wide-ranging traditions. Whitewashing grave tops, decorating churches with Spring flowers and madonna lilies, flying kites on Good Friday, and attending sunrise services on Easter Sunday are all part of the festival which marks the resurrection of Christ and the rebirth of Nature.

From the kitchen, universal Easter "musts'' are hot cross buns and codfish cakes on Good Friday, while Easter Sunday (for those not brunching) is usually a family gathering which includes a modified re-run of some Christmas "specials'' -- turkey and cassava pie.

The Portuguese community place a cross on top of their traditional Sweet Bread, in which whole, unshelled eggs are embedded before baking, to symbolise the renewal of life and hope.

Whether you are celebrating your first or your 50th Bermuda Easter, the following recipes will give you an authentic taste of the local scene. HOT CROSS BUNS (Version One) 1 cup milk 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed 2 tsp. salt 1 cup shortening 1 tsp. sugar 1 cup lukewarm water 2 pkg. yeast 1 egg, beaten 1 egg, separated 1 tbsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. ginger 5 to 51 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup raisins SCALD milk and pour into large bowl. Add brown sugar, salt and shortening.

Stir until shortening melts. Cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar in lukewarm water.

Over this, sprinkle yeast. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir briskly with fork. Add to milk mixture. Add beaten egg and egg yolk. Add spices. Beat in 21 cups flour. Then beat in raisins. Gradually beat in the remaining flour.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 8 to 10 minutes. Shape into a smooth ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled -- approximately 11 hours.

Punch down and shape into 18 to 20 buns. Place on greased baking sheets. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Beat egg white with 1 tablespoon water and brush over top of buns. Slash top of bun to form a cross. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until done. (Traditional Bermuda Recipes pub. Sunshine League) .

HOT CROSS BUNS (Version Two) 1 cup milk, scalded 1 cup butter 1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup lukewarm water 1 pkg. active dry yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 1 egg, beaten 3 cup currants 31 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon allspice PLACE scalded milk in large bowl; stir in sugar, butter, salt. Cool to lukewarm. Place lukewarm water in small bowl; stir in teaspoon sugar. Sprinkle with yeast. Let stand 10 minutes.

Stir yeast; add to milk mixture. Blend in beaten egg and currants. Sift flour and spices; add milk mixture, beating well. Add extra flour if necessary to make a stiff dough. Place in large, well-buttered bowl, and brush with melted butter. Cover with wax paper and towel. Set in a warm place (about 82 degrees F.), free from draughts, to let rise until double in bulk -- about 1 1 hours.

Punch down. Knead slightly on lightly floured board. Pinch off small pieces to form smooth, round buns about two inches in size. Place these on buttered baking pan, about two inches apart. (A jelly roll pan is about right for this). Cover and let rise until again doubled in bulk -- about one hour.

Brush tops with slightly beaten egg white and bake at 400 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on cake rack. (What's Cooking in Bermuda by Betsy Ross) .

Make a cross of icing (see recipe below) on each top, either by piping with a cake decorator or by using the tip of a spoon.

Icing 1 egg white 11 cups icing sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla TO beaten egg add sugar gradually, beating with electric beater if possible.

Add vanilla. (What's Cooking in Bermuda by Betsy Ross) .

CODFISH CAKES 1 lb. cooked codfish, flaked 3 cups mashed potato 1 egg 1 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. seasoning salt 1 tsop. thyme leaves 2 tbsp. chopped parsley 1 small onion, chopped or grated cooking oil flour BEAT egg in a bowl. Add flaked codfish and mashed potato. Mix well. Add salt, pepper, thyme, onion and parsley. Mix well. Form mixture into patties. Dust with flour and fry until golden brown. (The Bermuda Cook Book by Cecille Snaith-Simmons .

PORTUGUESE SWEET BREAD 5 lbs. flour 11 tablespoons salt 10 eggs (room temperature) 2 lbs. sugar 3 cups milk (approximately) 1 lb. butter (part shortening) 3 packages dry yeast or 2 ozs. compressed yeast 2 tablespoons lemon juice HEAT milk. Melt butter in a small amount of the milk. Put another small amount of the milk in a small bowl, add a little of the sugar, and the yeast. Set aside for yeast to start its action and thicken.

Place sugar in a large basin, add salt and eggs. Beat thoroughly with two hands, making a rotary motion. Add all the flour, mixing with hands. Make a well in the centre and pour in some of the warm milk. Use your hands to mix and knead. Keep folding over the dough from the outside edges toward the centre. (You may find this kneading easier to do if the basin is at chair height rather than table height). Punch down hard with your fists, over and over again.

Continue punching and kneading in the warm milk, melted butter, lemon juice, and lastly the dissolved yeast. (At this point dough should be a smooth mass.

If still crumbly, add extra warm milk.) This process should take a good half hour.

Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough, cover basin with wax paper and a blanket. Leave the dough to rise till double its bulk, which will take anywhere from 4 to 9 hours, depending on the temperature.

When the dough is light and double its bulk, punch down and fold the edges towards the centre. Shape into about 6 loaf portions and place each in a greased loaf pan. (Dough should be only half-way up the pan.) Cover and let rise again until double its bulk. This again depends on temperature and could take up to 12 hours, but more likely 9 hours.

Before putting the loaves in the oven, brush the tops with 2 beaten eggs in order to make them shiny when baked. Bake at 300 degrees F. for 45 minutes.

Remove bread from pans as soon as taken from oven.

SPECIAL FOR EASTER: Line a pie plate with bread dough and place two strips over it in the form of a cross. In each of the four spaces between the strips place an uncooked egg, shell and all.

Bake at 250 degrees F. for 1 hours. While the bread is baking the egg will, of course, be baking too. The bread is served cut into wedges; the eggs are shelled and eaten with it. (Mary Mello in What's Cooking in Bermuda by Betsy Ross) .

CASSAVA PIE 8 lbs. cassava 3 lb. butter 1 cup flour 2 tbsp. salt 1 tsp. nutmeg 8 eggs 3 cups sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tbsp. cinnamon 1 cup sherry wine 2 lbs. pork CREAM butter and sugar, add beaten eggs. Add cassava and mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to first mixture, add sherry and mix well. Boil chicken and pork until tender. Line a deep pan with mixture; add meat which has been boiled and seasoned with salt, pepper, and thyme. Add 1 cup of stock; cover with cassava mixture and bake for 4 hours in slow oven.

(Traditional Bermuda Recipes pub. Sunshine League).