The Magic of Easter

The silence that had settled throughout the house during the night began to give way to a short “crinkle”.  Then another, but slightly longer this time; it was as if it were testing the silence somehow.  A few seconds later there was yet another even longer “crinkling” sound that seemed be very carefully controlled so as not to break the “parent sound barrier”.  It was then I realized as I awoke that the Easter Bunny had been by and my sister in the next room was already examining the gifts left at her bedside.  I tiptoed over to her room, opened the door and peaked in to see that she had already burrowed her way into her chocolate Easter Bunny.  Her hands were covered in chocolate and her eyes filled with a joy that only chocolate can bring.   This was a typical Easter morning at our house as we were growing up. 

There was much excitement and anticipation for us kids at Easter - it was magical. Once the family got up we went on our egg hunt throughout the house finding chocolate eggs everywhere – behind plants, in our shoes, jacket pockets, coffee cups, in the fridge and so on. After breakfast, we got dressed up and went off to church where we would also attend Sunday school and learn about the religious meaning of Easter and how Christ rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. When church was over we went back home and mom began preparations for our Easter dinner. It was one of those holidays where the whole family would come over (Easter was usually hosted at our place). We would have about a half a dozen families drop in – aunts and uncles – and then of course our grandparents and great grandparents. It was almost like Christmas in April with the smell of turkey and ham drifting through the air. It was a chance to visit with family and spend quality time together. We were not an overly religious family, we did not go to church every Sunday however we did respect that it was a religious holiday and we were reminded by our elders that there was much more to Easter then chocolate and candy. Although on a smaller scale, the tradition carries on today at my mother’s place with my brother and his kids. With my sister in Alberta and me in Ottawa, we don’t always get to see the family on Easter. It is sad really because it was and still is a magical time.

I have often wondered what the connection between Easter and bunnies and chocolate is so I did a little investigating. The Easter Bunny comes from an association of rabbits (or hares) and eggs with the fertility of spring. Since rabbits often produce large litters in spring and birds also lay eggs in spring, they both are symbols of fertility. The Easter Bunny is symbolic of these two events as it is an egg-laying rabbit that welcomes in a new season of growth at winter’s end. The Easter Bunny is reported to have started in Germany where it was written about as early as the 16^th century. Dutch settlers brought the tradition to the United States in the 18^th century. The custom of the Easter egg hunt started because children believed that hares laid their eggs in the grass. Children would build nests in their hats or bonnets for the Easter Bunny to lay her coloured eggs in (only good children would be visited). The tradition of nest building gave way to the modern tradition of the Easter basket. The Easter Bunny is believed to lay coloured eggs. Egg colouring is an ancient practice; in Greece, eggs are dyed red – the colour of blood and life – symbolic of the new life in spring which is also associated with the blood of Christ being shed. Green is another frequently used colour at Easter as it signifies new plant life in the spring. Today, Easter eggs are of many colours which some say is symbolic of the rainbow - a sign of hope and new life.

Whether you are a Christian and celebrate the resurrection of Christ or a lover of chocolate Easter eggs, I think we can all agree on one thing - Easter is the symbol of spring and renewed life! In Canada, it is right around the time that many of us are watching the last bits of snow melt off and can see the grass start to turn green, the tulips start to pop up (sometimes through the snow). Easter is a perfect opportunity to spend time with friends and family – especially those ones a little further away that we perhaps have not visited in a few months due to the challenges of winter driving.