Easter Table: Traditions and Recipes

Edaku — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0300

Easter is one of the biggest holidays of the year in the Orthodox calendar, and the table set for it matters almost as much as the midnight service itself. After weeks of Lenten fasting, the meal becomes a genuine celebration: dishes that haven’t been on the table in nearly two months suddenly reappear, arranged according to customs that go back centuries.

Three centerpiece foods

Kulich, a sweet cheese dish called paskha, and dyed eggs are the three staples that anchor an Orthodox Easter table. Kulich is a tall, cylindrical sweet bread, similar in spirit to Italian panettone, meant to echo the blessed bread shared at church. It’s baked tall, topped with white icing, and often finished with sprinkles. Paskha is made from strained curd cheese, butter, and dried fruit, pressed into a truncated pyramid shape using a special wooden or plastic mold — the flat top is meant to recall the tomb of Christ. Dyed eggs are the oldest of the three symbols, tied to the legend of Mary Magdalene presenting the emperor with a red egg and the words “Christ is risen.”

Easter Table on Edaku

Easter Table: Traditions and Recipes

Three centerpiece foods