Bread

• According to the Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Manchester, New Hampshire, the word pascha also denotes the traditional Easter bread found in every Orthodox Easter basket. It is of a yeast variety and is somewhat sweet. The bread is symbolic of Christ. It is very rich because it contains eggs and butter. The loaf is usually round and golden-crusted. Most bakers top the loaf of bread with dough shaped in a religious symbol such as a lamb, cross, crown, or letters indicating the phrase, "Christ is Risen."
  
  

Cheese

• A ball of mild cheese made from custard is the traditional Orthodox Easter basket cheese. It is called hrutka or sirets. Its mildness connotes Christian moderation. Cream cheese is sometimes also included in a small bowl. The cream cheese is decorated with religious symbols as well, using peppercorns or cloves pressed into it.
  
  

Meat

• Several types of meats are considered traditional for the Orthodox Easter basket. Among them is ham, or shoonka, because it is very rich and denotes abundance. It is also included because Christ freed the Christians from the old Biblical laws prohibiting eating unclean foods. Since ham was the most unclean, including it in the Pascha is symbolic of redemption.
  
  A sausage called Kohlbassi is also considered traditional. It is a spicy sausage with lots of garlic, pork, veal and beef. In addition, uncooked, spice-cured bacon, or slanina, is included to symbolize God's abundance.
  
  Other meats that may also be found in Pascha on Orthodox Easter are roasted beef or veal. Generally they are foods that can be fixed in advance.
  
  

Butter

• Butter, or maslo, that has been molded into a cross or lamb shape, is also a staple of the Pascha. It can be decorated just like the cream cheese, with peppercorns or cloves arranged in religious patterns. Butter reminds the faithful of the goodness of God and that the faithful should follow Christ's example.
  
  

Salt

• Salt, or sol, is necessary for life, and remains an important item in the Orthodox Easter basket. It reminds the Christian of her duty to other people to flavor the world with Christianity.
  
  

Eggs

• Pysanky, or eggs, are also a traditional Orthodox Easter food. The eggs are boiled, allowed to cool, and richly decorated using dyes and wax to create symbolic designs. One of the traditional ways to dye the eggs is to boil them with onion skins, giving them a red-brown color. Eggs denote the new life given by Christ's resurrection from the dead.
  
  

Horseradish

• Beets are grated and mixed with horseradish, or hrin, to symbolize Christ's bloodshed. The dish is sweetened with sugar to denote the resurrection.