Eastery Doings
As part of my survey-taking bonanza, I got invited to join an online forum where they ask us a bunch of questions about candy, especially for holidays. This last month they have been asking us all kinds of questions about our Easter traditions (especially as involves candy) and asking us to post pictures of what we buy and the things we do for Easter.
It's dawned on me that our family doesn't celebrate Easter in a way that is much like everyone else out there. I didn't realize how unusual we were. Some of our traditions (or rather non-traditions) came from my own home growing up so of course I thought that was the normal way of doing things. My parents never played the Easter Bunny (and for some reason I don't remember any friends talking about it) so I was baffled when I grew up and learned there were parents doing that for their children. My parents didn't even fill up an Easter basket full of cheap toys and candy and other presents and give it to us. Nope, they had an Easter egg hunt that was almost completely comprised of decorated hard-boiled eggs. There were always a small number of precious treats thrown in (like Cadbury Creme Eggs or Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs), usually only one for each of us. Oh, and we each got a new pretty dress to wear for Easter Sunday. Pretty simple.
When I became a parent I wanted to make Easter even more about the Savior, rather than about candy and eggs. So with Terence's agreement, we decided to hold our Easter egg hunt on Saturday so that we could focus on the religious aspect of the holiday on the day itself. Otherwise, it's much as I celebrated as a kid. We do an egg hunt for the kids (which they know is done by us) and they use empty baskets they pick out-- I don't fill them with gifts or candy ahead of time. Though I do use a plethora of plastic candy-filled eggs for the hunt. (Yes, my kids still get hyped up on sugar, but at least it's not right before church!)
We don't even eat a traditional Easter dinner, though we usually eat at my parents' house. It seems to be whatever someone feels like having that year. This year I believe we are having ribs and chicken because we are celebrating my mom's birthday that day and that is what she wants.
It's just been strange this year. . . between Facebook and my candy forum, I'm getting reminders just about every day just how scaled-back and different our Easters are. What about you? What do you do for Easter?
It's dawned on me that our family doesn't celebrate Easter in a way that is much like everyone else out there. I didn't realize how unusual we were. Some of our traditions (or rather non-traditions) came from my own home growing up so of course I thought that was the normal way of doing things. My parents never played the Easter Bunny (and for some reason I don't remember any friends talking about it) so I was baffled when I grew up and learned there were parents doing that for their children. My parents didn't even fill up an Easter basket full of cheap toys and candy and other presents and give it to us. Nope, they had an Easter egg hunt that was almost completely comprised of decorated hard-boiled eggs. There were always a small number of precious treats thrown in (like Cadbury Creme Eggs or Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs), usually only one for each of us. Oh, and we each got a new pretty dress to wear for Easter Sunday. Pretty simple.
When I became a parent I wanted to make Easter even more about the Savior, rather than about candy and eggs. So with Terence's agreement, we decided to hold our Easter egg hunt on Saturday so that we could focus on the religious aspect of the holiday on the day itself. Otherwise, it's much as I celebrated as a kid. We do an egg hunt for the kids (which they know is done by us) and they use empty baskets they pick out-- I don't fill them with gifts or candy ahead of time. Though I do use a plethora of plastic candy-filled eggs for the hunt. (Yes, my kids still get hyped up on sugar, but at least it's not right before church!)
We don't even eat a traditional Easter dinner, though we usually eat at my parents' house. It seems to be whatever someone feels like having that year. This year I believe we are having ribs and chicken because we are celebrating my mom's birthday that day and that is what she wants.
It's just been strange this year. . . between Facebook and my candy forum, I'm getting reminders just about every day just how scaled-back and different our Easters are. What about you? What do you do for Easter?
Comments
One tradition I remember as a child was watching that movie that comes on every year about Christ and the resurrection. Do you know what movie I'm talking about? I tried finding it on tv last year with no luck.