Welcome to Food for Thought, the place to explore, celebrate, and manifest a life motivated

and defined by unconditional compassion and optimal wellness.

My name is Colleen Patrick-Gadro and I'm your host.

I'm the author of several books on living healthfully and compassionately and you can learn

more about who I am and what I do by visiting my website joyfulvegan.com.

Today's topic is the symbols of Easter and Passover honoring tradition as well as our values.

I've talked about honoring tradition and honoring our values at the same time when I've talked

about other holidays and certainly it applies to Easter and Passover these spring holidays

that are upon us and one of the biggest misconceptions about veganism that I encounter

is the assumption that as we honor our values we have to forego tradition as if these two

things are mutually exclusive.

Food-related rituals, particularly those involving animals, are likely to be so revered

that they supersede consideration for anything or anyone else.

Now I have an entire chapter in the 30-day vegan challenge in which I discuss this and

include recipes and menu ideas for a holiday more in keeping with the holidays we celebrate

including Easter and Passover.

Now Easter as you know is a Christian holiday that marks the end of Lent.

Lent is a 40-day period of fasting, penance and prayer and then Easter of course at the

end of that 40-day period celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Now I grew up Catholic and I'll be honest I loved this time of year.

There was a profound mix of sorrow and joy because of course he's crucified on Good Friday

and then he resurrects on Sunday on Easter so the sorrow and joy, this darkness and light,

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