Easter comes home with love, laughter & treats
Beyond the chocolate eggs and festive decorations, Easter is about coming together, sharing joy, and celebrating new beginnings. In Kolkata, the community embraces this spirit with open hearts and time-honoured traditions.
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Calcutta Times had the pleasure of joining three families as they prepare for and celebrate Easter. We also witnessed firsthand the warmth, laughter, and delicious food that make this time so special.
Easter is like a celebration of new life: Alisha
Easter fun: Easter day is about going to the church in the morning and making time for loved ones for Alisha. 'My mother and I try to have lunch together, despite the rush at our bakery and evenings are purely for friends,' she says.
Traditions: Pointing at the colourful marzipan eggs on the table, Alisha explains, 'It is my great grand mum's recipe and is a traditional Goan variant. It has been passed through four generations and each generation has added their quirk to it. Every year we look forward to drying & colouring and putting the eggs together. All of the Holy week I go to church every day.'
Easter is a celebration of renewal, filled with the essence of togetherness: Natalie
Easter fun: Gathering with loved ones for paagal pani – a pool party, is a must for Natalie.
'When my kids were younger, I'd always do an egg hunt for them,' says Natalie
Traditions: Having dinner with friends after the Saturday mass, and a Sunday lunch with family is an Easter ritual to Natalie. Yellow rice-kofta curry, along with other delicacies are a must on the table. 'I still get Easter eggs from my sister,' she says.
Easter is a celebration of renewal, filled with the essence of togetherness: Johanne
Easter fun: Gathering with loved ones for paagal pani – a pool party, is a must for Natalie.
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'When my kids were younger, I'd always do an egg hunt for them,' says Natalie
Traditions: Having dinner with friends after the Saturday mass, and a Sunday lunch with family is an Easter ritual to Natalie. Yellow rice-kofta curry, along with other delicacies are a must on the table. 'I still get Easter eggs from my sister,' she says.
Easter is the celebration of new life. All of it is wrapped up in the fun of egg hunts and the precious time spent with the love of family and friends
– Natalie Pote
Easter symbolises new life.
It is about starting on a fresh slate. More than anything, it reminds us that our sins are to be forgiven
–Alisha Alexander
It's my first Easter after getting married. I'll always cherish memories of my brothers and I waiting eagerly for the Easter spread my mom would lay out
– Johanne Mantosh
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