European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 27, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Food italian cake adds peaceful touch to Holiday festivities by Sharon Hudgins special to stripes Magazine when i was a child growing up in Texas easter meant several things to me a full dress religious Celebration which doubled the size of our Church s congregation a completely new outfit to Wear with Matching hat gloves and shoes after All this was the 1950s coloured eggs to Hunt and giant chocolate bunnies to devour and the Onset of the dreaded heat and humidity which would continue to make life miserable until the end of october. As i matured into an Overly serious College student easter came to represent a much needed break from school a time for me to catch up on required readings and Start writing term papers while my less dedicated classmates headed for padre Island to begin working on their tans. Without giving the subject any thought i assumed that easter was observed in much the same Way throughout the Christian world. It was t until i began living abroad that i discovered a variety of easter customs whose existence i d never dreamed of. One of my favourites was the easter egg tree so popular in Germany and some other parts of Northern Europe made putting Long branches of Pussy Willow or forsythia into a Large vase and hanging Francily decorated blown eggs and painted wooden ornaments from the branches. I now feel that easter would t be properly celebrated at my Home if there weren t an egg tree to brighten up the House and announce the coming of Spring. Since my first few years abroad were spent in countries where easter was an official Holiday i tended to take the occasion for granted. Only when i found myself in a moslem country one easter morning did i become aware that something was missing from the cultural Calendar by which i reckoned time. Easter did t elude me that year however. As a resident of Greece i soon Learned that the Eastern orthodox Church observes religious holidays on a different schedule from that of most Christian churches in the West. And it was my Good Fortune to be invited to celebrate orthodox easter with a greek family on Crete just a month after i had managed to miss my own easter by being in a non Christian country. That particular Holiday Complete with a traditional greek easter meal is one whose memories will always be special to me. Other easters have been special too including the strangest one of All when we were living in Spain. Stopping in a tiny Village at Sunset on Good Friday we encountered a torchlight procession of Cofra Dias religious fraternities and penitents penitents. All the members of the Cofra Dias were dressed in what looked to me like the hoods and Robes of the Kun flux klan. Later i Learned that the Cofra Dias costumes Are derived from those worn by the men who led prisoners to their execution during the Spanish inquisition and that indeed the Kkt garb ha6 the same source Many penitents stripped to the Waist were walking on their now bloodied Knees. Some carried heavy crosses others beat themselves with whips and chains. As the procession moved slowly and painfully through the dark narrow streets to the Italy s Dove shape to Omba originated in Lombardy but is known throughout the country today. Mournful music of off key bugles and muted Drums a primeval fear spread from the base of my spine to my neck then bristled throughout my while body. Had i been a cat my fur would have stood on end my claws ready to strike at any moving Shadow. Nowhere else have i seen a religious ritual that left such a Strong imprint on my memory or on my psyche. Now that my husband and i have relinquished our Gypsy ways at least temporarily and settled Down to a somewhat More stable life i have come to associate easter with Italy. Because we live just North of the bavarian Alps my husband has developed an uncontrollable nordic urge to head South at the first hint of Spring. Which Means that every easter for the past few years we be joined the fair haired Palid skinned Lemming driven hordes encased in their Volvo Mercedess and bows who annually invade Italy in search of a few rays of a life renewing Sun. I m not really complaining. Those two week vacations in Italy each Spring have Given me the Opportunity to discover a wealth of new easter customs. And in a country As Large diverse and religious As Italy it s not surprising to find that the easter season is associated with an almost overwhelming variety of special Holiday foods. In addition to the traditional Abbas Ohio milk fed Spring Lamb and capretto whole suckling kid which Are eaten throughout Italy on easter sunday each Region City town or Village has its own particular soup or tart or vegetable dish that is made especially for this important Holiday. But it s in the realm of sweets and breads that the italians really outdo themselves at eastertide. In the Abruzzi Region tradition Calls for a pizza Dipasqua a raised Bun containing eggs and lard to be made on easter saturday. After being sprinkled with stripes Magazine March 27,1986