Interstitiality

Pork the other Biblical Meat?

So as I was eating our traditional Easter ham with homemade scalloped potates and mac cheese, I was struck with the irony of our traditions, our holiday hybridity. Pork on a Christian feast day that corresponds most closely with the Jewish Passover.

I have heard the usual about why tradtionally Americans eat ham for Easter. The practical reason--hogs were slaughtered in the fall, which meant that cured ham was ready about six to seven months later, just in time for Easter. The religious reason--that ham, along with easter eggs were originally part of pagan rituals. The "Christian freedom" reason--that ham is eaten as a sign that we are not Jewish. All a bunch of hogwash if you ask me. I appreciate all the over-layers of meaning, but, in the end, ham and all the fixins smells to me of home and tradition. These things I cherish as I remember the risen Christ.

(Me and Michelle and the Sunday brunch with Wes"

Posted by Frank Yamada at March 28, 2005 09:36 PM