Bake Tsoureki for Orthodox Easter

For those of the Orthodox faith, Easter is April 28 in 2008. The difference in the dates from when Catholics and most Christians celebrate the holiday lies in the Orthodox Church using the Julian calendar, whereas the Catholic Church switched to the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century.

The Greek Easter celebration is marked by a huge feast for family and friends to break the 40-day fast (when the faithful eat only vegetables, fruit, and nuts) that precedes the holiday. One of the traditional dishes is tsoureki, pronounced soo-REH-kee, a sweet bread made just at Easter time. If you’d like to try your hand at baking tsoureki, Nancy at About.com’s Greek Food Web site has an excellent recipe. Or, seek out your town’s Greek bakery and order a loaf or two.

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