Story Hour
Easter
Written by Gene B. Williams
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Easter means several things, often all at the same time. Winter is at an end, and Spring has started. The snow and ice give way to plants and animals coming back to life (or so it seems). From this we get stories of the Easter Bunny and a basket of eggs. Both are signs of new life. (After all, eggs hatch into chickens that lay eggs that hatch into chickens.) Flowers begin to bloom again and bring color. So, we dye Easter eggs all sorts of bright colors.
OF BLESSING THE EASTER BASKET IN THE UKRAINE
Germany, well decorated with eggs; also trees and bushes
IN GERMANY YOU MIGHT FIND AN OSTERBRUNNEN
A TREE OR BUSH DECORATED WITH EGGS.
Although the season is about the new birth, and that means food and goodies, it’s also about want and sacrifice.
Those of the Jewish faith have Passover. This is about when the Jews escaped Egypt. According to the story (you can find it in Exodus and many other places), the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt. Egypt’s king, called pharaoh (fair-oh), wasn’t very nice. A man named Moses demanded that the Jews be set free. The pharaoh refused. This brought on a series of plagues, each worse than the one before. Terrible things happened! Finally, the pharaoh agreed – but soon changed his mind. The Jews were in such a hurry to get away that they didn’t even wait for their bread to rise. This is called leavening. Passover is a reminder of that time. Only unleavened bread can be eaten during Passover. In fact, lots of foods are a part of it.
Passover begins with the Seder. This is a traditional feast with special foods on the Seder plate. After the feast, the family gathers to hear the story of Moses and the exodus (escape and travel) of the Israelites (Jews) from Egypt. Within this story are also things like the Ten Commandments. The story says that it took 40 years before the Hebrews finally came home to Israel.
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For Christians, Lent is the 40 days before Easter. It’s a time to appreciate what we have by making sacrifices. Once again, a center has to do with what we eat. Fasting (not eating) is often a part of it. No one can stop eating for 40 days, but as the Jews give up leavened bread, Christians give up their own favorite things to eat – and more. “What will you give up for Lent?”
Countries such as England and Ireland have simnel cakes. These are fruit cakes made in layers, with almond paste (marzipan) between the layers. On top are 11 or 12 balls of marzipan. These are for Jesus and the disciples – except Judas. Simnel is served halfway through Lent. It’s a sort of recess from giving up things, and a time to enjoy again.
Some have a large feast before it begins – like Seder. Most have another feast at the end. Do you have a big Easter dinner? Also on this day are other kinds of celebrations. There are parades. People wear new Spring clothes. There are Easter egg hunts and many other things.
For much of the world, Easter itself is about when Jesus was crucified on the cross (Good Friday) and came back to life 3 days later (Easter) to rise into heaven. Christmas is for the birth of Jesus. Easter is for his death, and then his REbirth (called resurrection).
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According to the Bible, Jesus was to be put to death by a punishment called crucifixion. For this, the person is nailed to a cross then lifted up to die slowly. This is why the cross is a symbol of the Christian religion. You can read the story of his life, and his death and resurrection in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
More than anything, this season is what you make of it.
THE EASTER BUNNY
Some object that the religious holiday of Easter brings in other things, such as the Easter Bunny. No one is quite sure how the legend began, or when. It’s VERY old – at least 2000 years old. As the story was told in different areas, it got changed. Our word “Easter” comes from these old stories. In a way, if it weren’t for the Easter Bunny, we wouldn’t have Easter.
Well, we’d have it – it would just be named something very different.
Spring is when the world comes back to life. Birds, rabbits and other animals all begin to make nests and then to make babies. For people, the winter is over. The air is warm again. The ground can be planted. We can EAT!
Even in the very early tales, the Ostrehase (Easter hare) brought colored eggs, candy and even presents (for good children). Sometimes he wore clothes, sometimes he didn’t.
In 1902, Beatrix Potter began to write stories about Peter Rabbit. He had nothing to do with being an Easter rabbit, at least not yet.
In 1910, Thornton Burgess began to write stories about another Peter Rabbit. For a little while, this Peter decided that he wanted a more fancy name and called himself Peter Cottontail. That didn’t last, but stories and comic strips written by Burgess kept going. So did the idea of Peter being part of Easter.
In 1950 Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins wrote the song “Here Comes Peter Cottontail.” It became yet another hit for Gene Autry.
In 1957, Peter was very much a part of being the Easter Bunny when Priscilla and Otto Friedrich wrote a book called “The Easter Bunny That Overslept.”
Then in 1971, Rankin-Bass used their talent with animation, and the voice talents of people like Danny Kaye and Vincent Price to make, “Here Comes Peter Cottontail.”
