Eggs and Family

Another holiday is upon us, this time it is Easter. I think that the thing that I like about Easter the best is that spring has finally arrived. On Tuesday this week I went for a walk and only wore a sweatshirt outside. The sun was so nice and warm that before the walk was over I had to push my sleeves up because I was little bit warm. The past few weeks had been so grey and foggy that I was so happy to see the sun. Sunshine always helps to elevate my mood and I was so happy to be able to walk outside and not be cold.

As for Easter weekend the day that I always think about the most is Good Friday. When I was a kid that was the day that my family all got together and coloured eggs. Egg colouring was always held at my Granny’s house and all the Aunts, Uncles and cousins squeezed around the kitchen table and talked and laughed while dipping hardboiled eggs in dye. 

As with any family tradition there were always certain things that would be done every year that would make us all laugh. My brother would make a pair of glasses out of the little wire egg dippers. Each grandchild would be responsible for dissolving a dye tablet. Someone would always spill one of the glasses full of dye and someone always ended up with their egg turning brown or, as my family would call it, brindle. 

During the colouring process we would all sit still trying to make our eggs look the nicest. It was always a disappointment if you dropped your egg into the dye after you had spent time creating nice stripes. But the worst, or the best depending on who you are in the situation, is when you dropped your egg and it cracked. You can't just leave a cracked egg out so it had to be disposed off. The most common way was for someone to eat it. The person in my family who enjoyed this indicident the most was my Uncle who we referred to as Unc. I swear that some years he would break an egg on purpose so that he could eat it. Once cracked he would peal off the rest of the shell and say “Mom, can you pass me the brown pepper?” Then he would sprinkle on the pepper and practically hum with joy as he ate the egg. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

Once the eggs were coloured the fun didn’t stop there. Granny would pull out buns and cold meat and we would set about making lunch. Still squished together we could eat and continue to tell each stories, someone would always break out in song at some point. It was a joyful day for us all. 

Over the years my Mom would always joke that she wasn’t going to come next year and Granny would always say that this was the last year, but it still continued and Mom did keep going with us. Until one year it really was the last year. We don’t get together to colour eggs anymore but I am so glad that we did for all those years. It is fun to look back on those days. 

I did colour eggs on my own for a few years but the tradition of family egg colouring started again once my nephew was old enough. It is funny how kids can make something that you have done many times before feel brand new. It is fun to watch them figure out what to do and see their creative sides come out in a different way. We still have fun but it sure is a lot more quiet.

This year I am glad that I get to spend Easter with my family as last year I spent it alone in my apartment. It has been a crazy couple of years and it has made me thankful for my family and the traditions that we have, old and new.