My name is Johanna Ziegler and I moved to Brockville from Germany in 2010. It has been a great journey and one of the things I love most about Canada is how other cultures and customs are welcomed here.
As a newcomer, family traditions keep me and my family connected to home. Growing up in Germany, Easter was always one of my favorite holidays. Each year we decorated our house with Easter eggs, we made ourselves. Our traditional Easter breakfast, “Osterbrot” was always a highlight and something not to be missed. My mum always baked the delicious bread and, as I got older, I began helping her. From this I developed a love of baking, not only for Easter but year-round, and now include my family in preparing the “Osterbrot”, a tradition I have continued since arriving in Canada.
Today, we share Easter brunch with our friends and the number of guests at the table increases every year. The Easter bread is always made fresh and I even hand-deliver portions to friends who cannot join us at the table. After 9 years’ living in Canada, each year my friends still ask if I will be serving Easter breakfast this year. I always do, only now, I have two daughters of my own who help me bake the Easter breads. I truly love doing this together, as it is my hope they will pass along this tradition to their own families one day.
Carrying on this tradition from my home country to Brockville is something I really enjoy because it brings a part of my culture to my new hometown and keeps me connected to the things that formed me as a child.
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