h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Everybody's singing Easter music - even if it's only 'Here Comes Peter Cottontail'. (Remember that one?) I'm not expecting the Zen Bunny to lay any coloured eggs in our backyard, though. The Zen Bunny is too cool for that.

We're going to a seder tonight over at the Baptist church. I know, it isn't until April this year, but tonight's when the Jews for Jesus preacher had time. I'm not hopeful about the music: personally, I'd be looking forward to singing 'Dayenu', but somehow I don't think it will happen. And the supper is likely to be treyf (not kosher) if I know my coreligionists. The lady said something about cheese in the potatoes to go with the baked chicken. (There's no way we're getting lamb.) Never mind treyf, though: I'll bet the matzoh is NOT gluten-free. Oy. Eat with caution, enjoy the haggadah.

Lots of h2g2ers are practicing with their choirs, and their music sounds wonderful. One of our choir's is 'Were You There?', in an old close-harmony arrangement from 1926. I like that song. Here's a much better version than we're going to manage (I suspect), only in Romanian.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrokDMQcwuw

Here are the Romanian lyrics:

http://cantece.wordpress.com/l/l-ai-vazut-cand-pe-cruce-atarna/

What Easter customs are you honouring/dishonouring/ignoring/warping out of recognition in your neck of the woods?

I'm not doing lent, haven't done in years.

I actually can't see the point in it other than to make people feel good about themselves because of a little chosen fake hardship rather than actually trying to make the world a better place all the time.

But maybe that's just my Catholic upbringing.

Yeah. Baptists don't do that - they just collect money for something, as usual.

I'm not doing anything I wouldn't ordinarily do. Too many other things to do. No special songs, nothing!

Sang the Poulenc 'Tenebrae' Lenten Motets this evening. Very sad - my God why have you forsaken me? Ye feckers, ye crucified meand let Barabbas go free!

That sounds sad.

We didn't get any singing - but only because the Reverend was running long...dinner was excellent, service was excellent, and sending Baptist kids to search for the afikomen was...just plain fun.

They also managed to get everybody to learn one brocha in Hebrew, so we're all pretty proud.

All the breweries are sending out special Easter brew (usually a lot stronger than your ordinary lager) and it is customary for families to gather for at least one luncheon. I'm having a few friends over on Easter Sunday and will serve a leg of lamb or two (slowly baked in a roaster with potatoes, onions, garlic, parsley, rosemary, white pepper and salt). There will be a jazz concert on Easter Saturday , but other than that there will be nothing out of the ordinary

Sounds nice.

I used to hide Easter eggs for the children when they were little. Nowadays, Easter is just a long stretch of days when the shops are closed (except on Saturday, when they are overrun), the roads are jammed with traffic, and the trains are overcrowded.

The Easter Holidays have started here already in Ireland. Because Patrick's day (which is a public holiday) is this Thursday, many of the schools are taking three weeks off starting today instead of the usual two weeks at Easter.

While none of my children are at school, this still affects me because the traffic is much lighter, there's room on the trams (Mrs G even got a seat this morning!) and everything is a bit more relaxed.

I must get around to buying a couple of Easter eggs.

Aha, crowded trains one place, empty another. A sure sign of seasonal migration.