning, no meat or dairy products can be eaten. And the food that has been blessed cannot be eaten until after the Easter Liturgy.

The meal begins with sharing the hard-boiled eggs. “Kristos Voskress” (Christ is risen) is proclaimed.

“People are still keeping these customs, which are really unique and very beautiful,” said Father Bunik, a native of Ukraine.