I begin this Holy Week with a lot of reflection. Easter has been my favorite holiday for as long as I can remember. I do realize I say this about a lot of holidays throughout the year, but Easter truly is my very favorite.Aside from the religious meaning for me, Easter brings about thoughts of simplicity, peace and happiness. Even if I wake up to a rainy Sunday morning there is a sound to the birds chirping and a smell in the air that reflects new life. I consider myself lucky to have always lived in a place with four distinct seasons (except for right now, of course). I really wouldn’t have it any other way. I love the change that is brought about by Easter and spring.
My memories of Easter as a child were nothing but warm and fuzzy. This was the holiday that we almost always received an animal – a bunny, a chicken and one year even a new lamb.
In addition, my mom loved playing a bit of hide and seek with us early on Easter morning. The gorgeous baskets she would put together with candy and toys were never left out in plain sight. We always had to work to find their hiding place.
After finding the basket and consuming massive amounts of sugar in record time, we would then make our way out to the yard. Each year on Saturday we would build a nest outside consisting of three sticks and some grass. This was a bit of a tradition with the nest-making responsibility being passed down through my brothers. I remember being happy when I was the only sibling left in the house and making the nest became my official job. This is where the Easter Bunny would always leave plastic eggs filled with a little bit of money.
Once the excitement came to a close around the house and some time spent in church concluded, later in the day we would head off to my grandma’s house to have a big meal and an Easter egg hunt with my cousins.Maybe my fond memories are the reason Easter still remains so important to me today. When I think about Easter in relationship to other holidays I can’t help but compare it to Christmas. Although it isn’t supposed to be, Christmas is often filled with things more commercialized and stressful for me. Easter has always been about peacefulness and nature. Yes, I know chocolate and eggs are a bit commercialized as well, but there was a lot of family mixed in there; a connection overriding that which I feel at Christmas.
As I was considering my thoughts on Easter my mind went directly to food. Of course with Lent leading up to the big day, I am always ready for my basket filled with chocolate and I enjoy it thoroughly. However, my weeks before Easter are spent in thoughtful reflection and sacrifice. On the other hand, I spend weeks planning, baking and cooking in preparation for Christmas. Such a difference; a difference I’ve learned to truly appreciate.
So this week I won’t be doing a whole lot of baking, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have treats already lined up. I’m thinking about satisfying my chocolate craving from a visual perspective by sharing a chocolate truffle cake my brother made for me recently. Then as the weekend approaches I will be attempting croissants made from scratch to be enjoyed on Easter morning. This will be my first shot at making this delicate treat. Wish me luck!
Does Easter hold a special significance for you? How do you prepare for or celebrate the holiday?
Very sweet post. I was thinking about this today – ever since my grandma passed away Easter hasn’t been the same. She had a great menu for Easter Sunday. Unfortunately it wasn’t very healthy but my goodness was it special! I feel like I should try to recreate some of them in her honor.
So cute! Sounds like your family really made Easter special for you! We always did easter baskets and a big easter meal. I loved it and would look forward to those little peeps every year 🙂 The last few years I haven’t been able to see my family on easter because they lived sooo far. Now they’re only an hour and I will get to see not only my parents, but my aunt and uncle and Grandma! I am super excited
Wonderful Easter memories … thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed reading this post! Easter is quickly becoming more of a favorite to me. My mind is metitative this week as it culminates into the wonderful celebration and good news of Easter!
May you have a blessed Holy Week leading up to a joyous Easter day!
Thank you for sharing your fond memories of this special holiday 🙂
Mine are also pleasant – I remember decorating Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts, jelly beans (haha), and just spending lots of time with family.
Easter and Passover overlap this year, as they often do. This was true torture as a kid. When everyone had their lunch bags full of chocolate goodies, I was stuck eating bagels that weighed ten pounds and sawdust-like crackers that kept you bunged up for days 🙂
What sweet reflections. My parents always hid our baskets too. I was always up at the crack of dawn looking for mine. Preparation for Easter is a flurry of shopping and baking and cooking and cleaning for visiting family. Little moments of reflection in between.
