Easter “Mones” in Catalonia

Easter rituals include children hunting the chocolate trail of the Easter Bunny and in Catalunya, godparents giving godchildren their traditional “Mona de Pasqua”.

Beginners in Catalan would be right in thinking that this festive treat can literally be translated as “Easter Monkey”; however, the word “mona” actually exists in both Latin and Arabic, where it means gift or present. Dating back to the 15th century, this culinary delight originally took the form of a “tortell de brioix” (round brioche cake) and was inspired by the days of fasting preceding Easter Sunday.

The traditional shape of these cakes was large and circular, similar to that of a sizeable doughnut and it would often contain hardboiled eggs around edge. Nowadays hardboiled eggs have been replace with chocolate ones and a “Mona de Pasqua” can come in all manner of shapes and sizes.

Movie stars, footballers, cartoon characters and your very own personalised mona are now all readily available upon request. Although the baking of a cake has gradually been replaced by a chocolate sculpture, there are still aspects of this annual indulgence that have not changed.

It has always been the custom for a godparent to give a Mona de Pasqua to their godchild on Easter Sunday and this remains the same today. “La mona de Pasqua is a spiritual tradition unique to Catalunya. Each egg represents a year of life but they also embody the idea of birth, which is why they are given on Easter Sunday, the day Christ rose from the dead.”

Easter Monday in Catalunya is therefore commonly referred to as “el dia de la Mona” and in the past represented the day when families would go together to healthily eat and drink. Nowadays, the incredible designs and wonderfully edible sculptures make mones too good to eat. Easter and feasting just seem to go hand in hand, so whether you’re having a traditional circular cake or a modern, life-size chocolate figure of Messi: happy eating and happy Easter.

Easter decoration

The class from teacher Mietje 1.6
Maybe a nice idea to do in your school.






The class from teacher Mietje 1.6
Maybe a nice idea to do in your school.

Showing TILY how to bake an Easter Striezel

Hey kids, we want to show you how to bake an Easter Cake!

But Tily, this time you have to be carful not to disappear in the dough!


OK, this time I will be very cautious, I promise!














To prepare the dough you need

• milk
• butter
  
• flour
• yeast
• eggs
• salt

You mix the ingredients and let the dough rest for some minutes!



Then you split the dough into four parts.

















Now you cou can start to braid the cake.





We can show that in a video!!!




Bake it at 180° for 40 minutes!


Tily and Steini are very proud!

Eier pecken - Pecking Easter Eggs

Now Steini, it is time to show Tily some of our traditions!

Ok, Thomas and Rene, choose an Easter Egg!

Now: both use the spiky side of the egg and try to destroy the other egg!


Now check your eggs! The one, who´s egg is destroyed, has to give it to the winner!!!

Rene has lost!!! And now its my turn - I´m sure that I will win!

EASTER TRADTITIONS IN AUSTRIA

"Hey Karli, can you help me, I want to climb the tree!“

„What do you want to do up there?“

„I want to get colored Easter Eggs from there!“

„Hää, what? Easter Eggs up in a tree??? Are you joking???

Steini told me, that the Easter Rabbit has his nest high up in the trees.

There he lays the colored Easter Eggs fort he children. He gives them to the boys and girls!“

Poor Tily, Steini played a joke on you!

But there are some old traditions around Easter here in Austria, like

• „ Eier pecken“ Pecking Eggs"
  

• Decorating an Easter Bunch

• Baking an Easter Cake

• Searching an Easter Nest
• Ratschen
• .......
  

We will show you some of these traditions the next days!!

Decorating Easter eggs

The class from Claudia are decorating Easter eggs.

Easter

The children from teacher Sabine are buzy preparing for Easter.
They are making their Easter baskets.
When the Easter bunny comes he will fill their basket with chocolade eggs.
Nice work!