Easter food blessing

[Ontheway]

I have a couple of questions about this tradition that maybe someone here can answer. I have heard that this is an old tradition, but how far back does it go and where did it originate?
My second question is about the prayers that used during the ceremony. Is there a standard set of prayers?
Finally, when is the actual food blessed? Is it on Holy Saturday?

Thank you for any information you can provide.

 

[Zabdi_Premjit]

I have a couple of questions about this tradition that maybe someone here can answer. I have heard that this is an old tradition, but how far back does it go and where did it originate?
My second question is about the prayers that used during the ceremony. Is there a standard set of prayers?
Finally, when is the actual food blessed? Is it on Holy Saturday?

Thank you for any information you can provide.

In Slavic traditions, both Byzantine and Latin rite, the blessing of baskets of food is traditional on Pascha. In the Byzantine rite, set prayers exist for the blessing. At my parish, the baskets are blessed after the Paschal Liturgy. I believe I have heard that some parishes bless baskets on Holy Saturday though.

 

[pianistclare]

In Slavic traditions, both Byzantine and Latin rite, the blessing of baskets of food is traditional on Pascha. In the Byzantine rite, set prayers exist for the blessing. At my parish, the baskets are blessed after the Paschal Liturgy. I believe I have heard that some parishes bless baskets on Holy Saturday though.

We have one Slavic family that brings their basket on Holy Saturday morning.
She brings special cookies for everyone that have sacred images embossed on them for all present.

 

[Vico]

I have a couple of questions about this tradition that maybe someone here can answer. I have heard that this is an old tradition, but how far back does it go and where did it originate?
My second question is about the prayers that used during the ceremony. Is there a standard set of prayers?
Finally, when is the actual food blessed? Is it on Holy Saturday?

Thank you for any information you can provide.

I read from Fr. Marian Pisarzak, MIC, that the food blessing dates to the seventh century. It is called Święconka in Polish.

 

[Ontheway]

I read from Fr. Marian Pisarzak, MIC, that the food blessing dates to the seventh century. It is called Święconka in Polish.

The article I found online has some good information. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to the book.

 

[tawny]

We have the Blessing of the Food on Holy Saturday morning after the Liturgy of the Hours Morning Prayer. Parishioners usually bring some of the food to be eaten at the Easter Sunday meal to be blessed.

 

[babochka]

Here are two prayers. Translations may vary.

Polish (Latin-rite) Blessing

Christ, The Living Bread,
you came down from heaven and
gave the gift of the Eucharist to the world.
Bless our bread + that recalls both the manna
with which the Father fed the Israelites
as they wandered in the desert,
and the bread with which you miraculously fed
those who followed you in the wilderness.

Lamb of God,
you who conquered death
and redeemed us from our sins,
bless + the meats, sausages, and all the foods
that we eat in memory of the Paschal Lamb,
who shared the Passover meal
with His Apostles at the last Supper.

Bless the salt + and,
as salt keeps food from spoiling,
protect us from the corruption of sin.

Christ, our life and our hope,
bless + the eggs,
a symbol of new life,
that we will share with
family, friends and guests
and thus, share with them
the joy of your presence among us.
Invite us to your eternal feast,
the heavenly banquet,
where You live and reign forever and ever.

Slavic Byzantine Blessing

Blessed is our God: Amen.

Paschal Troparion

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death, and upon those in the tomb bestowing life. (Thrice.)

If the Paschal food is blessed before Easter midnight services, i.e., on Holy Saturday, the following Troparion shall be sung instead:

Tone 2

When You condescended to death, O Life immortal, You slew Hades by the lightning of Your divinity; but when You also raised the dead from the nethermost abodes, all the heavenly powers cried: O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory to You.

i. Flesh-meat

Let us pray to the Lord.Lord have mercy.

O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, look down upon this meat, and sanctify it, as You sanctified the ram which the faithful Abraham brought to You, and as the lamb which Able offered to You as a whole-offering; likewise, also, the fatted calf which You commanded to be slain for Your prodigal son when he returned to You, that, as he was counted worthy to delight in Your good things, so may we also delight in those things that are sanctified and blessed by You for the nourishment of us all. For You are the true Nourishment, and the Giver of good things, and to You we send up glory, together with Your Father Who is without beginning, and Your Most-holy, Good, and Life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

ii. Cheese and eggs and other foods

O Master, Lord our God, Author and Creator of all things: Bless the cheese and the eggs, and preserve us in Your goodness, that, as we partake of them, we may be filled with Your gifts, ungrudgingly bestowed, and with Your ineffable goodness. For Yours is the might, and Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

 

[Ontheway]

Spasibo babochka,

The Byzantine prayer that you quote is identical, with minor alterations, to the one I found in a volume of the Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and Basil the Great, published in London in 1894. This is a parallel text edition, giving the original Greek and English. I can’t tell if the prayers are attributed to either Chrysostom of Basil.