Easter 2023: Mumbaikars share fondest memories and traditions of celebrations

The joy of sharingPauline Fernandes teacher at Lilies of St Joseph School parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Church MaladReceiving 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 thatrsquos what kids doPaulinersquos chocolate bunnies and mini eggsNow 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 Irsquove 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 Easterchocolate boxes for our friends and familyKhotachiwadi lends context to Dr Andre Baptistarsquos Easter memories File picA meal that keeps tradition aliveDr Andre Baptista archaeologist historian and cultural heritage consultant KhotachiwadiI 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 dieEaster Sunday at the Baptista House in Khotachiwadi in 1990 featuring baby Andreacute Alison and TanyaA week to experienceAnnabelle Ferro theatre director BandraEaster is special for me for the weeklong preparations that lead up to the actual Sunday Itrsquos 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 Itrsquos something that Jesus did for his disciples in humility I always attend the service on that day to witness the symbolic feetwashing 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 Paulrsquos Church and St Andrewrsquos Church have lifesize statues of the apostles laden with fruits and bunsGood 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 girlsA neighbourhood affairJarvis Fernandes marketing professional MazgaonThe 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 mdash irrespective of their religion mdash 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 lightsGood Friday is the day of utmost repentance for us Earlier all kinds of Easter food were prepared by my mother But now that she doesnrsquot keep as well my brother us with preparationsWatch video Kids Friendly Easy Easter Dessert Recipe Birds Nest Cookies Cookies