I always remember looking for the hidden baskets too but I was one of those kids who still had Halloween candy left at Easter cuz I didn’t have a huge sweet tooth.
Family holiday traditions and memories are the best! Thanks for sharing yours!
These days my favorite part of Easter is my Grandma’s excitement over the holiday. Despite that the youngest grandkid is in high school now, she still has a few dozen boiled eggs ready to be dyed when we all get to my grandparent’s house on Friday night. (I’ll be giving birth to the first great-grandchild any day now. It will be great to have a new generation to share the traditions with – and to have someone to actually hunt all the dyed eggs! hehe)
And then there’s the food and the jelly beans (Starburst JB – YUM!) and the new Easter dress every year . . . and, of course, great times hanging out with all the extended fam!
Such nice memories, Lori! Easter has taken on a special meaning for us now that we have young kids. I’m so looking forward to watching them hunt eggs on our town square the day before, the looks on their faces when they see their Easter baskets, and the fun they’ll have at the festivities at church and home afterward.
Hope you have a great Easter!
Good luck with the croissants! Wishing you a happy Easter this year as well.
Thank you for sharing such special memories! I don’t recall too much about my earliest Easters in the Philippines but when we moved to Canada, I fondly recall decorating eggs and going on the egg hunt (although I never wanted to eat the real ones – just chocolate for me, please). But above all, I remember going to Sunday Mass – there definitely was a sense of renewal about it all. (A few times, though, we went to Easter Vigil Mass the evening before – much more solemn and, because it represented the time before Christ’s Resurrection, very somber and funereal.)
On that note, Happy Easter! 😎
great post Lori – i enjoyed reading it. Growing up my parents always hid our easter baskets and eggs around the house. We got to search for them and then eat lots of sugar before we headed to sunday school/church. Now, we do the same for my sister’s kids – it is fun. And we always have a family dinner in the evening.
can’t wait to hear how the croissants turn out! Easter always feels like an awakening to new beginnings, crisp and fresh times like the spring air – I like that, I also like jelly beans 🙂
Michelle – This will be our first Easter without my grandparents. I won’t be home to celebrate, but I know it will be different. You should definitely make those recipes. 🙂
Erica – That is so great! I’m so happy you all are closer now and will be able to celebrate together this year.
lesley – Thanks. I hope you have a wonderful Easter as well!
VeggieGirl – I just loved Easter egg hunts. I remember one year I got the prize egg at the one in our town and my picture was in the paper. Ha, ha!
Meghan – Thanks for your comment. I liked hearing about your experiences from another perspective during this time of year. I do believe I would find that tough.
Reeni – I loved the hunt for baskets. Hope you have a wonderful time preparing and celebrating!
kat – Oh wow! Ha, ha! My Halloween candy was long gone.
Emily – Love the Starburst jelly beans. I brought some back on my last trip home. 🙂 My family has hung on to the traditions as well. I got an Easter basket from my Aunt every year until we moved to Brazil. Ha, ha! It has to be so exciting to be knowing you are bringing a new child into the family to enjoy the celebrations. It is getting so close for you guys! You are in my thoughts.
cathy – That has to be so much fun with your kids. I hope you have a Happy Easter!
laura – I’m getting a bit nervous as the time approaches. Ha, ha! Happy Easter!
Tangled Noodle – I’ve never been one for the Vigil mass either. I understand the importance, but as a kid (even as an adult) it is so long! Seriously though, I enjoy the celebrations on Sunday morning more. No hard boiled eggs for you, huh? 🙂
lauren – Yeah, those were always good times in church. Kind of hard to sit still after a few pounds of candy. Ha, ha! Sounds like you have some wonderful times.
Jolene – That is why I enjoy it as well. I am with you on the jelly beans too. 🙂
Hi Lori – Easter is one of my favorite holidays too (I agree with you about Christmas). I still dye eggs, but have grown out of the easter egg hunts…(though I miss that part the most!).
While I love the turkey-centric CHristmas dinner, I really love how on Easter we always had honey-glazed ham.