Happy Table- How to Set Your Sunday Lunch Before Easter with Your Loved Ones
Sunday lunch is a cherished ritual, a time to slow down and share a hearty, home-cooked meal with loved ones. Happy Table team looks into how to set your Sunday Lunch before Easter, a healthy excuse for more togetherness.
As the days stretch a little longer and the air carries the first whispers of warmth, Sunday lunch becomes a celebration of renewal. Easter is just around the corner and with it comes the urge to embrace lighter, fresher flavours while still enjoying the comfort of a delicious meal with loved ones.
The table is dressed simply but don’t be afraid to scatter a few early daffodils or fruits and olive branches in a clean glass jar. Windows are open just a touch to let in the fresh air and the conversation flows as easily as the afternoon light.
We are moving closer to the Summer Solstice, the Sunday lunch before Easter is a reminder of the shifting seasons, a time for togetherness and a way to welcome the new cycle with good food and good company.
There is something sacred about the unhurried pace of a Sunday lunch, especially as winter loosens its grip and the world leans toward warmth and light.
It is not just about the food you cook with love but anchoring traditions around the table, the happy table ritual, the gathering and the slow unfolding of the afternoon.
Setting the Happy Table Vibe
The kitchen hums with life. Why not let this lunch be the rehearsal for Easter? Slow roast of lamb fills the house with the scent of rosemary and garlic, mingling with the fresh, slightly grassy perfume of just-snapped asparagus. The bread, still warm from the oven, sits on a wooden board, ready to be torn apart. Outside, the garden is beginning to stir, buds unfurling, birds singing the promise of green.
The table is laid with quiet elegance. A linen cloth, soft and slightly rumpled, carries the feeling of something both natural and lived-in.
Small sprigs of rosemary rest atop each plate, releasing their fragrance with the brush of a hand. There is no urgency, only the pleasure of preparing, of sharing, of being together.
To set a happy table vibe, warmth, ease and shared joy must be in the air. If you don’t have time to find little gifts or to write a little note for each guest, here are a few things to gently avoid, to keep the mood light and easy:
- Politics & heavy news – even well-meaning debates can turn tense
- Money troubles – leave budgets and bills for another time
- Family drama – the table isn’t the place to rehash old tensions
- Diets & body talk – focus on the pleasure of food, not restrictions
- Overly personal questions – let people share what they want, when they want
Instead, let in stories, laughter, fond memories and plans for things to look forward to. Think: food, nature, travel, books, music, dreams. Let the meal nourish the soul as much as your palete.
A Meal That Unfolds Gently
Laughter comes easily over bowls of pea and mint soup, its bright green color mirroring the rebirth outside. There is no rush. Make sure there are seconds available those who love the contrast of its silken texture against the crunch of warm, buttered bread.
The main course arrives like a herald of the season. The lamb, resting on a wooden board, is carved into thick, tender slices, its juices pooling in the warm grooves of the wood. The potatoes, golden and crisped at the edges, are lifted onto plates with a squeeze of lemon.
Vegetables, still retaining a whisper of their natural bite, are passed around—each bite a reminder that the world is coming back to life.
For those who have chosen the leek and wild mushroom tart, the layers of flaky pastry and creamy filling offer a richness that is both grounding and light. It is food meant to be savored, without the heaviness of winter’s stews or the urgency of summer’s quick salads.
Sweet Sunday Lunch
Ah, rhubarb! This wonderfully tart, blushing stalk that signals spring has truly arrived. Remember to sprinkle raw rhubarb with a little sugar and let it sit for 10–15 minutes to draw out some moisture and reduce sharpness before baking or roasting.
Serve the rhubarb and almond cake in thick slices, as the fruit’s tartness softened by the warmth of almond and the cool silkiness of crème fraîche. Make sure it is not overly sweet, just enough to leave a lingering note of comfort, a taste of something that lingers as the meal winds down.
Coffee and tea arrive in mismatched cups, steam curling lazily upward. Some lean back in their chairs, stretching toward the lengthening afternoon light, while others wander outside, drawn by the crispness of early spring air.
There is no rush to leave the table. Conversations ebb and flow, stories are exchanged, and hands rest against cooling teacups. It is a time to simply be—to take in the quiet joy of food shared, the presence of loved ones, the promise of a new season unfolding just beyond the window.
As the day fades, there is the feeling of something fulfilled, a balance restored. A meal well made, a Sunday well spent, a season beginning. And as the last plates are gathered, as candles flicker low, there is the simple, comforting truth that spring is here, and with it, the promise of many more Sunday- afternoons- around- a Happy Table to come.
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