Happy Easter
This Sunday, April 9, is Easter. For us Christians, it is the holiest of the holy. It is the day that Christ defeated death for each of us. And, that should be the emphasis.
But somehow, we mortals find ways to celebrate holy days with secular ways. Hence, the Easter bunny.
When we were children, we had loads of fun dying Easter eggs then leaving them in our Easter baskets for the Easter bunny to hide while we slept. I don’t think the eggs were ever refrigerated.
When we got up Easter morning, we would find our Easter baskets filled with chocolate bunnies and other goodies. We would have to hunt all around the house for the eggs we had left for the Easter bunny. Then, we’d dress in our Easter best and go to church.
After church, we hunted eggs again. As a matter of fact, I think we hunted eggs all afternoon. We’d get a new person to hide them, and we’d hunt again and again.
After we hunted those eggs multiple times, Mom shelled them and made deviled eggs and egg salad. I’m certain of it…those eggs that had been left out, played with in the yard, and tossed about were then our food.
I distinctly remember sometimes the dye would seep through and some of the eggs we ate were colorful. Nowadays, we would be very concerned about food safety with Easter eggs.
I now have a three-year-old granddaughter who loves to hunt eggs. I kept her last Friday, and she found her Easter basket and some plastic eggs. She said, let’s hunt eggs. I said, “sure.” She doesn’t tire of it.
Her idea of hiding eggs is to throw them out on the ground. Which is logical, ‘cause at her tender age she doesn’t hunt real well. I did “hide” a couple in tall grass where she really had to look for them. I gave her hints.
But, mostly we tossed them on the ground then went back and picked them up. Three is such a cute age. She was tickled each time she “found” one.
This week she may take part in a hunt at the nursery, and then she will definitely hunt eggs Saturday with the Baptist church, and Sunday…at home and hopefully also at her grandparents’.
My sister, Jenny, used to host a large Easter egg hunt at her house every year when she lived in the country. Then she moved to town, and not long after, I moved to the country. For years we hosted a large Easter egg hunt/fun day at our home.
We finally tired of it, and quit, saying we would start back when we had little children again. Well, we have two little ones…Melody at three, and Brystol who will be two Tuesday. And, I don’t think anyone is interested in revamping the big hunts. But, who knows what the future holds. For this year, Grandma may hide a few at her house, and that will be enough to delight these little children.