Easter

[Clodfobble]

What do you do with your kids on Easter? More specifically, how far do you feel obligated to go with the festivities?

We happen to have my stepkids on Easter this year for the first time ever. (It usually falls on the second weekend of the month, but this year it's technically the "first weekend" because April 1st was part of the "fifth weekend" in March. ANYWAY...) When I was a kid, we did none of the typical Easter things--no eggs, no baskets, nothing. We went out to a fancy brunch with some family friends, that was our tradition. My husband's family did this very involved thing where instead of an egg hunt their mother hid little rhyming clues around the house that would each lead to the next clue, ultimately leading to their Easter baskets that had plastics-eggs-with-candy and small toys.

He would in theory like to continue his mother's tradition, but things are just so incredibly crazy around here right now--I mentioned in a couple other threads that we just sold our house, and we now have about 2 weeks to find our own new house, buy it, finish packing and move. Hell, we might even be out looking at houses on Easter Sunday. Oh, and my husband screwed up his shoulder pretty badly and is wearing a sling and can't lift the baby at all for who knows how long. So I just don't know if I have it in me to write cutesy poems this week (and let's not fool ourselves, despite it being his family's tradition he's so busy with work right now that I'll have to do it or it won't get done.) On the other hand, in a lot of ways it would be easier than physically hiding eggs outside. But my dad's still having his yearly fancy brunch, and I'd rather just go to that and be done with it, since we'll have to eat that day anyway. But does that make me a bad parent? Mr. Clodfobble says I was denied my childhood because of my lack of Easter egg hunts, among other things.

[wolf]

I have no children and do not celebrate the death of crucified god.

But I eat the chocolate bunnies anyway. And jellybeans. I lurves the jellybeans. They are at their ripest now.

[Griff]

We did a pretty small indoor candy hunt when I was a kid. Pete was raised a Fundementalist Unitarian though so in respect for her upbringing, we do a fairly involved circus of clues to find the Easter baskets. Outside of that we have an extended family dinner featuring pork products to emphasize our new arrangement with God.

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by wolf

I have no children and do not celebrate the death of crucified god.

Let's see: rabbits, eggs, celebrations of fertility... Easter is about Jesus?

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

Let's see: rabbits, eggs, celebrations of fertility... Easter is about Jesus?

Jesus, Kits. Don't you know anything? Easter is when Jesus comes out of the cave and if he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter. Duh.

[SteveDallas]

Easter and Christmas are not holidays for church musicians. (Not if you're talking about Christian churches, anyway.) From Friday to Sunday there will be five services that at least one member of the Dallas clan is performing in.

Therefore Easter "dinner" is likely to be peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. Maybe Chef Boyardee Ravioli if we're feeling ambitious.

Easter baskets will, according to family tradition, be filled with items purchased at about 11PM Saturday night at a local 24-hour chain pharmacy. Our church sponsors a neighborhood Easter egg hunt on Saturday which will be another source of candy for the kids (not to mention the grownups). Fortunately we don't have to do anything for that one except show up.

[SteveDallas]

What the heck is a Fundamentalist Unitarian? (If you had asked me, I would have said it was an oxymoron.)

[Griff]

It was supposed to be an amusing oxymoron... *sigh* I failed to amuse once more.

[wolf]

Originally Posted by Griff

It was supposed to be an amusing oxymoron... *sigh* I failed to amuse once more.

I thought it was hilarious.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by wolf

I thought it was hilarious.

Excellent, now I can concentrate on my writing and bazeball.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by Griff

It was supposed to be an amusing oxymoron... *sigh* I failed to amuse once more.

I got it, and I laughed until I stopped.

[SteveDallas]

Hey, I feel your pain.. I've done that before many times. It was a great line, though I wouldn't be surprised if there actually is such a thing.

[Happy Monkey]

My Easter plans are: Watch the Sopranos!

When I was a kid, eggs and candy were hidden around the house. My mom did the treasure hunt thing for a few birthdays, though.

[King]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

My Easter plans are: Watch the Sopranos!

I'll be watching Six Feet Under myself.

[Sundae]

Easter was very different in the UK (although like Halloween it is acquiring an American flavour now). We celebrated it seriously, being Catholic, but our celebration was even further from the "chocolates and bunnies and egg hunts" than your family's was.

My Dad did set up a treasure hunt for us one year - clues for my sister & I to find our one egg, and Dad and I repeated it later for my younger brother, but I think that was coincidental (he would sometimes set up fun & games for no reason whatsoever).

On a usual Easter Sunday we would come downstairs and find our egg at our breakfast plate. (Typical British Easter eggs - chocolate eggs with a bag of sweets inside & sometimes a mug or an eggcup or a toy in the box too). Very occasionally we would be allowed to open it and eat some of the contents before Mass. But the contents are small beer compared to the egg anyway.

Then Mass, really really early so we would get a seat - Easter was always packed out. Before I was 12 my Grandparents lived in London so they would stay with us, as would Grandad's sister (Fatty Alice). After that they moved to Aylesbury - opposite the church in fact - so we would go to their place afterwards. Possibly another egg, possibly some money or a toy. Then all home to ours for the best part of the day - extra special Sunday roast. It was a really joyful occasion despite not having the same haul as Christmas. I loved Easter.

Then the oldies would fall asleep in front of whatever film was on as the Easter blockbuster, and someone would take us out for a walk.

It was special - a proper Christian celebration. A high day. A Holy day. I do miss it in a way.

Anyway, back to you.
I say, have a proper sit-down chat with your other half re this. I accept that he says you were deprived in a tongue-in-cheek way, but the truth is just because something is the cultural norm it doesn't mean that you should follow it. The children I know veer between anarchy and arch-conservatism. Which ever mode they're in at the time, some variation in the routine is good for them.

If he is not willing to put the work in to keep everything identical to what their mother provides then I think he should accept your family's way of doing things. Even if you do the fancy brunch and they hate it, stick to it and I bet in years to come they include it as family tradition.