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I recently spent an evening making pysanky, Polish-Ukrainian Easter eggs with some of my friends at an art workshop. These eggs are intricately decorated (mine not so much) by using wax. You draw the designs on the egg using melted beeswax and a stylus.
The egg is then dipped in colored dye, repeating the process over and over. It was especially meaningful to experience this tradition due to the war in Ukraine. As I designed my egg with sunflowers and a symbol of peace, my thoughts went out those suffering.
In the car on the way home from that workshop, the conversation quickly turned to the importance of Easter traditions such as the pysanky. We began reminiscing about some of our favorite Easter memories. All of us, being the same approximate age, shared similar recollections.
One was how we as little girls would always rise on Easter morning excited to get dressed in our Easter best! Our outfit would include a poofy dress, often some variety of itchy rayon or nylon, complete with ribbons and rosettes. Then there was the matching Easter bonnet with the elastic band that went under your chin, leaving a lovely red indent for hours after removing. No ensemble was complete without a matching patent leather purse and shoes. Shoes that were slick as glass on the bottoms, so you had to gingerly watch your step. Then there were the socks. They alternated depending on the year, between short, cuffed socks with fancy white lace trim (that was also itchy) and fish net tights. I am not sure who thought it was a good idea to put fishnets on children, but it happened.
My brother's outfit consisted of a suit, I recall one in robin egg blue, with a crisp white shirt and a skinny bow tie. He looked quite like miniature version of my father.
Then there were the Easter baskets, always hidden, so we had to work to find them. That was not the worst part. The worst part was that we were not allowed to open any of the candy until after church and lunch.
Looking back, I can now see how the chocolate and the Easter outfits may not have been a winning combination. The basket always contained a one-pound solid chocolate bunny, which of course, you always ate the ears off first, a chocolate egg with your name emblazoned with colored icing, robin eggs (pastel-colored eggs with malted milk balls inside that turn your mouth blue), peanut butter eggs from either the Diana Candy Shoppe or Goss Candy, and of course jelly beans. A true treasure trove of delicacies!
After we were all decked out and the baskets were located, it was off to church. Where not only was it a beautiful, sacred time of celebrating the resurrection of Christ, it was also the time to check out everyone else's Easter ensembles.
I remember one Easter when I arrived at church so proud of my perfectly coiffed hair. My mother had placed pink foam curlers in my hair the night before and I had endured a night of tossing and turning, the price paid for beauty. When removed I had what I believed to be a beautiful head of curls. Imagine my surprise when my best friend approached me at church and asked me what happened to my hair. I quickly replied, while touching my beautiful curls, that my mother had curled it. Her reply to me was, "What happened, didn't it turn out?" My child sized ego took at hit on that one!
Another memory I have, though strange as I look back on it, was the addition of colored peeps in the McCrory's Five and Dime Store window for Easter. Individuals would actually purchase them as Easter presents, many of them met tragic ends by way of too-tight hugs, tricycle incidents, and such.
Although I was never on the receiving end of one of these brightly dyed peeps, I know many that were, and it did make quite the spectacle. I must admit that is one Easter practice that I am glad has disappeared.
It is wonderful to look back, but thankfully, I have so much more than just Easter memories. I am now experiencing new traditions and memory making with my own children and grandchildren. I spent last weekend creating Easter crafts complete with colorful felt bunnies and Easter confetti, and bunny cottages constructed of cherry Pop-Tarts, embellished with yellow Easter Peeps, pastel M&M's (which went into small mouths by the handfuls), and eggs.
Of course, no Easter would be complete without egg dying, and miraculously there was only one spill! I thought my heart would burst as I watched my sons and daughters-in-law building memories with their children. Isn't that what it is all about -- sharing love and experiences with those we love and care about and even those who are strangers?
Deep inside we all need to show love and be loved. What better time than Easter when we commemorate the greatest example of sacrifice and love ever given? Happy Easter to you and yours!
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Rhonda S. Kelley is executive director of the Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce.