Easter 2023: Mumbaikars share their fondest memories and traditions of celebrations

Pauline’s Easter chocolate boxes

The joy of sharing

Pauline Fernandes, teacher at Lilies of St Joseph School, parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Malad
Receiving sugar craft Easter eggs and the joy of breaking them for the toy inside has been a fond memory from my childhood. And I wanted to share it with my children. So when they were young, I would take real eggs, snip and wash them, decorate, paint and fill them with toys. To keep it a surprise for my kids, I would do this while they were away at school or sleeping. The best part was watching them excitedly crush the eggs to get the toys and Gems inside, because that's what kids do.

Pauline's chocolate bunnies and mini eggs

Now that they are older, they want to share that same joy with their friends of all faiths. So I make chocolate eggs and bunnies for them all, including for my neighbours. I love preparing and gifting these Easter treats to everyone. At times, I've made 150 to 200 chocolate goodies, not for sale but purely for the joy of sharing. It also brings the family together when you sit down to wrap the treats and make Easter
chocolate boxes for our friends and family.

Khotachiwadi lends context to Dr Andre Baptista's Easter memories. File pic

A meal that keeps tradition alive

Dr Andre Baptista, archaeologist, historian and cultural heritage consultant, Khotachiwadi
I remember my grandmother and mother would always try to reinforce that Easter is much more an auspicious occasion than Christmas, which we as children were more excited about. We would participate in church festivities all week, from Palm Sunday. Now, as an adult, I feel the occasion has undergone a lot of chiselling down. But there remains that sense of obligation to keep the Easter lunch alive. Lunch still has to be a meal that we share together; it has to be laid on the table with good cutlery. Through this, a faint semblance of the traditions is captured. This natural progression of the idea of Easter is interesting. What is important to me about the occasion is family; the nucleus of any festival that does not let the memories die.

Easter Sunday at the Baptista House in Khotachiwadi in 1990 featuring baby André, Alison, and Tanya

A week to experience

Annabelle Ferro, theatre director, Bandra
Easter is special for me for the week-long preparations that lead up to the actual Sunday. It's The Holy Week, and the multiple church visits throughout those seven days add to the spirit of Easter. On Maundy Thursday, the parish priest washes the feet of 12 chosen parishioners. It's something that Jesus did for his disciples in humility. I always attend the service on that day to witness the symbolic feet-washing. I remember, this one time, the parish priest chose 12 parishioners from the Alcoholics Anonymous. That gesture touched me as I felt a conscious effort was being made to include them into society. Maybe one day, there will be no gender bias and women will be chosen for this humble practice. I cherish the memories of buying hot cross buns and other delectables after the service. Churches such as the St Paul's Church and St Andrew's Church have life-size statues of the apostles, laden with fruits and buns.

Good Friday is the day of complete abstinence. As children, we used to fast on this day, and my mother would give us congee and dry salted fish. Although we fast for one meal now, the tradition is lost in my family and I miss the old days. On Easter Sunday, we come together to make our family roast chicken that is prepared by my husband and twin girls.

A neighbourhood affair

Jarvis Fernandes, marketing professional, Mazgaon
The period of Lent is important to our culture. During this phase, we focus on giving up certain habits. Members of my family give up meat for a whole period; some give up alcohol or cigarettes, or both. The Sunday before Easter is called Palm Sunday. On that day, we go for mass and receive these long palm leaves. We mould those palms into crosses. That marks the beginning of Easter week. Bakeries across the city - irrespective of their religion - stock up on goodies, bunnies, bonnets and marzipan chickens. I like how the neighbourhood becomes a melting pot of cultures. Houses are decorated with Diwali lamps and fairy lights.

Good Friday is the day of utmost repentance for us. Earlier, all kinds of Easter food were prepared by my mother. But now that she doesn't keep as well, my brother us with preparations.

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