It’s really about Spring
Today is Easter, the holiest day for Christians. And, we are about to do something Jesus got in trouble for: question authority. Have you ever sat and wondered why bunnies, eggs, marshmallow peeps, and ham are all hallmarks of Easter? What does any of that have to do with Jesus rising from the grave? Well, we can go one further. What does the word Easter have to do with Jesus? If you saw our post about Passover, you’ll know we aren’t buying any of it. Holi, Easter, Passover, and a host of other holidays have one thing in common: It’s really about Spring. In fact the word Easter itself derives from the ancient Anglo Saxon goddess of spring and Fertility: Eostre.
And, those colors: greens, yellows, and pink are all from her. So are the bunnies and eggs, since they are symbols of fertility. And the Bunny thing goes even further back and across religions. Rabbits have a reputation for procreating. They show up all over the place, literally and figuratively, in spring rituals and spring itself. Chances are, if you go outside in the next few days, you’ll come across at least one. So, the need to find religious significance in a time period continually co-opts symbols into its own milieu. It’s not Jesus, Radha, Krishna, or even Elijah. It’s really about Spring.
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Instead of Confusing etymology, know It’s really about Spring
Easter wasn’t always Easter. In fact, the Aramaic Term is Pascha. You may have heard the term Paschal in relation to the moon or the spring season. Dictionaries define it as relating to Easter or Passover. As mentioned above, the name Easter came into use later. But, even the namesake of Easter, the Goddess Eostre has a questionable pedigree. A scholar named Bede Wrote of her in the 7th and 8th centuries. But, many scholars since have derided his claims. Some contend the name was made up, despite there being ample evidence of Spring goddesses across ancient religions, and an etymology based in Germanic Names (Ostara, Asteron).
But, we’re not here for a linguistics lesson. Our point is that Easter, along with other spring celebrations, is simply a faction of organized religion based in suspect history. The intention is to rally the faithful to a cause, especially in the Judeo Christian traditions. While Passover celebrates The Jews Overcoming slavery and oppression, Easter celebrates Jesus overcoming death itself. While both are incredible feats, the spring symbolism is exactly that, symbolic. And, just like the origins of the word Easter, the facts in all these happenings are suspect.
Did Jesus really die on the Cross and rise from the dead?
Throughout history, most people take the gospel as “gospel” when it says Jesus died on the cross, and ascended into the heavens. But, many people question the accounting of the story. First, there are those who contend Jesus wasn’t even a real person. The whole thing was made up, based on a plethora of stories told in other religions. Thulis of Egypt (1700 BC), Krishna of India (1200 BC), and Hesus of Eros (834 BC) were all examples of stories of Men who were crucified and ascended into heaven (according to their followers). So, was the story of Jesus just a rehashing of other tales, told to a new Audience?
While the god becoming man, dying, and rising from the dead theme may be made up, chances are, Jesus was a real historical being. But, was he as divine as all have said? And, did he really die and rise from the dead? There are many accounts that don’t add up.And, lots of fodder for ancient alien theorists. We could even theorize that Jesus was abducted by alien spacecraft instead of ascending into the heavens. Remember, there were no flying craft in the days of Jesus. And, the Heavens could just be the sky. If he went into the sky, couldn’t that just be at the hands of aliens? And, couldn’t he be part or all alien himself?
What about the facts?
People claim Jesus was nailed to the cross and died. But, there was no coroner at the time. And, his body was taken by a rich guy, and put in one of his tombs. Yet, aside from the shroud of Turin, there are no known artifacts to prove the existence of Jesus, nor what happened to him. We do know that he was a radical. If he were around today, he would probably be arrested too. He spoke of peace and reconciliation. The powers that be don’t want to hear that. he threatened the political and social structure. Worse than that, though, he threatened the religious status quo. he got into what John Lewis called “Good trouble”. Unfortunately, it wasn’t good for him.
During his time, Israel had 2 ruling factions. On the local level, there was Jewish rule. But, they were under the regional control of the Roman empire. Jesus managed to question the authority of both. And, he had a growing following. So, it’s not like he or his people didn’t expect persecution. Any time you question an authority or a writing, you are subject to the wrath of those who follow doctrine or have unchecked power. They made an example of him to quash any rebellion against either the local or regional authority. And, he became a symbol of the rebellion. But, there are still theories and speculations that surround his death. In fact, some contend that he didn’t die at all.
Did He go on a walkabout?
As mentioned above, there are questions as to Jesus death and the aftermath. Could someone have switched places with him at the crucifixion? Did someone help fake his death? And, where did he go afterwards? Did he live a full life after escaping? There are theories that posits Jesus actually married Mary Magdalene, left Israel and ended up in France and/or England. There is even a theory that he ended up in India and lived to be 120 years old. People believe Jesus is entombed in the Kashmir-Roza Bal Shrine. There is a book, published in 1899, Masih Hindustan Main (Jesus in India), that details Jesus Journey from the Middle East to India, and claims his remains are there.
Other researchers, Like the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail: Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, Henry Lincoln demonstrate how the Knights Templar and later the Free Masons are keepers of the secret life of Jesus after the faked death. They did some intensive research, and found some very compelling evidence. If you are familiar with Dan Brown’s work (the davinci Code), you can thank these guys for the underpinnings of his theories. They put forth an argument that Jesus actually sired children and there are people alive today who are descendants of Jesus himself. Now, we can tie these theories to Eostre, and rites of fertility.
