A baked ham has graced traditional Easter tables in America for centuries. The tradition of ham served at Easter dates back to the 1600s. the colonists got the idea from their Native American neighbors. Every years the Native Americans welcomed spring with a planting festival that included the practice of smoking mearts, especially venison. The colonists were fascinated with the process and decided to try it on the hogs they had raised. They salted, smoked and stored the meat through the winter until it was perfectly cured and ready for the table in the spring, just in time for
Easter.
— William Lawrence Sr.