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Click on Gene Autry and you can sing along
(with the help of http://www.brownielocks.com )
Brownielocks has the words, but here they are if you want them ahead of time.
Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hopping down the bunny trail.
Hippity hoppity,
Easter's on its way!
Bringing every girl and boy
Baskets full of Easter joy
Things to make your Easter
Bright and gay.
He's got jelly beans for Tommy,
Colored eggs for sister Sue.
There's an orchid for your mommy,
And an Easter basket, too. Oh!
Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin' down the bunny trail.
Hippity hoppity
Easter's on its way!
Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hopping down the bunny trail.
Look at him stop and listen to him say,
"Try to do the things you should."
Maybe if you're extra good,
He'll roll lots of Easter eggs your way.
You'll wake up on Easter morning
And you'll know that he was there,
When you find those chocolate bunnies
That he's hidden everywhere. Oh!
Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hopping down the bunny trail.
Hippity hoppity
Happy Easter Day!
You can also watch the entire “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” video by Rankin-Bass. It’s a full 50 minutes long, and a LOT of fun! Just click on this link to watch on YouTube. You can also watch the video by clicking play below.
Hmmm. Why not get your friends together for an Easter party? You can sing along, watch the movie, make (and eat) Easter treats. (Eater Treats?) Even if you’ve waited to read this and now it’s August … so what? There are lots of silly laws, but none that say you can’t color eggs in August (or January, or ….). Any time is a great time to learn how to make gum drops, peanut butter, deviled eggs and other things you’ll find in Lunch With Nicker.
Why not learn more about the Seder Plate? Or a simnel cake?
Jack’s Arizona Easter
Jack Jackrabbit lived in the desert of Arizona. He was a very happy hare – except when he was chased by a hungry coyote. Even that was fun. Sometimes. With his huge back feet Jack could run faster, and turn faster. His greatest fun was when he would dodge beneath a cactus just ahead of the coyote. If the coyote was not paying close attention – and was running too fast – it would get a nose-full of cactus thorns.
OUCH! (at least for the coyote)
Where do you live? What is it like there?
For Jack, it was a desert. The Sonoran Desert. Jack lived near a stream, but it wasn’t a stream. It was an arroyo. Most of the time it was dry, without water. Jack didn’t mind. Many of the bushes and small trees had plenty of juicy (to Jack) seeds, and tasty (to Jack) twigs and bark. Especially in the Spring, there would be wonderful fruits – and Jack knew all the best places to get them.
The coyote, or her relatives, could be trouble sometimes. Jack had to be alert always. He knew from last year that it wouldn’t be long before she would have a bunch of pups. Then he’d have to watch out for them, too. That was okay. Jack knew the best places for the best treats. He also knew the best places for the best hiding.
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| Jack's Backyard | Ocotillo Cactus |
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| Cholla Cactus | Saguaro Cactus |
It was March. Winter was over and Easter was coming. Jack Jackrabbit was excited. With the desert in bloom, Jack had an idea. Jack had a plan! Jack’s idea – Jack’s plan – was to be an Easter Bunny. Oh, what fun! He could get a basket, fill it with desert goodies, then hop around to all his friends to deliver Easter smiles.
Jack hopped around to gather twigs. He got yucca leaves and grasses. A bit of water made them softer. Then he weaved the pieces in and out, under and over. Soon he had a basket. It wasn’t the prettiest basket … but Jack had paws, not fingers. As you might have guessed, basket weaving isn’t easy for a jackrabbit. (Can you make a basket?)
YUCCA CACTUS WITH DRIED LEAVES
Construction Paper Basket
Weave Construction Paper Basket
Newspaper Basket Video
Next, he took his basket and hopped all over the nearby desert. He filled the basket with dried grass to make a cushion to protect the goodies he wanted to collect. He didn’t want to gather actual eggs. The birds needed those! Besides, the desert was already full off colorful … eggs? Tasty, too! So, Jack gathered the fruits of the various kinds of cactus – prickly pear, saguaro, barrel. They were red, yellow and orange – and they at least looked a LITTLE like colored eggs.
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| Barrel Fruit | Dragon Fruit | Prickly Pear |
Jack was satisfied. Off he went on his huge hopping back feet. His ears flapped with the speed. “Happy Easter” he shouted as he delivered the eggs-of-the-desert – even to the coyote.
WORDS YOU MAY NOT KNOW
Arroyo – uh-roy-oh
Cacti – kak-tie
Cholla – choy-yuh
Coyote – Kai-yote (sometimes kai-yo-tea)
Saguaro – suh-war-oh
Ocotillo – awk-oh-tea-yo
Yucca – yuck-uh
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