Easter 2022

[Pumpkin_Head]

Hi Folks:

I just thought I would pop in to let everyone know that Easter will be on April 17th this year. I don't do a lot in terms of decorating, other then coloring a dozen eggs and prepare a meal. Easter is mainly a religious observance for me, but it is still an important family holidayf or some, and I if my brother does have a gathering at his house for Easter (I doubt that he will) I will be going to that. Otherwise, I am going to slow roast a fresh ham in the crock pot and make pork stuffing.

Mike

[Andybev01]

That sounds delicious.

I too color eggs and just have a quiet day.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

We used to go to our local church community center every year, and they would put on a play about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, and have a egg hunt for the kids, but they haven't done it since the pandemic began. So since then we just do a egg hunt in the backyard for the kids, and we will probably do the same thing again this year as well.

[Pumpkin_Head]

That sounds like fun, HeadlessHorseman. I really would like to see some family as it use to be just as big a deal as Christmas in terms of a family gathering. The only problem is the religious overtones make a lot of my family members uncomfortable, and the holiday itself is just not celebrated with nearly as much 'gusto' as it was back in 'the day.' It was never a huge gift giving holiday like Christmas, but there were a lot of Holy and a lot of fun traditions we all did.

Mike

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

When I was younger my family did the traditional practices associated with the holiday, but by the early 90s, my family and most of society in general started to turn away from the religious traditions and the holiday just became about selling chocolate bunnies.

Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate just as much as anyone, and it's fine for the major holidays, but for the smaller holidays it just seems too much. There's even chocolate for St. Patrick's Day, they have liquor filled chocolate clovers which are actually really good, but still not necessary.

After I started my family I decided that I was going to teach my kids the same traditions I grew up with and get them involved with our local church community, but as I said the pandemic put that on hold, hopefully after the world gets back to normal they can start going again.

[Pumpkin_Head]

I remember Easter when I was a kid. Easter morning wasn't a huge deal like Christmas morning was, but the 'magic' that was in the air was. We would put out our Easter Baskets the night before, and we would leave out a couple of carrots for him. The next morning, all our Easter Eggs would be hidden through out the house, our baskets would be full of different types of candy and small toys, and a kite, and a stump of a carrot could be found under the dining room table or by the tv stand.

It was one of the more pleasant memories of my childhood.

Mike

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

That sounds like awesome fun for kids, and I like that you would leave carrots out like cookies for Santa. I wish my parents were that creative, I might actually start doing that for my kids.

[Pumpkin_Head]

Like I said, it can be a magical time for the kids, and it was something to look forward to during the 2nd semester of the school year. My younger and sister and I both would get 'creative' when coloring Easter Eggs, and my older sister use to draw pictures of little bunnies, chicks or designs on the eggs using a white crayon when we were not looking, and when we put the eggs in the dye, those little drawings would "Magically" appear on the eggs as they turned what ever color we put it in.

I don't miss being a kid in general, but Christmas and Easter were special "magical" days that made being a kid quite nice at times. Halloween was also a great treat when we were kids. It still is a great treat for me as an adult, but in a different way then it was when I was a kid.

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

Bumping this thread.

Easter is lived at church at our house, because my husband and I both sing in the choir. That means a last rehearsal on Weds, a special anthem on Maundy Thurs, Good Friday, and on Easter morning, special music at two services. My husband teaches Sunday School, so he is involved with the children's Easter celabration on Sat. I cook a casserole that day for Easter brunch, which is always at church. Then, because he is also an elder, he often has to show up for Easter sunrise service (the choir sings at 8 and 10:45). It is all nice and appropriate, but also exhausting. This year our daughter, who majored in theater at college, did a dramatic reading as Mary Magdalene at the two later services. She was well received.

When the kids were growing up we would have an egg hunt in the backyard on Easter afternoon. That was always fun.

[Andybev01]

In keeping with tradition I colored eggs and assembled baskets for any who wanted a bite.

[Murfreesboro]

Oh, I Iove that! I haven't dyed eggs in a few years. I do miss it.