I’m writing this at 10:30 on
Thursday night. Ryan and I were gone this evening to serve at a service at our
church, and then we had to pick up some groceries, and then we remembered we
had laundry in the washer and a loaf of bread to make. Whoopsie. So the laundry
is tumbling and the bread is kneading (thank you, bread maker, for your
service) and I am writing to you.
Today
is Good Friday, and whether you’re off work, at work, on spring break, or
staycationing, I urge you to take some time to think about the
significance of this day.
This
Easter weekend inspired my Flashback Friday topic today – and it’s to think about
how you celebrated Easter growing up. I’ve written before about how my family
participated in the Marion Easter Pageant and how deeply it shaped my Easter experiences
as a child, teenager, and even young adult. I wrote about how much I
miss it, lessons
I learned from it, shared pictures
of it, and some
more memories, too.
All
my childhood memories involve this pageant. I remember going to the
Headquarters of the pageant (housed in a big old house that smelled like stored
costumes…because it did just that) and sitting at a big table to listen to the
director go over our parts with us. We played the same parts every year, but
she still explained them to us and wanted us to understand the importance of
each one.
I
remember going to all the rehearsals in the big, cold gym and seeing all the people
we hadn’t seen since the previous year at the same time.
I
remember all the kids gathering beside the orchestra pit to watch and listen to
a demonstration on how they created the thunder for the storm so we wouldn’t be
scared when it happened during the presentation.
I
remember Wednesday night dress rehearsal, when we finally saw everyone in costume
for the first time. I remember how we always went out for a snack after and people
would stare at our strange makeup.
I
remember going to bed so early on the Saturday night before Easter and willing
myself to fall asleep, because the alarm would go off at 3:15. You know what
guarantees a person to NOT fall asleep? A 3:15 a.m. alarm.
I
remember finally falling asleep about 3:14. 😉
I
remember parking in the darkness of night, a block away from the big old
building, and half-walking, half-running through the slightly sketchy city streets
toward the back door of the building, inside, and down the hall to our frigid
dressing room. I remember drinking chocolate milk and eating donuts before
putting on the dark makeup. The water for makeup application was always freezing.
And
after the sunrise presentation of the Pageant, we ran out the door and toward
the car so we could hurry home, pull off all the dark brown makeup, and get
dressed for Easter church.
Mom
always had an Easter basket for me, and I would eagerly dig through it as soon
as I’d gotten ready for the day. Candy, nail polish, books…always fun treats
inside.
I
always had a new dress for Easter Sunday – and a hat too, when I was younger.
New white shoes. Sometimes a new purse!
We
went to church, where I would continue to find traces of brown makeup, and when
I was very young, I usually fell asleep during the service. 3:15 a.m. wake-up
calls and kiddos don’t mix well.
After
church, we would go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for lunch with the extended
family. And then we would go home to nap some more.
Ryan
and I have our own Easter traditions, including exchanging Easter baskets and
usually getting new clothes, too.
So
as you think about and write about life this week…
What were your Easter
traditions?
Did you have Easter baskets? What
kinds of things did you find in them?
Did you get new Easter dresses?
Hats? Gloves? Shoes?
Did you go to special Holy Week
services? Sing in a church cantata?
Did your family have Easter egg
hunts?
Were there foods you had ever year
on Easter?
Did your church have special
traditions?
I
always love seeing how traditions change for people over the years. Don’t
neglect to document how you celebrated your Easters!
