For today's Friday Face OFF link party
of art featuring faces, hosted by Nicole of
Last weekend I went to a workshop
held at the Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts
and learned how to make a Butter Lamb!
A Butter Lamb is a traditional Slavic Easter decoration.
Made by hand or by using a mold, it is taken to church
to be blessed, nestled in an Easter basket
of other special foods and treats.
Then on Easter, the Butter Lamb becomes the
centrepiece of the festive table and is eaten with
celebratory foods like Paska bread and ham.
The Butter Lamb represents Jesus as the sacrificial
Lamb of God resurrected at Easter, and brings
good fortune and abundance to the household.
So here's my Butter Lamb --
I made it by hand using half a pound of butter, a sharp knife,
and a garlic press to create the "wool." It has two cloves
for eyes and a peppercorn for the nose.
And here's me leaving the workshop with my Lamb --
The Christian holiday of Easter is still
three weeks away but today, March 20th,
marks special holidays in two other
spiritual traditions --
Today is the Spring Equinox, so I wish
Ostara blessings to all my pagan readers!
Welcome Spring!
And today is Eid which marks the end of Ramadan,
so I wish Eid blessings to all my Muslim readers!
Enjoy your feast!
44 comments:
Debra had a little lamb…and it’s the most precious tiny fragile thing! I hope it remains until your own Easter feast. Happy Equinox and Eid…great photos!
I’m always fascinated by these artful lambs. Yours is adorable. And always nice to see your beautiful face!
Awww! I was thinking of a solid block, and here's this curly lamb, very nice.
Ohhh I’ve seen lambs made of literal cake. Huntley used to give me one at the beginning of spring.
Yay for Spring!
XOXO
...Butter Lambs are popular among Buffalo's Polish community. Easter week we will travel to Buffalo's Broadway Market for a butter lamb and a Polish Ham. It's always fun!
That is the cutest butter lamb Debra too good to eat!-Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
Hello Debra, You and your lamb look so sweet--like butter would not melt in your mouths.
--Jim
That butter lamb is quite cool. I bet it will make a lot of conversation during Easter dinner.
Your Lamb of God turned out precious! I'd never heard of that Easter tradition, but I love it. Ostara blessings to the pagans and Eid blessings to all Muslims!
Happy spring and Eid Mubarak!
That's a beautiful lamb. Wow.
Looking good! You and your lamb.
Your lamb is the sweetest thing. Happy Spring equinox to you. Jayne
Your lamb is lovely! Are you planning an event to showcase it, or will you be (eventually) eating it all yourself.?
That is really cute, Debra. I used to have a lamb butter mold that I used when the kids were little--although I never took it to church to have it blessed...lol. And.that reminds me that I used to have a lamb cake pan, too....sigh...who knows where those things went...not me....
Debra had a little lamb
It's fleece was yellow butter
And everywhere that Debra went
They said, "There goes a nutter"....
Sorry-You know I can't help myself....
@ Kathy G -- Let's just say that, at the moment, the lamb's fate is "undetermined."
@ NanaDiana -- That's the NICEST poem anyone has ever written for me! Thank you!
Your butter lamb is adorable, and Happy Vernal Equinox!!
bobbie
Your butter lamb is the cutest thing I've seen all day, Debra! And I love your Amsterdam bag :)
Happy Spring! Your butter lamb turned out great!
what a creative butter lamb and Happy Spring to you ~ hugs ^_^
That poem is as cute as your butter lamb is! 🐑🧈
Hello and happy spring! This is beyond cool! Oh, that had to be so much fun to do that. And it looks wonderful. (Will anyone dare break into it?) I would just LOVE this project! There must be online instructions somewhere! And thanks so much for coming over today. Japan is indeed a fascinating place. I'm glad you enjoyed the post!
So cute. I have never heard of this tradition. Happy spring to you Debra.
Hello Debra and Kathy, This comment exchange reminded me of another lamb-based edibility dilemma. A while ago British blogger Jenny Woolf introduced us to the work of clever automaton maker Tim Hunkin, who apparently has a museum or arcade of his inventions in England. Here is the apropos demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OGzD8PiO7k
--Jim
@ Parnassus (Jim) -- That is the perfect video link for my Butter Lamb's precarious position in this world of woe. Thanks for sending it!
Happy Spring! Your butter lamb is adorable. I have never heard of this tradition, so please excuse my ignorance. Is the lamb made completely of butter or just the "wool"? Half a pund of butter doesn't sound that much of an entire lamb. So if not completely butter, what is inside? And if you keep it for a while, I guess you have to store it in the fridge? Sorry for the many questions.
Wow, this is beautiful!!! Maybe it brings peace to Ukraine, too...
And here I thought of butter chicken!!! LMAO!
Your butter lamb is perfect! I confess at first glance I thought it was a popcorn lamb... buttered popcorn, I guess! Love the clove eyes and peppercorn nose.
Happy Spring! Blessed Ostara! Wishing Peace for Eid.
@ Carola Bartz -- Yes, the lamb is completely butter! The body, head, face and ears are solid pieces of butter stuck together. The wool comes from pieces of butter put through a garlic press, scraped off and stuck to the outside of the lamb to make it look rounder and woolly. And yes, right now the Butter Lamb is living in my refrigerator, staying nice and cold!
@ Jackie McGuinness -- Hahahahaha, I didn't think of that! Actually, I don't like to eat lamb, not even in a curry. I prefer goat.
@ Carola Bartz -- I forgot to confirm that, yes, you can make a Butter Lamb with only two quarter-pound sticks of butter. If you used a whole pound of butter for a lamb, it would be friggin HUGE, lol.
Un adorable agneau en beurre, trop précieux pour être mangé. Notre population ukrainienne est un atout pour la Canada. Nos voisins sont ukrainiens et préparent toujours un festin sumptueux pour Pâques. C’est tellement agréable de vous voir célébrer les cultures des autres. :)
Monsieur Dupuis 🇨🇦
I am completely unaware of this tradition. But, your Butter Lamb is adorable. I could never make this but what fun to try. I also would never want to eat this it's too adorable. Maybe with no face....
Yes, I have issues. :-)
I don't know if I could take the time to create a beautiful lamb out of butter and then take a knife to it!
@ Anonymous (Monsieur Dupuis) -- Merci! Oui, je suis un "ukrainian wannabe!"
Your butter lamb is perfect. Love the photo of you posing with it.
OMGosh Debra this is outstanding. I am so taken with this. I love seeing your beautiful face. Thank you for sharing with FFO and have the best weekend.
What a cute butter lamb. I never heard of this traditon before so thanks for sharing. Happy Spring
People ask what do rabbits and eggs have to do with Easter.
Key symbols and themes of Ostara include:
Eggs – representing fertility, new life, and the potential of creation.
Rabbits and hares – symbols of fertility and abundance.
It's so cute, I'd hate to eat it. Maybe melt it and pour it over some popcorn for movie night?
Oh my. What an adorable little butter lamb.
We are at our autumnal equinox. Our days are getting shorter
@ angela -- Mabon Blessings to you and your family!
That is very cute.
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