As I was reflecting on Easter today – since I just realised it’s tomorrow! And I saw something come up in my newsfeed around – 19 things you didn’t know about Easter.
Well there were at least a couple of things I just didn’t know full stop. Never mind about Easter. Like – for example that the 2nd biggest purchase of sweet stuff at Easter in America is of marshmallow Peeps. Wtf is a marshmallow Peep. If you know – please enlighten me!
Another is that the word comes from a Pagan (Anglo Saxon) Goddess called Eastre – who was all about hare’s and eggs! Now I didn’t know that but it did make sense. Most of the Christian traditions came from stuff that was already around and the early Church managed to weave the old stuff into their new stuff and then owned it – like they invented it. Which I guess they did.
Anyway – one thing I did know about was egg painting. Have seen, done, experienced that many times. What I didn’t know is that the art of painting eggs is called Pysanka and comes from the Ukraine! Interesting.
And it made me think.
Firstly – you could paint an egg to look really pretty but you don’t know what’s on the inside. Now actually you do really – because there should be nothing on the inside – they blow the egg bit out. But you get my drift.
And that’s a bit like people. You can look all pretty and done up on the outside – either physically with a bit of make up or fancy clothes, or by painting on a smile. But often we don’t know what is going on – on the INSIDE.
Or sometimes we get to dress things up – to ‘paint’ for celebration purposes. If you have family round for Easter maybe you will dress up your table, or your food, or both – and make everything colourful and exciting. And celebration is a really important part of life, and of community particularly. Nothing bonds like shared experiences, and celebrations are a big part of that.
And eggs, and Easter itself, signify rebirth, don’t they?
So as a pagan celebration – the goddess was all about rebirth, and spring – the renewal of life.
But you don’t need to wait till Spring or Easter, or New Year – to decide to be reborn. You can choose a new future for yourself any time, any place and anywhere – a bit like a Martini (you have to be old enough to get that reference).
So this Easter – if you feel like you are painting on a smile or hiding behind the persona – and you want somewhere you can celebrate all year round – head over to the Find Your Why Foundation and join our merry band of WHY’s women and men.
Meanwhile – have a Happy Easter – whatever you are doing.
Oh – nearly forgot. What goes around the world 3 times? The amount of jelly beans our American friends buy at Easter ……apparently. Who worked that out?