March 26, 1986
Somehow Easter crept up on me this year. I think the weather had a lot to do with it. It’s hard to think about spring outfits and flowers when it’s snowing outside.
Not that new spring hats or outfits seem to be as important as they once were. It may be because we now have the money to buy new outfits more often, or because our lifestyles have changed or possibly we’re tired of looking at those old pictures in the photo album.
Recently my kids helped their grandparents move and in the process discovered some old photos of long past Easters. There we were in our flowered hats and toppers. For those of you who don’t remember the 50’s, a topper was a short, full cut coat which could double for a maternity top. In pastel pinks and greens they were all the rage.
Every Easter Dad bought us all a corsage and we got up early to make it to the Easter Sunrise service. After the traditional photo taking session it was off to Grandma’s for Easter dinner, but not before we found our Easter baskets. I never could understand why I had to search for my basket when my friends had theirs sitting on their nightstand when they woke up.
Of course today new clothes and baskets filled with candy are just part of the Easter loot kids receive. Listening to the youngsters in my nursery class at church I learned the lists for toys are almost as long as the ones they compile at Christmas time. As for Easter dinner it seems a restaurant may have replaced Grandmother’s house.
But the old habit of taking pictures has yet to be broken. I expect that 30 years from now there will be another generation of parents trying to explain to their children what it was about the outfits they had on that was considered “fashion”.
And Easter will be the first day of spring as far as I’m concerned – the day we can finally break out the pastel clothes, and the white shoes and put the winter coat back in the closet for another season. Here’s hoping we’ve seen the last of old man winter for a long, long time.
GCB