Passover and Easter are not only time for reflection but usually a day for a family feast. Food will undoubtedly still be part of family tradition, although the feasts will be smaller this time around.
“It’s definitely different. No doubt about it,” said Zach Shuman.
Schuman runs the Union Kitchen, a West Hartford restaurant adapting to current rules. Shuman says normally on Easter they can have up to 300 customers. Adjusting to the conditions this year they are offering to-go packages and the response has been good.
“This year we have a lot more response to Passover dinners than I thought it would be,” said Shuman.
With Passover beginning Wednesday and Easter on Sunday, this is usually a busy week in the food industry. While to-go orders are coming in restaurants know, social distancing will alter many family’s holy week traditions.
“They’re not getting together with their extended families. With the grandkids. It’s just the husband and wife or whoever lives in the house,” said Louise Albin.
Albin has owned West Hartford’s Café’ Louise for 27 years. The events she had planned to cater this spring have all been canceled. But Holy Week offers an opportunity to provide some sense of normalcy, although not the holiday feasts she’s used to serving.
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“Usually, Passover I might be doing noodle kugel for 15 people now we’re offering it in portions of two,” she says.
Still, Café’ Louise is busy prepping. Albin says she’s gotten many individual orders just for fewer people.
“Still it’s individual small orders however it’s ballooning in small quantities,” she said with a smile.
Typically, religious holidays are ones where families like to gather in large groups. However, Albin says her orders indicate people are practicing social distancing. The largest single order she has received is for seven people.
