Traditions

It's Easter, and along with that many traditions.  Don't know if you remember when the ultimate Easter tradition was a new spring bonnet and spring coat!  How well I remember! Where I lived in Northern Ontario Easter always meant deep snow still on the ground and the temperature could still be quite cold, it could even be freezing.  But no matter, that Easter bonnet and spring coat were worn to church.....along with the new shoes; through the snow or spring melt.  Of course the new shoes changed shape as they dried out after slogging through the snow; vinyl shoes hadn't yet been invented and shoes were leather; leather could get wet and would dry to very strange shapes without a shoetree.   No matter, you looked your finest on Easter morning.

The new bonnet and coat have now gone by the wayside to be viewed only in memory.  As has our family trip to church on Easter morning;  I grew to loathe  the easter morning finery competition; seemed to me as I got older that the only reason many attended Easter morning service was to check out who was wearing last year's bonnet; which was usually me; almost like walking the fashion show runway.

When I had my own 'little' family I decided to keep only the 'fun' holiday traditions (especially because by then I had become quite agnostic towards religious rituals).  The  traditions I kept were the hiding of, and hunt for easter eggs, special breakfast and dinner menus and invitation of friends. One Easter one of my husband's friends arrived as I was hiding the goodies all over the house.  He followed me round with his palette of poster paints and painted bunny prints all over the hardwood floors....lovely colourful bunny prints, red, yellow, pink, blue, green.  Then posted a sign at the end of the hallway.....to follow the bunny trail.  A major riot ensued when I attempted to wash off the bunny prints....the wails from my three little ones you'd have thought I was trying to snare Mr Rabbit himself.  Needless to say it took a few months before the prints disappeared as I could only obliterate two at a time.

The only dark cloud on our Easter mornings was when our family dog went missing and had been missing for two days.  It had snowed lightly during the night and when we awoke we found our eldest gone and saw bicycle tracks leaving our drive.  Noone cared about the hunt.....our eldest had taken his bicycle and was searching the town for his dog.  We all piled in the truck and followed not the bunny trail that Easter, but the bicycle trail to find our eldest.son and brother.  The hunt lacked spirit that year....our beloved pet wasn't there to help.  Just to let you know it was another week before our pet was found; but that is another story for another time.

Now my only Easter  MUST HAVES include many chocolate bunnies, coloured and devilled eggs; and a traditional family menu.  I was about to alter this year's dinner menu....planning King Crab and steak.  Couldn't do it, my eldest son would feel he had been cheated.  Must keep at least the traditional dinner  alive....so its smoked ham....you know the real rack smoked by a farmer in a smoke house ham....the aroma alone brings tears to my son's eyes.

No matter the celebration during these special times tradition is what binds us together.  The rituals may change or alter with the passage of time; but the family sharing of these traditions will always be remembered in the heart. 

To all of you who may read this, a happy Easter, whatever your tradition!