When GJ, (George Julius Adam Gyomber), was a little boy he remembers how his mother started to get her colors prepared weeks before Easter. She took the onion peels off the onions as they were used and set them aside. A day before the coloring of eggs she boiled the onion peelings until the liquid was a nice brown color.

Spinach made for a nice green color. Red beet water was for red color. The children helped to color the eggs. Each got an egg to scratch figures on. The butter had to be shaped into a lamb, crouching on a dish. Mother made a large milk and egg pudding. She poured it into a bag, shaped round, and cooked it. "Paska", (Raisin bread) had to be baked in a large round pan. Ham was cooked. Kolbasi, (sausage) was cooked. Al,l or a little of each article was put into a basket along with salt, a root of horseradish and cooked red beets. A fancy doily was put over the basket and it was carried to the church. Parishoners lined up with their baskets in the church aisles. The priest blessed each basket of food. After Mass on Easter morning everyone partook of this blessed food.

GJ had a small basket that he put his candy eggs in. The priest did not bless his basket. So he went to the parish house, and told Rev. Ramer that he forgot to bless his basket. The priest took water and sprinkled it on the basket. Then he took his smoking pipe and waved it back and forth. Rev. Ramer said, "Now it's all done, you can go home, Bimbo (Burmila)."

Easter Monday:

On that day the young men and boys go from house to house where there are girls in the family. They take a glass of water and pour it on the girl. Sometimes the girl runs away but the men chase her and duck her under a pump. In some villages in Slovakia, if there is a creek nearby, they throw the girls into the creek. Easter Tuesday was ladies day. Ladies ducked the men. It had been a custom here in America for many years.

The new generation has abandoned the ducking custom. Now the children visit their friends and relatives where they get a colored egg, a candy egg and a few pennies.

Blessing of the Easter food was a custom in every Slovak parish we lived in. In Evansville, PA, they had this blessing on every Easter Saturday.

Here in the Hyde Park church we belong to the priest will go to the house of any parishoner who asks him to come. The Easter food is spread out on the table. The priest then blesses the house and the food.