It was just a few years ago that the chicken was just as important as the rabbit at Easter. Both were chocolate and both defied any sane connection with the day, but they were both in the race.
“My chocolate rabbit taste better than your chocolate chicken.”
“Yeah, my chick taste like chicken with chocolate. You don’t even know what rabbit taste like.”
This was a debate of mystery and wonderment, equal with the reason for the day. Easter is the day of Rebirth and if you are Christian it is the most holy day of the year, more than Christmas. On this day life over came death. If you believe it, it is the most powerful thing in life. You will be born again, or you will live forever after you die. Christians believe it. Also Moslems and Jews and Hindus and other religions believe it with some deviations on how you get there.
But it is only Christians who latched onto the egg as the symbol of birth. The egg is a good and understandable symbol. It is continual rebirth. No argument. But then someone thought it should be delievered by a rabbit. Which became chocolate. But also in Easter basket for years was the chick, because what else would come from an egg?
However there was a time when parents wanted to add reality into Easter by bringing home live chicks to run around while their kids went hunting for eggs, which were plastic. The animal rights people thought this was not good and asked the candy makers to cut the chicks out of the Easter parade, which most of them did. That would get the chicks out of sight and so they would be out of mind, which worked.
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That leaves only the bunny to bring eggs, which makes no sense at all, but less parents bring home rabbits to hop around while their kids are looking for eggs, probably because the rabbits leave little eggs of their own which you have to pry out of the hands of toddlers before they eat them. And regarding eggs, if you are still colouring them at home you are in the smallest minority. Most buy ready made plastic eggs that they can put a tiny chocolate bunny inside, knocking the chick out of the only home it can honestly call its own.
At least, and I am happy to say this, at least I have not seen many chocolate crosses lately. Considering the pain and suffering that went on there it is disconcerting to see a little kid chomping away on a crucifix. That could make an atheist cringe.
And finallly, the best Easter egg hunt story I ever heard came from a friend who told me that while she and some other parents were hiding eggs in a park they found a case of beer that had apparently been hidden by some teenagers. The parents drank the beer and hid their eggs so well their kids never found most of them.
Happy Easter.
Mike
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