Why do we eat ham on easter when jews hated pork?
First of all, Jews don’t “hate” pork. Jews who keep kosher do not eat pork, as do some Christian sects, because it says in Leviticus that it is an unclean meat. This goes back, historically, to sanitation issues before the time of running water, indoor plumbing and refridgeration. It is debated why the tradition started, but some say it was a Pagan ritual (as the name “Easter” has pagan roots and the whay we calculate the date of the holiday each year). Others say it is tied to an ancient custom pre-dating Christianity. http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/origin-of-easter-ham-faq.htm As with turkey at Thanksgiving, ham’s popularity at Easter is now as prevalent as it is thanks to marketing.
