Make Enough to Share
After the introspection of Lent and the solemnity of Good Friday, we welcome Easter with joyful hearts! People all over the world are celebrating this weekend, including the people of Bessières, France, who are in the midst of carrying out a very special Easter tradition: the giant omelette.
A massive omelette has been cooked in Bessières every year since 1973 (yes, it’s their 50th anniversary!). The tradition has its origins in Napoleon’s time: the legend says he enjoyed an omelette at an inn nearby; enjoyed it so much, in fact, that he came back the next day and demanded the innkeeper make one big enough for his whole army.
The giant omelette requires 15,000 eggs and about a dozen volunteer cooks, who are members of an organization known as the World Brotherhood of the Knights of the Giant Omelette of Bessières. A three-day celebration has taken shape around the omelette, including a blessing of the eggs and the bread that will be served alongside them, egg hunts, parades, and culminating in the free distribution of the omelette to thousands of locals and visitors. If you’d like to read more about the festival and see some incredible pictures of the Knights at work, check out their website (you’ll see a prompt to translate the page from French when you open it) or read the firsthand account published by National Geographic.
The Bessières festival captures the essence of Easter in so many ways: eggs as a symbol of springtime and new life, the joy of the resurrection after the sadness of Good Friday, and even the words of Jesus when he said, “whenever you break the bread like this and share it, I will be there.”
So how can your family participate? Well, given the price of eggs these days, making a 15,000-egg omelette is probably not a prudent financial decision. Likewise, traveling to France (or one of the satellite festivals that happen around the world) in time to share the giant omelette is unlikely, at least this year. But you could expand your dinner table like the people of Bessières have, simply by making enough food to share! Perhaps there’s a neighbor you have been meaning to get to know, or a friend you’ve lost touch with, or a family member you haven’t spent much time with lately. Cook, or bake, more than your family plans to eat today, and bring the extra to them. If you’re not sure what to make, you can always try this recipe for Easter bread with colorful eggs! It might travel better than an omelette.
If you can’t think of anyone to share your cooking with, or if cooking is not for you, consider donating some non-perishables to the Vista del Camino Food Bank, one of the organizations supported by Desert Mission’s missions team. There’s a bin at the church and donations are always appreciated!
Share your food, your joy, and your blessings this Easter Sunday. And if you’d like to share any pictures of those things with us, you can do so on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
