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I can’t recall
when winter has seemed longer or when spring has felt more
welcome than this year. Last week, I bought some pussy willow
and yellow tulips, and I find I am smiling every time I
pass their way. The poet Anne Bradstreet said, “If
we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if
we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would
not be so welcome.”
Easter, is, of course, the oldest Christian holiday and
the central event of the Christian faith, marking the resurrection
of Christ. The origin of the word is uncertain, but is thought
to derive from Estre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring.
Passover, which began at sundown April 8, celebrates the
liberation of Israelite slaves from Egypt. Both holidays
celebrate a new beginning and are filled with hope for a
brighter day. Originally, Easter eggs were painted with
bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring, and were
given as gifts, at first, to the servants.
Later, we adopted the German custom of giving them to children,
along with other gifts. Crimson eggs, representing the blood
of Christ, are the tradition in Greece, while Slavic people
prefer patterns of gold and silver. Pisanki eggs are popular
with Poles and Ukrainians and are works of art consisting
of complex layers of lines and colors, requiring much skill
and patience to make.
Eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season,
so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end
of the period of penance and fasting and then celebrate
by eating them on Easter.
Now we often hide eggs and have an Easter egg hunt for
the children. At Passover, at the festive meal known as
the Seder, some of the matzo, called the Afikoman, is hidden,
and after dinner the children must find it so that everyone
at the table may eat a piece.
Here at our small, neighborly, condominium complex, the
coming of spring also marks the welcome return of many of
our neighbors who winter in Florida.
Hanging baskets filled with colorful flowers begin to appear,
along with visiting grandchildren playing ball or riding
their bikes. Time to put away the heavy sweaters, winter
comforters and wool socks.
Time to make plans for some outdoor activities or visiting
friends; no need to worry if it will snow. Spring has arrived,
and isn’t it delightful?
In closing, here’s some advice from the Easter bunny:
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
- Walk softly and carry a big carrot.
- Chocolate-covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and
strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.
- Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.
Jean Cherni is founder of Senior
Living Solutions, a retirement advisory service. Contact
her at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds, Branford
06405.
H. Pearce Company REALTORS®
is a full-service real estate company with more than 100
agents and branch offices in greater New Haven and the Shoreline.
Corporate and & Commercial offices are located in North
Haven, where the company was founded in 1958. All listings
can be found in color on the web at: www.hpearce.com. |
