The History of the Butter Lamb

The Easter butter lamb tradition originates as far back as the middle ages in Eastern Europe, specifically Poland. The lamb is a reference to one of the most well-known lines in the New Testament, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” which is said at Mass as part of the priest’s call to Holy Communion. The lamb, in the simplest terms, represents Jesus and the butter lamb centerpiece closely unites the family Easter Meal with the Eucharist. As Catholic immigrants made their journey to America they brought the tradition with them. Many families who claim this ancestry still call the butter lamb by its Polish name, baranek wielkanocny.

In 1963, Dorothy Malczewski opened a poultry stand in Buffalo’s Famous Broadway Market, the heart of the old Polish district. The Easter of her first year in business she found her father’s butter lamb mold in the attic that he had brought to America with him from Kraków, Poland and started making butter lambs one by one. Dorothy created 5 different sizes of butter lambs from 2 ounces to 2 pounds and decorated them with a trademarked red “alleluia” flag signifying peace on earth, and a red ribbon representing the Blood of Christ.

That year the butter lambs went over so well that she began distributing them to other local stores, and eventually chain supermarkets like Wegmans, Tops and others. The Malczewski Butter Lamb was born and became a tradition for everyone in Buffalo and surrounding cities. Through the growing sales over the years Dorothy was proud to see other nationalities and denominations come to recognize the butter lamb tradition. Even though their faith may not bless food at Easter, they recognized the symbol of the Lamb of God and have joined the tradition of having one at the Easter table.

Decades later, In 2004, Dorothy retired and her son ran the business until 2012 when it was sold to the Cichocki Family which owns Camellia Meats, a Polish fourth generation meat business, that promised to continue the tradition. Today, the butter lamb tradition lives on in the Broadway Market as well as several supermarkets and small grocery stores in several states as generation after generation passes down the butter lamb tradition after 8 centuries and counting.