Easter

Easter is one of the most significant occasions in the Christian calendar; it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Easter marks the end of the 40-day Lent season when people engage in fasting and abstinence from other pleasures and desires. In the West, celebrations often include the decoration of hard boiled eggs that represent the stone being rolled away from Jesus' tomb. These Easter eggs are typically used for egg hunts for children.

Here in Nigeria, celebrations start from Good Friday when people generally abstain from eating red meat and instead eat fish and seafood. Other traditional foods are also eaten over the long holiday that spans from Good Friday to Easter Sunday through to Easter Monday. Also eaten on Good Friday, is a Brazilian inspired dish known as Frejon or Freyjohn. It is made from black beans, coconut milk, and spices (pepper, crayfish) and typically served with garri and fish stew. Frejon has a pudding-like texture and can be said to belong to that class of food deemed 'you either love it or hate it'.

Over the Easter weekend, most families have celebrations with family and friends that usually involve large meals of local and imported food like rice, chicken, fish, pounded yam, amala, spaghetti and other special recipes.