Conspiracy or not, It’s really about Spring
Whether you believe in Virgin births, crucifixion, and rising from the dead to cleanse man of sins; or, Jesus as a historical figure who lived an interesting life, the calendar doesn’t lie. Even if we use different calendars, the cycles of the moon, sun, stars, and planets lets us know it is springtime. So, you can deify a Jewish carpenter, decorate some eggs, eat a chocolate rabbit, and carve a ham (This one really makes no sense: Jesus was Jewish, so ham was forbidden). At the end of the day, it’s all about spring.
So, turn on the TV and watch Jesus Christ Superstar for Easter, the Ten Commandments for Passover, or the Message for Ramadan. Then, get ready to put on a meal that is really in tune with the times. It’s really about Spring. So, here we have a spring menu for you. And, remember the true wisdom about what Jesus, and countless philosophers have been chasing for centuries: the meaning of life. Michael Palin sums it up pretty succinctly in the Monty Python movie, “the Meaning of Life”:
“Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations”.
The last part about living in harmony with people of all creeds and nations is especially poignant today. So, we will start by breaking bread together in celebration of spring with these holiday worthy recipes:
Fettuccine with Spring morel Mushroom cream and grilled ramps
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Fettuccine pasta
- 8 Oz Morel Mushrooms (may substitute other types of mushrooms if unavailable.)
- 4 Oz Fresh Ramps
- 1 Cup Sliced Spring Onions
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
- 1 Cup Madeira Wine
- 1 Quart Heavy Cream
- 1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
- olive oil for cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- A Splash of Truffle Oil (optional)
Instructions
- Thoroughly clean the morels. They are only fresh for a few weeks in the summer, so take advantage while you can. They are very sandy and dirt gets in between the gills. So, you need to soak them. Remove from the water, and repeat 2 or 3 more times to get it all out. If you can't find morels, you may substitute other types of mushrooms. Try to get the most exotic ones available though.
- Once well cleaned, cut the morels into nice wedges or slices. Chop your garlic, slice your onions, and clean your ramps. gather everything else you need, and get ready to start cooking. Preheat your grille or a grille pan to high heat.
- After cleaning the ramps, remove the root part. Toss lightly with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grille over high heat until they have nice grille marks and are slightly limp, with a bit of crunch still. Try not to burn them. Set aside.
- Boil a pot of water and add salt. When it reaches a full boil, add in the pasta., stir to prevent sticking and clumping. Return the water to a boil, and keep an eye on it. It should take about 10 minutes to cook. Check the manufacturers package for cooking time.
- In a large saute pan or wide pot, heat olive oil over high heat. Add in the onions and garlic. Saute until translucent and aromatic. Then, add in the mushrooms, Saute until soft, stirring as needed. Add the Madeira. Cook it down until the liquid has reduced by about half. Then add the heavy cream. Reduce that by about 1/3 until it begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan Cheese and a touch of truffle oil if you want. Check the seasoning. Turn off the heat.
- By now, the pasta should be done. Strain and toss with the sauce. Bowl or plate the pasta and garnish with the grilled ramps. Buono Apetito!
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Lemon Verbena Chick Pea Puree with Spring Vegetable Hash
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Dried Chic Peas Or 4 cups cooked
- 1 Cup Diced Sweet Onion
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
- 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
- 1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Lemon verbena may substitute lemon balm or lemon Thyme
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Scallion
- For Hash:
- 1 Cup Cubed Sweet Potato
- 1 Cup Cubed Golden Potatoes
- 1 Bunch Asparagus
- 1 Cup Chopped Fresh Spring Onion
- 1 Cup Cubed Fresh parsnip
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Herbs (parsley, Dill, Thyme, Oregano)
- Water for cooking
- Olive Oil For Cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Balsamic reduction/syrup to drizzle
- High quality Olive oil, preferably flavored, like basil or chive for drizzling
- Micro Greens to garnish
Instructions
- Cover the beans in water in a large vessel. Allow them to soak for about 4 to 8 hours at room temperature. They should almost Triple in volume.
- Heat a little olive oil in a heavy pot over medium high heat. Saute onions and garlic until translucent. Drain and rinse the beans. Add to pot and toss until well coated with oil. Stir in the cumin. Add water to cover by double the volume of beans. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender (about 20 to 30 minutes). When tender, strain off liquid. But, reserve some of the liquid for pureeing.
- Put the beans into a food processor and puree until smooth. Scrape down the sides occasionally. Add some cooking liquid as needed to help it get smooth. Add in the lemon juice and continue blending. Add in the lemon verbena. Then, with the machine still running, drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer mix to a pan to keep warm.
- Make the hash: Heat some olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add in the potatoes and cook until they begin to caramelize and soften. Stir as needed. Then add in the Onions and parsnips and stir. Cook until slightly colored. Add a little water and cook down until the potatoes are tender, but not falling apart. Then, stir in the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. The asparagus should cook in seconds. Fold in the herbs last minute and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Spread the puree evenly on the plate and artfully present the hash. Drizzle the plate with a splash of Balsamic and flavored oil. garnish with micro greens.
Notes
Grand Marnier, Mango, and Mandarin Mimosas
Ingredients
- 1 Bottle Champagne, Prosecco, or other sparkling wine
- 4 ounces Grand Marnier
- 1 cup Juice from mandarin oranges
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup Mango juice
- Mango and mandarin orange for garnish
- Large grain sugar to rim the glasses
Instructions
- Slice Mango into lone pieces. Notch to hang on glass. Slice Madarin oranges, and notch as well.
- Make sure all ingredients are chilled. Mix all liquid ingredients in a pitcher. Stir, but not vigorously. You don't want to lose the bubbles.
- Get the edge of the glasses wet and dip into sugar to make a rim. Pour in the mimosas. garnish with mango and mandarin orange.