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FAQs

What is a typical Easter dinner menu? ›

I've been to quite a few Easter lunches/dinners of different families. Ham has been the centerpiece of each of these, with typical side dishes of veggies, pasta and potato salads, casseroles etc. Dessert is typically pie, cake, and/or other pastries. This year there was ham and prime rib.

Lamb is a popular main dish on Easter in the U.S. and throughout Europe, such as the roast lamb common in the U.K. and Greece, or the French gigot d'agneau pascal, a rich, slow-cooked lamb stew often served with spring vegetables.

An Easter ham is a classic, and we've got 5+ solid recipes for you to try (including one in made easy on a sheet pan). If you're looking to branch out, check out our recipes for other meaty holiday showstoppers, like braised lamb shank, pork loin roast, and beef wellington.

Roast lamb or roast ham is the traditional meat for the main meal on Easter Sunday. Read on for more on what to serve with your traditional Easter roast. Hot cross buns, which are spiced tea cakes, are traditionally served on Good Friday.

Here in the United States, one of the most traditional Easter foods is a big glazed ham. In fact, Ree Drummond says, "In Oklahoma, ham is everything on Easter!" The popularity of eating ham started in part because pigs were butchered in the fall, cured over the winter, and ready to eat come springtime!

Roast lamb: Lamb is a traditional Easter dish in many cultures, symbolizing spring and renewal. A roast leg of lamb seasoned with herbs and garlic is a classic choice. Honey-glazed ham: Honey-glazed ham is another traditional Easter dish that is popular in many households.

According to the Catholic religion, fasting and abstinence from red meat consumption are a form of sacrifice, however, this practice is not entirely closed since the faithful can choose how they approach this tradition.

Local experts believe that Jesus ate simple meals of bread and locally caught fish. Aside from simple meals of bread and locally caught fish, local experts believe that Jesus also ate olives. Local experts believe that Jesus drank wine with his meals.

Lenten fasting requires strict abstinence from meat. According to the USCCB, you shouldn't eat meat from chickens, cows, sheep, ham, pigs, or birds. It's also common practice to avoid alcohol, sweets and desserts, and fast foods made from chicken and beef.

Lamb is eaten in many countries, mirroring the Jewish Passover meal. Eating lamb at Easter has a religious meaning. The Paschal Lamb of the New Testament is in fact, for Christianity, the son of God Jesus Christ. The Paschal Lamb, in particular, represents the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of humanity.

What do Christians eat at Easter? ›

After the many weeks of Lent, Easter, which marks the resurrection of Christ, is usually celebrated with a big family meal. It often includes eggs, hot cross buns, and lamb or ham. Eggs symbolize rebirth and rejuvenation.

If you prefer to skip ham and lamb on Easter, a juicy pork loin roast is a nice alternative when you need a main to feed a crowd.

Abstaining from meat on Good Friday is a tradition steeped in history serving as a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice and a call for personal reflection. Christians don't just observe the Friday fast at Easter, throughout Lent it is observed.

A summary of current practice: On Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent: Everyone of age 14 and up must abstain from consuming meat. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday: Everyone of age 18 to 59 must fast, unless exempt due to usually a medical reason.

On Good Friday, it's tradition to eat fish rather than meat. According to Christians, Jesus sacrificed his flesh on what is now known as Good Friday. This is why traditionally, people abstain from meaty flesh on Good Friday. Fish is viewed as a different kind of flesh, and so is favoured over meat on Good Friday.

Martie Duncan: According to some of my food history resources, before there was refrigeration, ham was always cured and available year-round; it was likely all that was left in the larder before spring thaw and spring harvest. It is said to have typically been put up in the fall so it was ready to eat by Easter.