Sicilian Easter Bread

It seems that all families have some unique tradition tied to their roots they believe is traditional only to their nationality. Sicilian Easter Bread is one of those traditions which I thought was of that category. As I grew older I found it was not only a special tradition for many Italian families, but for a host of other nationalities as well. It seems all nationalities have their own version of Easter Bread. But, the one thing common to all of them, is that they all represent the same symbolic meaning. I offer two Sicilian versions, one yeast based and the other made without yeast.

As they say, traditions come and go but this is one that has been around for a long time and continues to be come tradition for many new families as ages pass.

The Easter egg symbolizes the resurrection of Christ and new life. It originated in ancient Persia through Jewish culture and was incorporated into Christianity. The egg is a part of the celebrations of the Vernal Equinox, the coming of Spring, a time for planting and new life. It has been a subject of wonder and veneration for just about all cultures. It appears in many religions as a critical symbol of new life, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Bread is also a symbol of life and health, it is only befitting that we pay homage to the Lord by remembering Jesus and His last supper with His disciples the night before His crucifixion. He passed the wine and bread to His disciples in celebration of the Holy Eucharist. He proclaimed it was His Body and Blood to be given up for them and for those to come so sins can be forgiven.

When you know the symbolic meaning of the Easter Bread tradition, you realize why it belongs to no individual ethnic group. It belongs to all who believe, the prefix Italian, Polish, Russian, etc. merely designates the variation in the recipe. The Easter bread has the same meaning for all.

Easter Bread is a combination of these two symbols, symbolizing the Resurrection of Christ and our new life which He has promised us by His crucifixion. Is it any wonder why this bread becomes traditional to more and more Christian families with each passing year?

There are several variations of this bread, some use yeast and others don’t. Some frost the bread and some don’t, etc. The recipes I’ve included here are one of each. The yeast recipe is a family recipe and the other I’m not sure where it came from, but has been in the family archives for a number of years. The advantage to not using yeast is you don’t have to wait for it to rise.