Friday Face OFF -- Butter Lamb

For today's Friday Face OFF link party

of art featuring faces, hosted by Nicole of

DVArtist, Art, Food and Everyday Things --

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!