Spring is here in the Pacific Northwest, and that can only mean one thing: boating! But this weekend in particular is special, as Easter is observed around the world. That’s right, you didn’t miss it- it’s in April this year. So get your Sunday clothes together, throw a ham in the oven (just remember to turn it on first), and get your eggs hard boiled- it’s that time of year again.
Now, first of all, Easter is one of the rare Christian holidays that doesn’t have an agreed-upon fixed date. The actual date is based on the first Sunday after the first full moon of Spring, which means it can come as early as March 22nd and as late as April 25th. If you’re a practicing Catholic, you’re probably also aware that it’s Holy Week, aka the last week of Lent. During this time, you may be looking at some Christian Holy Land tours to honor and celebrate your faith, whereas others will stay in the country, it is all about preference.
We all know eggs are part of the tradition of Easter, but do you know why they’re dyed in the first place? History says that early Christians of Mesopotamia stained eggs red to represent the blood of Christ shed during his crucifixion. Today, they’re not just more colorful- they still serve much the same purpose and are regarded as symbols of his resurrection. The breaking of the shell, for example, is said to represent the opening of the sealed tomb of Christ.
So what’s the deal with the Easter Bunny? It’s harder to say on that one, as it’s not known precisely where he originated. Like the modern holiday of Christmas, this is one of those times where a Christian holiday also has some pagan influence. One theory is the Easter bunny comes from pagan rites of spring, brought to the U.S. by 18th-century German settlers in Pennsylvania. These settlers prepared nests for the bunny in their gardens or barns and waited for Easter Eve for the rabbit, known as “Oschter Haws,” to lay eggs. It’s a far cry from taking your screaming kid to the mall to get portraits with the guy, but chalk it up to the centuries.
Although most traditions are pretty universal among the English-speaking world, there’s a few you might not be familiar with. A popular one in the UK (and also Tennessee for some reason) is “Egg Tapping” or “Egg Knocking.” The name of the game says most of it, as it consists of hitting an opponents egg with an egg of your own- with the goal being to keep yours intact, and shatter your opponents’. Losers eat the egg, winners get to continuing to attempt to make their friends eat eggs. You’ve also probably heard of Egg Rolls, and not the Chinese food kind, as there’s one at the White House in Washington D.C. That one consists of racing kids and parents by pushing an egg with a spoon, but the tradition’s origin is a very different affair. It originates in England and the surrounding area, and is referred to as “pace-egging.” Instead of rolling the egg with a spoon, the eggs are rolled down a hill by children. Winner is the one that goes the farthest. It’s lots of fun.
However you celebrate Easter, we at Salty Dog Boating News wish you good tidings and blessings abound. Stay safe, eat well, and get out there on the water!
