Holidays, Retrospect: Easter in the Maritimes, 70s to 80s

Self-tutoring about people and events from the past: the tutor reflects on Easter when he was a kid.

When I was a kid in the Maritimes, late 70s to early 80s, Easter had a solemnity about it unlike other holidays. There was, of course, a church service dedicated to it. Within church or without, Easter was a quiet day of reflection.

With the coming of spring, Easter’s message of resurrection seems to carry over to nature as well. Yet, in the Maritimes, the planting day I heard was May 21. Therefore, while Easter happened in spring, and could be quite warm and welcoming sometimes, it was still long before the crops would be planted. Even if the weather was beautiful, you wouldn’t act on it. Easter truly was a day of rest.

There would be chocolate eggs and bunnies to find in the morning, of course, but by noon that excitement would be over. Afternoon and early evening, one would be left to one’s own thoughts, which would inevitably turn to the significance of the day.