A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day...04-16-03..."Easter Traditions...Then and Now"

DaisyScarlett;Dutchess;Aquamarine

[dutchess]

Easter is not only a holiday but a season unto itself.

To many religious people, it marks a time of miracles and a reaffirming of faith.

To those with a more secular view of the world, it is a celebration of the end of winter, a time to look toward the warmth of the coming summer and a chance to shed the heavy, dour clothing of the winter for the bright colors of spring.

Easter traditions and symbols are well known: the Easter Bunny, Easter eggs and Easter baskets have become hallmarks of this spring festival. Yet there is more to them than meets the eye.

On Friday, dutchess will post a religious Easter thread here on the Finest, but today she has teamed up with Aquamarine and me to present what we have dubbed the "Easter Fun Thread".

We will touch upon both the origins of Easter and Easter traditions. And we also have some Easter music to entertain you as you read along.

So, sit back, grab some jelly beans, post some Easter fun graphics and ENJOY. ~ daisyscarlett

ORIGINS OF EASTER

Though identified in modern times as a Christian Holy Day, Easter, the ancient celebration of spring, has roots far deeper than any one belief or culture. It reminds us that there is always a chance to plant our dreams anew; that the cold of winter will pass; and, that in the course of humankind, you can always plant again.

Long before Easter became the holiday it is today, the spring festival was celebrated by the people around the world. Although associated with the sun and the Vernal Equinox, the celebration was originally based on the lunar calendar. The name Easter is derived from the Saxon Eostre (which is synonymous with the name of the Phoenician Goddess of the Moon, Astarte), a Germanic goddess of spring and the deity who measured time.

Curiously, a Jewish festival, Purim, also celebrated in the spring, has as it central character and heroine, Esther who, as queen, kept the evil Haman from killing her people.

As Christianity grew and spread throughout the world, it was common practice to adopt, modify, convert or take over existing non-Christian festivals, sacred locations and even names, and assimilate them into the Christian theology.

Because Eostre, also know as Ostara, was the goddess of spring and her symbolism dealt with renewal and rebirth, the Christian belief in the resurrection of Christ fit well with these themes.

The connection between Christ's Resurrection and Jewish Passover, which, in addition to the dramatic story of the flight from Egypt, also contains elements of a spring celebration, made the merging of the two religious traditions easily accomplished.

Why does Easter always fall on a Sunday? In 325 AD, the council of Nice issued an edict that read, in pertinent part, "Easter was to fall upon the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the Vernal Equinox; and if said full moon fell on a Sunday, the Easter should be the Sunday after."

The Easter celebration was coordinated with older, pre-Christian celebrations of spring. The direct relationship to Sunday as the day sacred to the Sun, the ultimate symbol of life, is obvious; yet the subtle connections to the earlier celebrations of the time of planting and the Moon are of equal importance in determining the day of the Easter celebration.

I would like to invite everyone to sit back and enjoy some Easter music, or maybe even put on your Easter Bonnet and prance around the room. Just click on the titles to hear the tunes. ~ Aquamarine

The Easter Song



Easter Parade

Easter Traditions Old and New

Many of our Easter traditions date back to ancient times. Lambs, chicks and baby creatures of all kinds are all associated with spring, symbolizing the birth of new life. Here are just a few of how these traditions were started.

The Easter Egg

One of the best-known Easter symbols is the egg, which has symbolized renewed life since ancient days. The egg is said to be a symbol of llife because in all living creatures life begins in the egg. The Persians and Egyptians also colored eggs and ate them during their new year's celebration, which came in the spring.

A Polish folktale tells of the Virgin Mary giving eggs to soldiers at the cross while she pleaded with them to be merciful. As her tears dropped they spattered droplets on the eggs mottling them with a myriad of colors.

Today many people still color Easter eggs and decorate them with fancy patterns and symbols. The sun symbolized good fortune, the rooster, fulfillment of wishes; the deer, good health, the flowers, love and charity.

It has become a modern custom to decorate the eggs and hide them for children to find during Easter. The birth of the Easter Egg Hunt. Other egg-related games also evolved like egg tossing and egg rolling.

