”The rabbit dances into the night, a sight to behold with baskets full of joy and hearts aflame.”
Today is a miracle. The sky is breathtakingly blue. The sunlight is so bright I had to squint my eyes even in the kitchen. It isn’t warm, in the mid 40’s, but I went without my jacket while doing errands. The world is feeling spring-like and so am I.
The grape hyacinths have bloomed. One is a light purple while the other is a dark purple. They and the dafs bring color to the front garden. I love these early bursts of spring.
Before Easter, we always colored eggs. My mother used to buy the Paas kits. We’d sit at the kitchen table with glasses filled with different colored water in front of us. We’d use a metal holder to dip the eggs into the glasses. The younger I was the less patient I was so the eggs only got lightly colored. On Easter mornings we’d sometimes have an Easter egg hunt. Afterwards, my mother used to make egg salad so the eggs wouldn’t go to waste.
I never counted down to the Easter Bunny’s visit the way I did for Santa’s. I always sort of knew what to expect from the Easter Bunny. My basket was woven wicker and colorful. Green grass covered the bottom. If I put chocolate I’d tasted back into the basket the grass always stuck to it. The centerpiece of my basket was always the chocolate rabbit. It stood tall. The rabbit was hollow. Around its feet were jelly beans, hard colored eggs with hard white filling, wrapped chocolates and Peeps. The Easter Bunny always added gifts like an Easter coloring book and crayons or a stuffed animal or small toys. My basket was always filled.
I don’t have a chocolate rabbit, but I have Peeps exposed to the air and hardening. I have a few Reese’s peanut butter eggs in the freezer. I think the peanut butter eggs taste better than the peanut butter cups. I have my Easter dinner, the traditional ham, mashed potatoes and green beans. I am ready for Easter.
keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
March 30, 2024 at 2:35 pm
Hi Kat,
I never understood the Easter bunny laying brightly colored eggs. Who knew that rabbits laid eggs?
My mother always hard boiled eggs for us to color on Easter. Just like the Easter bunny laying eggs, there’s nothing religious about dying eggs or eating candy. Today, my favorite are the egg cartons filled with dark chocolate covered marshmallow eggs. My better half bought me three boxes and I have already devoured one of them in one sitting. It’s the only kind of dark chocolate that I like. In every other case, just give me milk chocolate only. I assume the sweetness of the marshmallow overwhelms the dark chocolate bitterness.
My other favorite is the caramel filled milk chocolate Cadbury eggs. I usually get those when they are on sale after Easter Sunday. My better half is far better at saving money on things we want but don’t need.
I believe that to the Eastern Orthodox Christians, Easter is even more important to their belief than Christmas. I know, that the Greeks eat lamb on Easter Sunday. I love lamb, but my spouse won’t touch it. She doesn’t like the taste. Occasionally, if she finds lamb chops marked down in the grocery store, she will buy them for me. She’s also the only human being I have ever met that doesn’t like shrimp. Diversity makes the world go around.
March 30, 2024 at 10:15 pm
Hi Bob,
Here is one answer, “In ancient Anglo-Saxon myth, Ostara is the personification of the rising sun. In that capacity she is associated with the spring and is considered to be a fertility goddess. She is the friend of all children and to amuse them she changed her pet bird into a rabbit. This rabbit brought forth brightly colored eggs, which the goddess gave to the children as gifts. From her name and rites the festival of Easter is named.”
I was taught that without Easter there would be no Christianity. If Christ had not risen from the tomb, he would have been just another man.
I remember spending Greek Easter with the family of one of my students. They had the lamb on a spit over a half barrel filled with charcoal. They basted the lamb with lemon butter sauce. I remember the father cutting a piece off the edge and giving it to me to taste. I fell in love with that lamb.
https://www.mashed.com/351241/the-real-reason-people-eat-lamb-on-easter/
I also bought a package of good dark chocolate covered marshmallow eggs. It only took a day to eat the whole package. I ordered some more.
I don’t think I have a favorite Easter candy. I eat the all!!!
March 30, 2024 at 10:29 pm
As usual, you always seem to find the correct answer to my questions.
When you described that leg of lamb, my mouth began to salivate. When I used to travel to New Jersey I always had dinner in one of the thousands of Greek owned diners in the state. They always would have either leg of lamb or lamb shanks on their menu. Most of them have menus of multiple pages plus a paper list of daily specials.
March 30, 2024 at 10:36 pm
What you wonder makes me curious so I go looking, but on this one I had actually read an article this morning about all of Easter and its traditions.
I have only a couple of friends who will eat lamb. I’d love to eat it more often, a tasty leg of lamb.