Serving the Vermont Champlain Valley Area for 45 Years
Tuesday March 27, 2018 Edition
Main Sections
Front Page SportsValley VitalsIt's in the StarsStarwiseArchivesLinksAbout The VoiceContact Us







Ways To Celebrate Easter

Tuesday March 27, 2018

By Cookie Steponaitis

Aside from the obvious and powerful message of Easter as celebrated by the Christian faiths, there are as many ways to celebrate Easter as there are eggs in some children’s baskets. So before you think you are all ready to celebrate, consider a multi-cultural world view and you might just hold your peeps and add in a bilby or two.
    Australians love holidays but they are not quite so enchanted with rabbits and beginning in 1991 the nation launched a campaign to rid the country of what are considered pests. As the wild rabbits of Australia were put on notice, the Easter Bunny got a new look as well. Today in stores around the nation, Australians purchase chocolate Easter Bilby or rabbit-earned bandicoots. While they resemble the Easter Bunny a touch, they are actually marsupials with a mission. Proceeds from the sale of these chocolate treats go into a fund supporting projects protecting endangered animals like the Bilby and Bandicoot.
    If you simply cannot wait for summer and want to jumpstart the season now, Easter has a unique offering for you. A Polish Easter tradition called Smigusdyngus is an excuse to breakout the water guns and start soaking unsuspecting relatives. The tradition calls for buckets of water or even simple squirt guns, but the goal is the more water the better. This unique Easter tradition dates back to 966 AD mimicking the baptism of a former prince.
    For those of you hungry for something more than chocolate, the south of France should be your Easter destination. The French town of Bessieres knows how to serve up Easter and is unmatched in the world of giant omelets. Using more than 4,500 eggs, French chefs create an omelet that feeds close to 1,000 people. The tradition dates back to the passing of Napoleon’s army through the village and stopping in a tavern to eat an omelet. Falling in love with the French cuisine, he then ordered the local people to bring all of their eggs and make a huge omelet for his troops and the tradition continued.
    If you are a bit more of a traditionalist, the annual White House Easter Egg Roll will be held for the 120th time and will bring together children from the DC area and this year some 39 states. After rolling the eggs across the lawn, there will be games, treats and yes even the Easter Bunny will make an appearance.
    Any if you just want an excuse to have fun, add in the American tradition of sporting an Easter bonnet out and about to home, church and with friends. This European idea started to become very popular in the early 1900’s in New York City and for many years the Easter Bonnet Parade was a city highlight. Anyway, those of you that can, gather with those you love and pause to reflect in your own way and fashion on all that we have and we hold dear. Happy Easter from the Valley Voice.


 Printer Friendly  Top
Advertisements


Search our Archives


· More Options



   

Agricultural Weather Forecast:

© 2006-18 The Valley Voice • 656 Exchange St., Middlebury, VT 05753 • 802-388-6366 • 802-388-6368 (fax)
Valleywides: [email protected] • Classifieds: [email protected] • Info: [email protected]