THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504150085
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY JODY R. SNIDER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Mary had a little lamb . . . until it was sold April 3, at the traditional Easter Lamb and Goat Sale at Smithfield Livestock Market.
Once again, bidders and sightseers, many Jewish and Greek, lined the back of the market to buy Easter dinner. The market is a tradition in Smithfield since 1947.
And this year's sale was no different.
``The place was full,'' said G.R. Falls, owner of the market. ``There must have been 200 people in here. Some were from as far away as New York, Boston and Philadelphia. We had people standing in the back of the room.''
Falls said about 350 head of sheep and goats went to auction this year. Lamb sold for $1.27 a pound and small goats sold for $30 to $40 a head, while the larger goats sold for between $75 to $125 a head.
Traditionally, the sale has been held a few weeks before Easter to allow shoppers to buy their mutton for their Easter tables, Falls said.
``We call 'em Easter goats and sheep,'' R.D. Falls said. ``And back then, a lot more were sold, between 900 to 1,200 goats and sheep per sale.''
G.R. Falls said the number of goats and sheep sold at this sale have decreased because goats and sheep are now also being sold weekly at the market. In the early days, they were not.
Although the sales may have decreased over the years, buyers are still buying mutton and goat for the same reasons - Easter dinner.
Lamb is served with the symbolic Seder plate during Passover to represent the blood put over doorways to ward off God's angel of death.
Goat and lamb are served by many naturalized Europeans and their descendants during Greek Orthodox Easter, April 23 this year. For most, traditional Easter is today. by CNB