Monday, March 30, 2009

Fun Monday - Baskets and More


Wisconsin Candy Dish is hosting Fun Monday and how sweet it is!

The topic is Easter Baskets: Share a story, is it better to give or to receive, what would you like in yours?

Well for me, Easter baskets are a symbol of the holiday. What would Easter be without baskets filled to the brim with candy treats such as chocolates and jellybeans, all of these usually in the shape of an egg or a rabbit?

Have you ever considered where the idea of Easter baskets originated? Allow me to give you a brief history.

Easter baskets grew out of the more modern traditions of Christianity. To Christians, Easter represents the resurrection of Christ. Lent is the season that proceeds Easter and lasts for forty six days prior to Easter Sunday. This season of Lent is begun on Fat Tuesday. This is the last time to party before the season of lent. During the Lent season, Christians believe you should give up something and fast until after Easter. The fast can include giving up meat, eggs, and dairy. The custom of having a large Easter supper represents the end of the Lenten fast. In more ancient times, this large feast was brought to the church in large baskets, hence the connection to treats in Easter baskets today.

My two girls are 10 and 12 and it would be a stretch of my imagination if I told you they still believed in the Easter Bunny *sniff*. In year's past, our tradition has always been to sit the baskets out on Easter eve. so that the Easter Bunny could fill it with goodies and then hide the basket for the girls to hunt on Easter morning. A special snack of carrots and water was always provided for the Easter Bunny in case he needed nourishment during his night of hopping from house to house delivering treats to every boy and girl. I will surely miss this tradition.

So now, I guess we will still sit out the baskets for the Easter Bunny (aka Mom and Dad) to fill, but it will not be the same, as some of the magic is gone. I will still enjoy filling the baskets with special treats, all color coded and matching - i-Tunes gift cards, small unique gifts and plastic eggs stuffed with underwear just to name a few. It is always a joy to watch my girls look through their baskets in delight. However, I feel that it is important for them to know that Easter Baskets are only one of the symbols of the real reason for the season and that is the celebration and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Here are some Easter pictures from last year:





Have a blessed Monday and be sure to check out the other FM participants here.


p.s. CHECK OUT MY GIVE AWAY HERE.

Sweetly yours,

9 comments:

Hootin Anni said...

Love the basket with the frog!! It's so Spring like and just too darned cute.

My Fun Monday is posted. Can you find some time to stop by for a visit today? Hope so. Have a great week.

margaret (the misanthrope) said...

Beautiful baskets! Sorry no AI vote from me, as I haven't been following it and would just mess up your poll :-) Happy FM to you!

ChrisB said...

Wow what lovely goodies in those baskets, the soft toys are really cute. We don't give presents just the eggs.

Sayre said...

Thanks for the history - I didn't know that about the baskets.

My boy will be almost 10 when Easter rolls around this year. He doesn't believe in bunnies anymore than he does Santa - but he still loves the trappings of them. I imagine his basket will look a lot like your daughters' - fun stuff for him!!!

Jill said...

I like the story of the baskets coming to the Easter feast, I will have to remember that. Wow, you um go all out at Easter. My brothers do this for their kids, and of course some of the grandparents do too, I guess I'm more old fashioned, a few pieces of candy here or there. Of course, the LO is still only 5 months old, she cant' really enjoy easter yet..

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

I love the pics. We do similar things in the baskets for Ty and Ladybug. Little key chains, candy, maybe a movie and such. We will visit my parents for Easter this year, so that will be special!

Janis said...

I remember those days, when the Easter Bunny was alive and well.

Hula Girl at Heart said...

I so hated when my daughter stopped believing in the Easter Bunny. It just wasn't the same after that. Although, I'm thrilled with the idea of giving her some new underwear in plastic eggs. She will love that!

Gattina said...

That's also a special use I have never heard of. we do the same for Santa Claus, by putting a boot out at the door inside of course with a carrot for the donkey and a glass of wine for Santa Claus ! Then he fills in the boot during night.

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