April 17, 2022 - In addition to the obvious religious aspects of the time around Easter, this Spring the Croatian community in the Boston area decided to reenergize around the preparations for this holy time, including the traditional art of decorating Easter eggs with wax and candle flame.

The Croatian School of Boston, a not-for-profit organization focused on educating adults and children about the Croatian language and culture, has one more time organized the “Pisanice Workshop” for children and adults. Biserka Ralić, Lidija Ortloff, Irena Matulić, and Irena Rašin have been, as usual, the driving forces behind the school and the Pisanice Workshop. 

The art of making pisanice with wax and candle flame was led again by Lidija Ortloff, who has been passing it to the younger generations for several years. Lidija Ortlof, originally from Zagreb, Croatia, and Olya Baryski, originally from the Lviv area in Ukraine, have been friends in the Boston area for many years. They have both been directly involved in teaching younger generations (in schools or universities). Unfortunately, due to the situation in Ukraine, Olya is, from a distance in Boston, so busy helping many friends and families who are moving into her hometown of Lviv, that she could not make the workshop this year. However, to honor Olya and her family and people specifically in Lviv, the Croatian community has collected donations to send directly to Olyia’s friends and family in Ukraine, with sincere wishes for a resolution. 

Source: Croatian Premium Wine Imports, Inc.

“Koliko Kapi, Toliko Krvi” - It is Good For You to Drink Wine 

It is believed that if one drinks red wine on Good Friday, it will go directly to strengthen the blood and heal the body.  Thus, wine is found in abundance on the celebratory Easter table. At least in Dalmatia, where the red wine is traditionally diluted with water (bevanda), this custom is turned around on Easter. The red wine from Dalmatia, such as Plavac Mali, Zinfandel/Tribidrag, or Plavina and Babić, are enjoyed in their pure form. And, so are Teran or Borgonja in Istria. 

So, after the religious festivities, the only dilemma is how to choose which Croatian wine for your Easter dishes. I will leave that up to you. Happy Easter and peace on Earth! 

About the Author: Mirena Bagur, Mag.Oecc., is the founder of the Boston-based Croatian Premium Wine Imports, Inc., www.croatianpremiumwine.com, an online store with 70+ indigenous Croatian wines shipped to most US states. As a long-time resident of Massachusetts, where she is the president of New England Friends of Croatia, a not-for-profit organization focused on creating awareness about Croatian culture in the US, Mirena promotes the wines of Croatia in collaboration with the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Croatian National Tourist Board and the Republic of Croatia’s Embassy and Consulates. 

By: Mirena Bagur, founder, Croatian Premium Wine Imports, Inc. 

For more, check out our lifestyle section.