A Triple Threat.

[Thipu1]

Okay, we're coming up on Easter and Passover.  There is also April Fool's Day in the offing.  What do you do for the spring holidays?

[violinp]

I've been chanting the Lenten services, and I will be in the choir for the Triduum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil), as well as Easter Sunday. We always sing the Hallelujah chorus on Easter Sunday, and it is glorious. 

After church, we'll go over to the grandparents' house and have a dinner of lamb, broccoli mashed potatoes, carrots, and some other good foods.

I don't celebrate April Fool's, mostly because it was used to torment me as a child.

[lowspark]

Passover is my favorite holiday because it encourages me to be creative in the kitchen. I try to model my Seder after my dad's when we were growing up. He encouraged questions and discussion, including silliness and joking around. Even as kids we drank our share of wine and had a great time. Not to mention the mountains of food. Yeah. I love Passover.

April Fool's I just don't really get into that much because I'm not creative enough to think of clever pranks. A loooong time ago when I was a teenager and had my own phone (back in the olden days, we had land lines and I was lucky enough to have my own so I wouldn't have to share with my parents) my sister played a joke on me by taping down the switchhook (the little plastic buttons that press down when you hang up the receiver). She had intended to call me herself and but someone else beat her to it. I went to answer my phone, picked up the receiver, and repeated "hello" as the phone kept ringing! Took me a couple of seconds to realize the problem. It was pretty funny!

[camlan]

Easter involves the Easter Vigil service late Saturday evening (it has to start after sundown). Then sleeping in on Sunday morning, followed by going out to a really nice Easter Sunday brunch.

The family usually gathers at someone's home and everyone cooks something, for the big holidays. But many years ago, a sister-in-law declared that she'd like one holiday a year where no one had to do anything but show up--no cooking, no cleaning, nothing. Easter was the next big occasion and we started the tradition of Easter Sunday brunch.

It's wonderful. Everyone gets to eat exactly what they want. No one fusses. No one is tired from getting the house ready or cooking. Everyone has a great time. The place we go to has the Easter bunny come around and hand out eggs to the kids, which mostly they like, although one nephew was terrified the first year.

April Fool's Day is the birthday of one of my siblings. We all spend time figuring out how to wrap his presents so he can't tell what they are, and similar ways of fooling him. Then there's cake.

[siamesecat2965]

Nothing for any of them.  Usually.  I used to spend Easter with my parents but then they moved so its not easy to go for a weekend.  Usually on Easter I'll just make myself a nice dinner and realx.  This year I was invited to a friend's from work, and there will be 3 of us.  she's making paella and sangria.  I can't wait! 

[jmarvellous]

We have four family birthdays the last week of March and first week of April, and my blended family used to do religious and secular celebrations of Jewish and Christian holidays, so this has always been a busy time of year.

This year, the only holiday I'm intent on celebrating is my own birthday, possibly with a trip to a local landmark for a hike. Though I'll probably buy matzohs and horseradish and make charoset for Passover, and boil some eggs for Easter.

I'll wish my brother a happy April Fool's/birthday, too, of course!

[QueenofAllThings]

Passover - not our thing.
April Fool's Day - my nephew's birthday. Can't believe he'll be 17! I'm not fond of practical jokes - someone always gets upset - so we pretty much ignore it.

Easter is a bit of a delicate dance - the King's first wife's parents always expect us to entertain them, which we did when the children were little and egg dying and hunts were part of the day. But they're mostly grown now, and we will be travelling to our summer place for the weekend - yay! - to see my sister and her family. Our oldest son probably won't come - too far/too expensive to travel. My sister and I will whip up a lovely feast 

[Daffydilly]

I'd love to get home before Easter. My anniversary is on April 5th and I've already missed out on Christmas and my daughters first birthday. Deployements are a necessary evil, but I'll always regret missing out with my family.

If I were home...
I'd take my husband to Texas Roadhouse for our anniversary.
We'd go to the sunrise Pascha service at church for Easter.
I'd hide a dozen easter eggs for my daughter in the back yard and help her find them.
And I'd make cupcakes with lots of frosting and let my baby girl go to town on one.
And we'd make baked potatoes and a roast for Easter dinner.

I'd wake up Easter morning and drink in the sight of my sleeping husband and daughter. And be so grateful that I'm able to be with them.

[MrTango]

I'm wondering if we're going to have some issues with rowdy celebrations surrounding a sports championship that happens to be taking place the evening of the Easter Vigil (Saturday night, April 7). The last two times my college won this tournament (2002 and 2003, both of which while I was attending the University), there were riots on and nearby campus.

Our service on 4/7 will be starting around 8:30pm, right about the time the championship game will likely be ending.

That could get interesting. 

[Shopaholic]

We only celebrate Passover - this year it's with my side of the family, so decidedly less stress.
I plan on turning my kitchen into a macaron factory (don't know when though), and looking forward to some time off work, I'm exhausted!

[Moray]

My family is a mix of atheists, agnostics, Pagans, Jews and non-denominational Christians, so this time of year is a lot of fun!!

I've got my own things I do for the equinox, but as a family, we're all gathering at my parents' house to dye eggs on Saturday night, some of which we will use in the Passover Seder that evening. The rest we'll eat for breakfast on Easter Sunday and then I'll start cooking dinner, which will include ham, funeral potatoes, green beans with almonds and lots of Martinelli's sparkling apple cider. We're not terribly hung up on any individual traditions, but this is one of the few times a year when my entire family is 1. together and 2. getting along.

[Minmom3]

What are funeral potatoes?

Asks the life-long atheist who LOVES Easter dinner of leg of lamb, etc...

[Moray]

What are funeral potatoes?

Asks the life-long atheist who LOVES Easter dinner of leg of lamb, etc...

They're a Utah casserole thing. Everyone has their own variation. Mine involves par-boiling 9 whole, skin-on, russet potatoes until almost fork tender, cooling them in ice water until they can be comfortably held (10min?) and then grating them on ye olde box grater. Then, grate about 2.5 or 3 cups cheddar and set aside. Heat 2 small cans condensed cream of mushroom soup (don't add milk or water) until it's almost boiling and slowly stir in all but about half a cup of the cheese until everything is fully blended. Remove from heat, stir in about 6oz. sour cream. Mix w/grated potatoes. Shovel into glass casserole, top with remaining cheese. Bake at about 350 for 20-35 minutes or until bubbly. Nom.

Some people mix in onions or add cornflakes on top.

[MrTango]

What are funeral potatoes?

Asks the life-long atheist who LOVES Easter dinner of leg of lamb, etc...

They're a Utah casserole thing. Everyone has their own variation. Mine involves par-boiling 9 whole, skin-on, russet potatoes until almost fork tender, cooling them in ice water until they can be comfortably held (10min?) and then grating them on ye olde box grater. Then, grate about 2.5 or 3 cups cheddar and set aside. Heat 2 small cans condensed cream of mushroom soup (don't add milk or water) until it's almost boiling and slowly stir in all but about half a cup of the cheese until everything is fully blended. Remove from heat, stir in about 6oz. sour cream. Mix w/grated potatoes. Shovel into glass casserole, top with remaining cheese. Bake at about 350 for 20-35 minutes or until bubbly. Nom.

Some people mix in onions or add cornflakes on top.

Cheesy Potatoes!  My family (from Wisconsin) makes a variation on this.

[KimChi]

We don't really do anything for Easter or Passover. DD will get an Easter basket, really just an excuse to buy a cash-strapped college kid a few frivolous things. And I really dislike April Fool's Day. My immediate family knows better than to prank me.