Krydor, Saskatchewan

Patricia Ciona of the Krydor, SK Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, blesses Easter baskets each year. She includes three types of meat in her basket: ham, pork, and sausage. Her basket is quite complex and varied. According to Patricia, in addition to meat, the basket should have vegetables such as horseradish, beets, garlic, celery, onions, and tomatoes. Patricia likes a condiment which consists of horseradish and beets mixed together and she puts that in her basket as well. Other important foods to include are butter, salt, and cottage cheese curd mixed with cream, onion, and possibly also dill. Of course there must be a shelled hardboiled egg which the family will divide and eat and a new pysanka which will be kept as a reminder of the holiday. The centre-pieces of the basket are a paska, a braided and decorated bread, and a babka, a tall semi-sweet bread baked in can and usually decorated with white icing and candies. People like to bless their basket on Easter Sunday morning but, in Krydor, this is not always possible because the priest must serve other parishes.  This means that the basket blessing can occur on Saturday evening as well Easter morning.