Easter Visions

By Elle Chaseton

Whether a churchgoer or not so many of us enjoy the frivolities of the Easter holiday. Are your Easter visions of fabulous colored eggs, adorable baskets, or sumptuous food? Or are you just too excited about the abundance of chocolate in any form? Here are some fun facts about some favorite Easter customs.

  • Easter Lilies – These fragrant beauties originated in Japan, then in the 18th Century in England, after WWI, the United States got on board with these beauties. The bulb transitions into a glorious bloom reminding us of home and rebirth – right on theme for Easter.
  • Clothes – A fun superstition, new Easter clothes were thought to bring you luck throughout the year. This superstition was so popular that not only did wealthy New Yorkers attend Easter mass newly decked out, but the New York Easter Parade came about for anyone to enjoy.
  • Ham – Looking way, way back, the winter months are when hams cured and the early spring of Easter is when it would have been ready to serve and enjoy. Imagine, waiting that long to enjoy a ham, that must have been an exciting dinner.
  • Woven Baskets – Not only are they the perfect container for an Easter egg hunt they are also meant to represent a bird’s nest containing the new life of a baby bird, all cozy in its basket. So that is where the shredded grass comes from. I love the grass, seriously, love the grass it is like playing with giant confetti in brilliant colors.
  • Egg Hunt – Whether the chicken or the egg came first, an egg hunt dates back to Medieval times to a game the choir boys played with the priest.
  • Peeps – In America, and just counting the Easter holiday, we eat 1.5 million Peeps.
  • Cadbury Crème Eggs – More than 1.5 million of these yummy eggs are made every day. Daydream . . . working at the Cadbury factory.
  • Jelly Beans – Americans eat over 16 million jelly beans during Easter. For perspective, that is enough jelly beans to circle the globe THREE TIMES.
  • Rabbits – These bunnies aren’t an Easter symbol because of their beautiful eyes and oh-so-long ears. Easter may well be named after an Easter festival celebrating Eostre, whose sacred symbols are the hare and the egg.
  • Chocolate Rabbits II – Ninety million chocolate bunnies are sold for Easter.
  • Chocolate Rabbits III – What part of the bunny do you eat first? If you are like 56% of chocolate bunny lovers you eat the ears first. Followed by the feet and the tail. What that means about you, unknown, other than you are awesome for loving chocolate rabbits.

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