Marti’s Blog

Easter… a time for new beginnings

Don’t you just adore Easter?

As I am getting older, Easter is becoming my favourite holiday and it is not just because of the chocolate and delicious baked delights (although I am a sucker for speckled eggs and frozen marshmallow eggs).  Like Christmas, Easter for me means time with family and friends, but in a lot of ways it is a gentler encounter because this holiday is not as tainted by frantic shopping sprees, endless jingles and excessive behaviour.

I find it easier to be mindful of the spiritual connection with Easter than I do at Christmas time. It is, after all, the oldest festival of the Christian church (although it has Pagan roots) and has symbolic links with the Jewish Passover (commemorating their exit from Israel and the end of slavery) and therefore has to be respected.  For everyone it means a new beginning.

Easter for me also means the end of the harsh summer and the beginning of a new season. The leaves on the oak trees and the vines turn colour and the horizon takes on an amber hue as the days grow shorter.  This is usually the time when the rain arrives and we light our first fire of the season and that changes everything: long lie-ins in the morning, followed by toasted and buttered hot cross buns with hot chocolate, lingering lunches and another snooze in the afternoon.

And then there is the fun element that brings out the child in me – cute bunnies, soft lambs, cocky chickens, painted eggs, and early-morning egg hunts when the world is fresh and new. I always make sure that there is some sort of Easter decoration at the window, on the table or in the garden and that, as the sun sets, I light a cross candle.

And why all the bunnies?
Although the bible makes no mention of the long-eared, fluffy creature who delivers decorated eggs to well-behaved children on Easter Sunday, the Easter bunny has become a prominent symbol of Christianity’s most important holiday.  The exact origins of this mythical mammal are unclear but rabbits are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life and Easter is the time of new beginnings.  The use of rabbits over Easter holds its origin amongst German Lutherans, dating back to the late 1600’s. They originally played the role of Judges,  evaluating whether children were well-behaved at the start of the Easter season, similar to Santa Claus at Christmas and then rewarding good behaviour with chocolates and gifts.

Be that as it may, Easter should not pass us by without indulging in good chocolate eggs and a decorative bunny strategically placed somewhere in the house to remind us of this special time.

The Cross; a symbol of Easter.
Whether you are religious or not, it is important to be mindful of the reason we celebrate Easter and the cross is undoubtedly symbolic of Easter.  I always light a cross candle as the sun sets during this time.

Overall, Easter is also a good time to take a break from the frenzied momentum of day-to-day life, pause, reflect, recharge and plan the months that lie ahead.

Happy holidays everyone!

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