Easter Eggs

Hello, lovelies. After 40 long days of Lent, we can now celebrate with our families, eat our entire body weight in chocolate and enjoy ever increasing the sunshine. Easter has always been one of my favourite holidays. And not just because chocolate is one of my favourite food groups. But does Easter mean the same to me as everyone else? Have we lost sight of what the true meaning of Easter is? Does history and religion still have the same importance in our day to day lives? Or is there a hidden Easter egg hidden in plain sight? And that we need to look past all the pomp and expense and look for the true everyday meaning behind Easter. It is no secret that I live for chocolate. It’s my one true love. It’s not that I prefer it to my children, but it’s a close call. Nothing lifts my spirits more than the sight of shelf after shelf, row after row of beautifully wrapped, delicious chocolate eggs. What could mean more to the meaning of Easter than heavily packaged and processed, expensive chocolate? From the buying to the eating, nothing brings more of the Easter spirit into our homes. Why then, is there something missing this year? We have the first few days of sun’s promise of what we can expect this summer. The shops were full of eggs and everything you could possibly need to make this Easter weekend as perfect as possible. How come I’m just not feeling it? I’ve done everything I always do at this time of year. I cooked a large family roast. Used all my very best crockery and new silverware. I even bought the most chincy vintage tea set and tea pot so my family and I can share high tea. I made them watch every Easter film, even bringing out my all-time favourite, the classic Easter Parade staring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. I had put on my most Easter themed dress, one that made me look like a green gingham tablecloth. My eldest daughter even found my old fire pit and led us in singing around a roaring fire. But why was I still not feeling it? Was it something I was doing wrong? Is it all down to my loss of faith? Or not spending enough money to buy my happiness. Where was I going wrong? But what is Easter? Why does the date keep changing each year? And most importantly, why an egg? First, I asked why it is an Easter egg that we share. Why not a bar of chocolate, which would be much easier. But the egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus' emergence from the tomb and resurrection. Decorating and colouring eggs for Easter celebrations is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century. Pretty cool, right? Easter is the end of the old and the rebirth of a new covenant. But what happens if you’re not religious? Does that exclude you from the giving and sharing all those yummy chocolate eggs? No. Not at all. Easter is more than whatever religion you are. The beauty and excitement of this special time transcends the boarders and has the power to unite us all. The date that keep changing, what’s that all about? Easter is a moveable date and depends on the moon. The date of Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon, known as the paschal full moon, following the vernal equinox in late March. Well, I thought it was all to do with the diary makers, so it would keep them on their toes. For me, Easter is so much more than what came before. As much as I love all the history and egg hunts, that I love more is the talking to people. And that’s my little Easter Egg. When I was trying to find the perfect and ridiculous tea set, I went from shop to shop asking people if they could help me. All those conversations. All that laughter when I explained what it was that I was looking for. When trying to find the perfect flowers for my dinning table, I had a fascinating chat with the salesclerk. She told me all about an allotment project that she’s apart of that grows food for her local community. And then there was my work. Working for a beautiful, and great theatre is both a blessing and an amazing way to lose weight! Honestly, there are so many stairs in the building. Great for your cardio. But I was fortunate enough to take my children to see the magical production of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. And all I can say about that is, wow! Just wow! It was so good that I found myself talking to so many new and old friends about it, that it made my heart happy. And to me, that is what makes Easter so magical. It’s not the tea sets, flower arrangements and chocolate eggs. It’s the family and friends, the unexpected chats and laughing. The being alive.