"He is risen!" Those words, beyond all others, give life and hope to the Christian world. With the dawn on Easter Sunday come traditions that transcend all others with the holiest of days. I remember some of those.
In my memory, Easter was always sunny and always at the farm (the home of my grandparents--the home that was the source of my stability as a child). We had dyed eggs a day or two before, and Mother carefully counted them. (I learned that they were counted to make sure they all returned after The Hunt, lest we find a rotten egg somewhere, months later!) If we went to the Sunrise Service at church, The Hunt came afterward; if not, we hunted eggs early in the morning before the regular service. (The Sunrise Service began at 6:00 AM, and breakfast was served in the church basement afterward. We didn't go to that often because of the early hour and the problems of getting all of us going in the same direction in time!)
The Easter Bunny hid the eggs in the living room. (We never, ever, had an outdoor hunt--I think because the weather couldn't always be counted on.) There were no plastic eggs or prepared baskets with gifts, in those days. (The plastic eggs didn't exist, and the prepared baskets were too expensive.) There were, however, the hard-boiled eggs we had colored, some marshmallow "peeps", jelly beans, and the piece de resistance--a hollow chocolate bunny. We found them first, then Mom sorted out who could have what (making sure that everyone got a fair share of the loot). And then, it was off to church.
Many Easters, there were purple orchid corsages for my mother and grandmother to wear to church. Dad made sure of that. Then we trekked to the Ancona Church of Christ, a little church founded near the railroad tracks in Ancona, IL (which isn't on most maps), by my great-great-grandfather, among others. The church had fifty fold-down theater seats in the sanctuary, and a room in the back into which they could expand with folding chairs on days like Easter when there were more in attendance. Often, there was "special music," sung by members of the church. (When I was in high school and college, I was the special music at least four times, singing "The Holy City"--a really old Easter song, or "I Know My Redeemer Liveth" from The Messiah. I dedicated one of those to my grandparents, nearly making my grandmother cry.) And always, always were the favored Easter hymns. I can still hear my grandfather's deep bass voice singing jubilant harmony: "Up from the grave He arose (He arose)/With a mighty triumph o'er His foes...." The sermon was given, the Communion plates were passed, and the prayers offered...and we were discharged into the world with happy hearts, to return to our homes for Easter dinner and family time.
I don't remember that we had any special Easter food. Fried chicken was a common sabbath meal at the farm. Maybe ham. I don't recall. I do recall, however, that the colored Easter eggs sat in a bowl in the middle of the table as a centerpiece for a day or two, and none of us ever got sick from eating them!
Today, there is no sunshine, and it is really cold outside. The farm is gone, as are my parents and grandparents. But the songs live on in my heart, as do the memories. I hope to help create some of those happy memories for my grandchildren as we create our own sunshine and our own warmth, with the promise of spring and life everlasting.
I bid Happy Easter to all, with wishes that your hearts be not troubled as life begins anew today. He is risen!
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