The Whitehouse Egg Roll

Easter festivities don't end on Easter Sunday - at least not in Washington DC, that is. Since 1878, the annual White House Egg Roll occurs on the Monday after Easter, canceled in the past only by bad weather and a couple World Wars. Actually, the annual egg roll (the act of rolling a hard cooked egg across the lawn) began as early as the mid-1870's; it was held first on Capitol Hill - until our Congress banned it. It seems the popular event did much damage to the Capitol lawn, and our distinguished leaders had no room in their budgets for repairing the landscaping.

In 1878, the first year the ban was enforced (it took effect in 1877 but it rained that year), then President Rutherford B. Hayes was approached by young lads and lasses about rolling eggs on the South Lawn of the White House. Being a shrewd politician, he smilingly agreed and, with his wife Lucy at his side, cheerfully greeted the crowds who had been turned away at the Capitol. The White House lawn became their new egg rolling site, officially sanctioned by the President himself. Today, this public event continues with additional egg games, an appearance by the official White House Easter Bunny, and all participants receive a wooden egg, with signatures of the President and First Lady.

The Easter Bunny: Beloved Easter Symbol

Of all the symbols of Easter, none is more beloved than the Easter Bunny. And, of all the symbols of this season, none has a more varied, unique and universal background than this floppy-eared chocolate confection deliveryman.

The Advent of the Easter Bunny

The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the Spring season. The bunny as an Easter symbol seems to have it's origins in Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings in the 1500s. The first edible Easter bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s. These were made of pastry and sugar.

The Easter bunny was introduced to American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. The arrival of the "Oschter Haws" was considered "childhood's greatest pleasure" next to a visit from Christ-Kindel on Christmas Eve. The children believed that if they were good the "Oschter Haws" would lay a nest of colored eggs. The children would build their nest in a secluded place in the home, the barn or the garden. Boys would use their caps and girls their bonnets to make the nests . The use of elaborate Easter baskets would come later as the tradition of the Easter bunny spread through out the country.

The Easter Basket

The Easter Basket shows roots in Catholic custom. Baskets filled with breads, cheeses, hams and other foods for Easter dinner were taken to mass Easter morning to be blessed. This evolved in time to baskets filled with chocolate eggs, jelly beans, toys and stuffed bunnies for children left behind by the Easter Bunny.

The Easter Parade, Bonnets and Finest Clothing

In the early days of the church, the newly baptized wore white robes for the baptismal ceremony and during Easter week. Others wore new clothes at Easter to represent their participation in Christ's new life. After Easter mass, medieval worshippers, dressed in their new clothes, formed a procession through the streets, lead by a crucifix. Later, the custom of walking to or from church on Easter Sunday, bedecked in new clothes and Easter bonnets, evolved into the Easter parade. Begun in 1860, New Jersey's Atlantic City Easter Parade featured finely clothed citizens strolling along the boardwalk, and New York City soon sported its now famous Fifth Avenue Easter Parade. Similar parades sprung up across the country, many with prizes for best dress and bonnets, and the frillier the bonnet, the better. Few Easter parades still exist in modern times, and the Easter bonnet is largely a fashion relic of the past.

The Easter Lily

White and pure, the lily was the medieval symbol of purity and the Virgin Mary. Blooming in spring and being so pristine, the lily became the flowering representation of Easter and the resurrection of Christ. Earlier Greek mythology, though, relates the lily as milk which fell to the earth from Juno, queen of the Greek gods, as she nursed her son Hercules; the Milky Way galaxy was believed to be the milk that spilled but did not fall to earth.

Pussy Willows

Eastern Europeans follow the tradition of placing olive branches at Easter ceremonies, but with a slight twist: they use readily available willow branches instead of the impossible to find olive branches. Willows are the first flower to bloom in the spring, and as such represent rebirth. As an ancient symbol that spring had finally arrived, it was viewed as good luck to be tapped on the shoulder by a branch of these soft blooms by a neighbor or loved one. ~ Dutchess

Here's a Pussy Willow tap on the shoulder to all our FR Friends. May you have a happy and blessed week.

