# Ham for Easter Dinner? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 16, 2001, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ham-for-easter-dinner/62198 "2001-04-16T20:57:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ham-for-easter-dinner/62198/1 "2001-04-16T20:57:10Z")
Does anyone know of a reason (religious) that ham would be a traditional easter dinner? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ham-for-easter-dinner/62198/2 "2001-04-16T21:10:40Z")
I know that around here anyway (southeastern U.S.), hogs are usually slaughtered in the fall. Easter might be around the right time for the first hams to be fully cured. (WAG quotient of this answer: 93.4%) ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ham-for-easter-dinner/62198/3 "2001-04-16T21:13:43Z")
I doubt there is one. The Disciples certainly weren’t eating any ham at Easter. I think lamb is more common outside America. My guess is that there has to be a Big Piece of Meat at any American holiday celebration and beef and turkey were already taken. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that the ham tradition had its start as a marketing ploy. The only religious connection I can think of at all is that Easter marks the end of Lenten fasting, so people would naturally include some kind of meat in the meal. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ham-for-easter-dinner/62198/4 "2001-04-16T21:16:49Z")
I did a quick search and a couple of sites suggested that the ham tradition goes back to early American settlers who cured ham over the winter and ate it in the spring. It would seem that ham is considered a Spring food, which would naturally lead to a connection with Easter. ---
**Author:** ![fredicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/779978/32.png) [@fredicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fredicus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ham-for-easter-dinner/62198/5 "2001-04-16T21:44:43Z")
My mum insists upon a boiled ham ( or bacon haunch ) with the turkey at christmas, do you guy’s also use pease pudding with your boiled meats ? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ham-for-easter-dinner/62198/6 "2001-04-16T22:13:19Z")
**fredicus,** I am hoping to god that the practice of boiling large pieces of meat is as dead in this country as I think it is. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ham-for-easter-dinner/62198/7 "2001-04-16T23:43:42Z")
What, you guys have never heard of The Passover Ham? :: ducks and covers :: ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ham-for-easter-dinner/62198/8 "2001-04-16T23:54:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rastahomie \* > What, you guys have never heard of The Passover Ham? I had, but I heard about it in a B.C. cartoon, so I discounted it completely. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ham-for-easter-dinner/62198/9 "2001-04-17T01:12:45Z")
this is what I though it was thanksgiving = turkey (everyone know this one) Christmas = goose Easter = lamb (I have heard of ham on occasion)