Caitrin, is paska that gooey cream cheese stuff like the russians make? Waaaaaaay too sweet for MY tastebuds, but I know it's a very old tradition.

I love traditions. I love parades and carol singing and trick-or-treating (although now it's just my two youngest that still do that) and all manner of traditions that are comfortable and familiar and fun.

One of my favorite traditions occurs in our church service. At one point the deacon cries out, "The doors! The doors!" and then he goes on with the rest of the service. It's unconnected to anything else in the service. We have explanations for what it used to mean but I'm not entirely certain they weren't just made up to describe something whose meaning had been forgotten. But it's tradition, so there's no way we would toss it out of the service! It's so existential, like a breath of fresh air on a muggy day. Helps you to remember that there are roots and rocks beneath your feet that are older than you are.

alex