Easter: "Do it yourself" blessing of the meal
The tradition of food blessing and its transformation
The blessing of the food (also known in Austria simply as the "consecration of the meat") is a tradition at Easter in Austria, where the food of the Easter brunch is blessed by the priest on Holy Saturday. Everyone agrees that the Easter brunch is simply the best thing Easter has to offer. Resurrection or not, it wouldn't be the same without Easter brunch and let's be honest: it's *really* all about that - no meal of the year is as good as this one. Even if this custom has only peripheral connections with the Catholic Church, the sprinkling of holy water is needed so that we can say "somehow the meal tastes better when it is blessed".
But what if we no longer follow the Christian Catholic religion, have renounced it or have never confessed this faith? We would not be able to enjoy this festive meal, in fact, strictly speaking, we would not be allowed to do so (which, as non-Catholics, we do not do either).
But there is a way that is compatible with our non-belief: we simply bless the food ourselves, with the tools we have!
So what is the blessing?
From a church point of view, it means to put a signature of faith on what is blessed. Seen in non-church terms, it is a stamp of our attention, energy and unconditional love. We can say that we make the Blessed One more luminous, "raise the vibration", stamp it with attributes that make it more receptive and nurturing to us. At this point I think it depends on what you believe - or know - that constitutes the blessing you can and want to give.
How can I bless?
Very simply, however you think it goes - there are no dogmas outside of religion that we don't impose on ourselves! The principle is that energy follows awareness. What you put your focus on can manifest - as the creator of our reality, this is a basic principle. If you paint a picture without knowing what you want to paint, a different picture will emerge than if you put all your attention on it, that simple.
Yes, but concretely?
We did it like this:
- We build an altar. An altar has the function of anchoring the light of creation, it connects heaven with earth, so to speak. Mother Earth meets Father Sky.
We use the "medicine wheel" as an altar shape. That means we place different stones, crystals, elements in the four directions - east, south, west and north. We leave the centre open. But you can use whatever has meaning for you for your altar. Be it a stone, crystal, photos, other objects ... - The important thing is that you do this in full awareness of what you are placing where and why. There are no hard and fast rules here, no one else has to understand what you are creating except yourself.
The altar is there to enhance the blessing. You can actually bless without an altar. But with, it is more beautiful and powerful! - We place the meal - or parts of it - on the altar.
Depending on how the altar is built, you can place your meal. We have placed this in the centre of the medicine wheel, which otherwise remains empty - here, we know, is the emptiness from which creation originates, the centre of being and of the self. But now, in this case, the meal is brought in - as the centre of our attention. - We bless the meal with words that appreciate our food, just as we appreciate the water we drink, tell our loved ones how much we like them, express our gratitude and clearly intend that the food is good for us and that we tolerate it well. We thank the animals and plants for their gift and are aware that someone has given their life so that we can nourish ourselves with it - even if it is the salad lying in front of us, or the egg. We become aware of the cycle of birth and death and we honour everyone and ourselves. You can also say that this is a prayer - a clear expression of what wants to be manifested!
And then we have wonderfully blessed food to look forward to!
Ok, and why actually at Easter? Is it any different?
This method can be used EVERY TIME. In fact, it would be good to do it all the time.
But what makes Easter so different is the time in the cycle of the year: at this time the seeds begin to germinate, the flowers start to bloom, the trees get leaves again - everything goes into its sap, the forces increase and that noticeably and clearly. The days are noticeably longer, it gets warm again. That is resurrection!
This has also become deeply anchored in our subconscious, unconsciously we feel it and become more active. In the course of time, this cycle has become a holiday dedicated to this dynamic - independent of the Catholic Church, which has merely adopted it. Many people's attention is focused on this archetype of resurrection during these days - and that makes Easter a portal where the forces are stronger than usual during the year.
And that's why the Easter brunch tastes so delicious!

