Friday, April 22, 2011

Easter Memories and Traditions

It's Good Friday and as I revealed in my last post -- growing up in a church going family -- this day, along with the entire Easter weekend was/is pretty special.
So, today I'm going to reminisce about some of the Easter traditions I remember.

I remember Easter church services and the awesome programs/plays they had.  Some of them were totally and downright amazing.  The story of Easter is really awesome and amazing itself.  He's ALIVE!
It is the reason for the holiday.

My Mom would start weeks in advance shopping for the perfect Easter dress and hat for me to wear to church.  As I got older this was exciting because she would let me pick out a new dress and even then I LOVED.LOVED getting all dressed up!
Weeks in advance my Mother would also start making these string Easter eggs.  Click here to see what I'm talking about.  I'm not sure why I remember this but I do remember helping her and thinking that it was a neat craft. 

She also used to do other Easter crafts with us such as hand blowing eggs then decorating them -- and then of course there was the dying of eggs.

Egg hunts? They were a big deal at our house.  My brother is 5-years older than me but even he would get into it.
My parents never hid the hard boiled eggs.  Instead it was the plastic ones and they had candy and prizes inside.

When I got to be a teenager and we moved to Arkansas that's when it got REAL good.  My Aunt and Uncle would put money in them and me and my cousins would almost fight over them.  The golden egg would have $100 in it!
 I'm not sure if the above picture is Easter or Mother's day(since my Mom has a flower on), but you get the idea.  I don't have any other Easter pictures on this computer so you can enjoy this for now. 

Easter baskets were the 'real deal' in our house too.  I sort of saw it as a mini-Christmas which is terrible.  I used to get up early and just stare at my basket looking at all the goodies that were in there until everyone else got up and we could open them.
My Mom would buy us real stuff for our baskets instead of just candy.  I was a baby doll freak back in the day and I remember getting clothes and all sorts of goodies for them in my basket. 

As I got older it was magazines, makeup and other fun stuff.  I remember when I was too old for an Easter basket.  I think it might have been when I came home from college.  I was sad! HA!

Another Easter memory, which I barely remember, is that my Grandmother(who just passed), would have a nest of grass and eggs outside the door on Easter morning when she came to visit and would tell us the Easter bunny left it for us.

Lasty, I don't remember any certain foods that we had every single Easter except ambrosia salad.  Is that just a Southern thing? I mentioned it to Brad the other night and he laughed and said it sounded gross.

So, now on to make my own traditions and continue the ones I knew as a child.
What do you remember most about Easter as a kid?

Happy Easter everyone!

11 comments:

Dee said...

You look so adorable in the first pic lol! Happy Easter boo!

I Do Declare said...

Your Easter bonnet - I love it!!! One Easter I got Sebagos in my Easter basket. Remember those shoes? Knotting them, instead of tying? I'm sure your Easter dinner will be so nice, can't wait for pictures!

Nikki said...

Love your little Easter bonnet. So cute. Ambrosia salad reminds me of Edward Scissorhands ;)

Happy Easter dear! Enjoy that prime rib, I'm jealous!

The Jones Family said...

Awe love the old pictures! Our baskets were awesome growing up too and I've carried on the same with my babies. LOVE seeing their sweet faces the morning of. And church services are AMAZING as well!

The Lenzers said...

aggh, the easter dress! it was the most important dress of the year. no one really dresses up anymore-like that anyway! like the dorthy hammil (sp?) haircut, I had it too! And our baskets were like a mini christmas too!

Jenny DB said...

So I didn't know that was called "Ambrosia" salad but my grandma makes that every year also, we call it the salad you avoid if you dont want to get a tummy ache.. i think since shes been in a wheelchair with MS since 40 and when she prepares salads theres not a whole lot of handwashing between all the "rolling around" and so yeah, that's a PASS :-) hehe love the throwback pictures youre such a cutie!

Jo said...

What fond memories ~ love the cute pictures! My Easter bunny also tucked in useful goodies as well as a healthy sampling of our favorite candies. After church we were off to our grandparents for the big family gathering.

Wishing you and Brad a blessed Easter ~
Jo

Ashley said...

Look at little Dee!!! So cute!! My mom always dressed me up in a special Easter dress and hat too. We used to always go to Church Easter morning. I wish I went to a church now...I kind of miss going. My husband is NOT a church going person, which is funny because his parents met at church...
Anyway, I love all your traditions. My mom used to do a big easter egg hunt for us. I decorated eggs yesterday and propped ANika up to make it look like she was helping :) It was more for the photo opp and the START of our tradition. Have a WONDERFUL Easter weekend Dee!

Sandra said...

I think if my mom had bothered to put me in an adorable Easter outfit, I might not have left the church! I'm going to hit her up with that theory tomorrow! :)
You were a cutie!

SASS said...

Love that first picture! You look so dang cute! The tights!
I remember getting all decked out for Easter too- purse, gloves, hat, tights, lacy socks, poofy dress...the whole thing.
What fun memories you have!

Morgan said...

Oh woman... all those food pictures made me SO HUNGRY! AHHH. And yes... make the muffins. They're delish!!