Easter is a special time to renew our faith, but it is also a time to bond with family and share those rich traditions that we can pass on from generation to generation. In today's busy world we sometimes lose sight of the family traditions.We hope that this will spark a glow and help you enter this week with a smile on your face.

~~~~~Aquamarine, daisyscarlett and dutchess~~~~~~~

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 04-14-03 ViligantCitizen 04-15-03 Hobsonphile

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
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4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[Mama_Bear]

Thank you for the Easter bear. She's sweet.

Gosh, I've missed everyone so much!

Oh, while I have your attention.....I know you are involved with Rotary, by any chance are you going to the International Convention in Brisbane, Australia? I just got the word that we will be going as representatives from our local Rotary club. I am SO excited!! Although, I'm dreading the long flight down there and back. Will be spending 4 days in Brisbane and 2 days in Sydney.

It would sure be nice if someone I knew was going. We won't know anyone.....but, since people are coming from all over the world, I guess most everyone will be in the same boat. LOL.

[FreeTheHostages]

Awww!! What a wonderful mama bunny!

[FreeTheHostages]

Wow, Australia!! That sounds great!!

[FreeTheHostages]

[FreeTheHostages]

Forgive the bandwidth, but I know you'd enjoy some winners of an Easter egg contest at the White house.

[lavaroise]

Thanks...

There are so many things we do not know. My father passed away last year on the 20th of April... and there are so many things we find out these days he never told us. Nothing big, but it's scary to see how lack of a confession to those in the need to know could be devastating. Some people for inheritence get Mafias running after them because of some drug or gambling debt of their elders.... I'm not in that case, but I met some people my dad knew and I never knew.... pretty sad... because how can you forgive a person when this person does not tell you what they need to be forgiven about?

Intangible people vs. a tangible God is my main theme these days. Who says the Bible is not scientific. It is the best sociological advice of all: do not trust any sociology or model of man, for man is intangible and sinful and can only be confident in telling the ultimate truth to the Lord at times, in prayers.

[The Thin Man]

Hi, The Thin Man, how are you?

Well, lookee here. The one who hurled insults my way last night is asking how I'm doing. Does this mean you're overcome with guilt and shame for your awful treatment of me? :-)

Btw, I'm doing fine, thank you.

[The Thin Man]

Ditto to what Aqua said...Billie's fingerprints ARE all over it...she just insisted that her name be kept off however as the post was completely error free today and she didn't want to disappoint you Thin Man! What she does to keep you happy!

I hate to interject a negative thought, but has it occurred to you that maybe the reason Billie wanted her name left off the thread is because she didn't like it? :-)

[Billie]

Got your mail and am happy to post the Military Prayer today.

God Bless Our Military

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Daisyscarlett; Dansangel; Dutchess; Mama_Bear; and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~

We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son The Mayor........................niece Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................activve duty G'nad....................active duty LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear...........nephew gator girl............husband severa................husband MozartLover...........nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Diver Dave................niece deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Consort...........2 daughters Darheel..................niece dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn...............2 sons

[FreeTheHostages]

Yes, I've rather rapidly overcome my guilt and shame! :)

I'm doing fine too. It's this beautiful spring day here. Christ is Risen. Christ will come again.

[Billie]

Good afternoon and it is such a beautiful day! Hello, sistahs and FRiends!

Aeronaut and g'nad, just wanted you two both to know I was thinking about you and miss you this week.

[GailA]

Google

[dansangel]

Ooooooohhhhh!!!!

:-)

Thank-you (((((((((Meekie!)))))))))

[dansangel]

That's my position on last night's plane ride with Wolfie.

?????

Someone's got some 'splainin' to do!

[dansangel]

I *LOVE* the bunny bear!!

[GailA]

I remember playing this song on the record player for my boys when they were little.

[FreeTheHostages]

Someone's got some 'splainin' to do!

I don't see a subpoena.

[dansangel]

(and boy did we pay for it the next day!)

I have a feeling I'm going to be doing a lot of moaning and holding my stomach come Monday....

...But it will be worth it!! :-)

[Aquamarine]

prime rib, bbq'd chicken and babyback ribs plus assorted meat appetizers...When midnight came we were absolute gluttons LOL! (and boy did we pay for it the next day!)

Sounds like one of those Mylanta moments. heh!

[dansangel]

Hah! Slapped you with a cyber-subpoena!!

Neener, neener!

:-)