This story originally appeared in Magnolia & Moonshine.

The holiest of holidays on the Christian calendar, a movable feast, brings joy into houses of worship and homes to celebrate the miracle of a savior’s promise of eternal life. No matter where in the world it is recognized, Easter’s meaning and traditions resonate differently among a devoted flock.

Each year, the season of rebirth and renewal is twice celebrated at the Mountain Brook home of Dr. Dennis and Kellie Pappas. Dennis, an ENT whose father is Greek and his mother Irish-Hungarian, was raised to celebrate Greek Orthodox Easter, which this year falls on May 5. Blending their heritages, the Pappases and their children also observe Christian Easter, which falls on March 31, combining their traditions in the best of both worlds.

For Greek Orthodox Easter, the family includes red eggs in honor of an age-old Greek tradition. The red hue represents the blood of Christ, while the egg symbolizes Jesus’ resurrection, as in Christian tradition, where eggs signify the Son of God’s emergence from the tomb.

Along with the eggs comes another Greek tradition: tsougrisma, a battle among family members to crack the other’s egg in one-on-one matches—a skill Dennis’s father, also an ENT, has mastered, with a unique grasp of the egg. The person holding an uncracked egg at the game’s end is said to be blessed with luck for the year.

With in-laws who have long collected and gifted the couple exquisite hand-painted Herend pieces, the table in their home is resplendent for the holy holidays, bringing together heirloom glassware, modern flatware, and the traditional Herend Rothschild Bird porcelain. Kellie’s mother-in-law’s part-Hungarian background might account for her love of the beautifully painted porcelain that comes from that country. She also shares her fondness for birds with Kellie through gifts and tokens.

The enduring Rothschild Bird porcelain pattern tells a story through twelve different bird motifs on its plates, each featuring a pair of colorful birds with a necklace draped across branches. First created in 1860 for the Rothschild family of Europe, the classic designs convey the story of the 19th-century Baroness Rothschild’s lost pearl necklace, later discovered in her Vienna garden, in the grasp of mischievous birds. But perhaps those birds, even as they admire the shiny necklace, are simply trying to return it to its rightful owner—it’s a delight to interpret the tales told on an exquisite porcelain canvas.

The Pappases have been known to grill a whole lamb on a spit in the backyard as they celebrate Greek Easter with dishes such as spanakopita that reflect their Mediterranean heritage. With heirloom finery and pieces they have collected, the setting for any occasion is as meaningful and memorable as it is a delight to the culinary enthusiasts enjoying Easter treats.

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