From spiral-cut to baked, ham is often the centerpiece of Easter brunch or dinner tables.
But have you ever wondered why we eat ham on Easter Sunday?
Prime rib at Christmas.
Credit: Jacob Fox
(And, oh yes, all the candy at Halloween.)
Holiday food pairings make each separate celebration specialand something special to look forward to each year.
Come spring, our holiday dinner is all about the Easter ham.
Why Do We Eat Ham on Easter?
For many, lamb was the main protein at Easter and Passover tables.
Still,serving hamwas always a popular choice, for seasonal reasons.
Pigs were typically butchered in the fall and needed to stay safe-to-eat through harsh, cold winters.
To preserve pigs over the winter, our ancestors would smoke and cure them.
Ham became popular much later, perhaps as late as the final quarter of the 19th century.
On the one hand, it is a simple case of logistics.
One of the most important logistics here is economics.
According to a report from theU.S.
Selecting ham over lamb also became a religious statement, Hopwood adds.
The words company and companion stem from the meaning breaking bread together, she says.
