My first memories of the Easter bunny was probably when I was four years old and Mom and my two aunts spent about an hour right after Sunday dinner (which now-a-days is called lunch) hiding eggs for their numerous young off-spring to find. Dad called it the search and destroy mission', as we didn't have plastic colored eggs back then-they were all the real thing-and never a one made it to the end of the hunt without untold numbers of cracks. The sad thing was that most of the kids hated boiled eggs, so few were eaten. I for one, at four years old, would never eat an egg laid by a rabbit and told my mother so! I did love the eggs that came from my grandmother's chicken house, though, whether fried, scrambled, or hard-boiled.
For months afterward the yard, front and back, would be covered with bits of colorful egg shell and pieces of boiled egg. There was often the occasion when as long as three months later an egg would be found nestled in the V of a tree root. When hiding Easter eggs for three families or more, it was easy to lose track of all the hiding places and certainly no one was going to bother with counting the eggs before and after to make sure they were all found. We worked on the premise that what wasn't found by the kids, would surely be found eventually by the lawnmower.
As we older kids became teenagers, being too old for such baby stuff as looking for Easter eggs, we took over the job of hiding them. This released the adults for the more mundane activities of cleaning up the kitchen and the picnic area. When I was a teenager my mother still used real eggs for the festivities and I like most of the teenagers and adults enjoyed eating any eggs that were salvageable after the hunt. So my older cousins and I would grab the hands of the very youngest hunters and drag them around the yard pointing out eggs here and there to fill their baskets with eggs that would receive the least damage. This ensured that at least two or more baskets of the eggs were edible. As long as each little tyke received at least one egg to play ball with, he could care less what happened to the remainder of the eggs in his basket.
In later years and as a mother myself, I still enjoyed the tradition of boiling real eggs and helping my children color them in any way that made them happy with their artistic endeavors. My kids, however, didn't care who laid the first egg-the Easter bunny or the chicken-they all loved boiled eggs, so few were wasted. Only the unfound eggs that met a timely death with the lawnmower were the eggs not eaten. We also enjoyed picking the largest jumbo sized egg and marking it with extra special coloring and a prize was given to the child who found this special egg. This however caused much fussing and squabbling in the course of the hiding when the door would fly open and a very young female voice would yell, "Bobby's peeking!"
Now as a grandmother, I fill plastic eggs with candy and coins and bag them up to take over to the church where we hide them for the children to find after church services on Easter Sunday. We are trying harder to instill in the children the real reason for Easter celebration and that is the resurrection of Christ our Lord. But we still want to allow Easter to be fun for the little ones.
After we return home from church services and lunch is over, I still have colored boiled eggs ready to be hidden around the yard for the kids to find. I just can't seem to get away from the old tradition of the Easter Bunny, even though now, I am not averse to eating eggs laid by an Easter Bunny.
Sandra E. Graham, author, Amos Jakey, and Nicolina. Published by American Book Publishing. Visit my website: http://www.sandragraham-articles-books.com
» left by Myla Madson(2,292) Myla Madson (210 days 17 hours ago.)
I have many wonderful memories of Easter as well. I know a lot of people are condeming those that associate the easter bunny and eggs and candy with what the true meaning of easter should be, but any thing that brings family together and makes people remeber such wonderful times, cannot be wrong, however you choose to view it! Great article. Respond to this comment
» left by Sandra E. Graham(2,057) Sandra E. Graham (210 days 12 hours ago.)
Thanks, Myla. Sometimes you have to think of the little ones who don't always understand everything we would like to teach them. It takes time, but they learn all that grown up stuff soon enough.
SEG Respond to this comment
» left by susan thom from nj (210 days 12 hours ago.)
hi sandra,
what a warm, inviting, well written article. brought back many happy memories, of myself as a kid, and then my own kids. now, i'm waiting for grandchildren! hey-you were already one step brighter at 4:at four years old, would never eat an egg laid by a rabbit and told my mother so.
thanks for sharing, and a happy and Blessed Easter to you and yours,
best regards,
sue thom Respond to this comment
» left by Sandra E. Graham(2,057) Sandra E. Graham (210 days 1 hour ago.)
Thanks, Sue. I enjoy more writing 'feel good' stories than any other. Actually, I was the typical four year old who wouldn't eat much of anything--no matter where it came from.
May your Easter be a happpy one.
SEG Respond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (210 days 6 hours ago.)
Your story made me teary-eyed. I could picture the easter egg hunts from the time you were four until you became a grandma. It gave me such a good feeling. Thanks for sharing! Respond to this comment
» left by Sandra E. Graham(2,057) Sandra E. Graham (210 days 1 hour ago.)
Thanks for the comment. I was very lucky growing up in a family as far back as I can remember, who always celebrated all the holidays. I don't remember a Christmas without a tree, a four of July without fireworks, or an Easter without a hunt.
SEG Respond to this comment
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