Easter traditions (Motherhood Journeys guest post)

It's Good Friday and the Easter weekend officially starts here!  What are your plans for this weekend?  Getting away from it all?  Hiding away at home?  Business as usual?

Whatever you do, I tend to find we have little family traditions that sneak into our lives and hang around year on year.  In my house for example, my husband will be working.  As a sports journalist he's most busy at weekends, bank holidays...whenever any sport is on basically.  It's not great but it keeps the money coming in.

The last of my fabulous guest posting bloggers is the delightful Corinne who writes Motherhood Journeys; a mothering blog about life with three boys (I don't know how she does it!) and a love of the outdoors.  Here's her take on Easter traditions...

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When I was asked to write about Easter traditions I panicked slightly as I thought we didn’t have any and then I thought back to my childhood and the Easter traditions my mother put in place for us.  As with most religious times of the year there are Pagan rituals associated with the period too, at least I feel that it’s a time of year to think about spring and new life.  Where else has the tradition for eggs, bunnies and daffodils come from? 

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I grew up in a home where Easter was a religious time and we would go to church, however, my Mum also made us believe the Easter bunny left us chocolate eggs.  I still remember the thrill of searching for our eggs, there were four of us and we’d each have an egg with our names on hidden somewhere around the house.  In my memory mine was always hidden in the bath but that is probably not the case! 

I remember the joy of that chocolate egg and pretty much eating it in one go, chocolate was a rare treat for us.  I also remember my Mum’s egg often still being on top of the cupboard a year later and never understanding why she didn’t eat it, I still don’t! 

I asked my sister what she does at Easter as I know it is a very special time for her, this is what she told me. 

“Our Easter tradition is to visit my lovely friend D, we've been visiting her at Easter since the boys were quite young and I think in recent years, only missed one year - that year was also lovely as you came to see us and I did an Easter egg hunt in the garden for your boys.  Easter has always been a special time at D's though - she is brilliant and makes such an effort with Easter decorations dotted around the house and an Easter egg hunt for the boys.  There is always lovely food and wine (not forgetting chocolate!) and time to catch up with each other.  D makes up little beds in the loft space for the boys with gorgeous red gingham covers, comfy cushions and teddy bears....two or three years ago I remember D saying that she didn't know if the boys would still want to do this as they grow up but they are FAR from wanting to stop....I remember joking that I'll still be bringing them when they are 18 and 20 and to be honest, if she would put up with us still I don't think that is far wrong!!!  I used to joke with her daughter when she was younger that I should be taking my 'Godmother' duties seriously and take her to church on Easter Sunday, but I think Easter should be a time to spend time with the people we love & making the most of the children being off school and the Bank holiday.  I actually look forward to Easter as much as I look forward to Christmas.” 

I personally found this very interesting as it is so different to what I do and yet we had the same type of upbringing. 

When I had my eldest son he was fortunate enough to have lots of aunts and uncles to spoil him with chocolate eggs and as I didn’t want it to go completely crazy on chocolate I rarely bought him an egg too.  He usually spends Easter with his Dad and Grandparents so still gets lots of chocolate.  I sometimes bought him a little toy but as he got older didn’t get him anything. 

With my younger boys I’ve decided not to mark Easter.  There are a few reasons, I suppose I still associate it with a religious holiday and as an atheist it feels wrong to mark the occasion.  I think a sudden rush of chocolate can give children an unhealthy relationship with food, I know I struggle with chocolate and if it’s in the house will binge eat it even if I don’t enjoy it.  I recently had a conversation with my hypnotherapist about this and how to stop my children having the same issues and we both agreed that making chocolate just food you have from time to time is healthier than it being a treat.  It’s just another type of fuel rather than a ‘treat’ that you get for being good or on a special occasion. 

So I suppose my tradition will be to not have any.  I can see Easter time being a period of camping trips and enjoying being outside.  I love springtime and the opportunity to get outdoors without 20 layers of clothing once again!

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