St. Boniface, St. John and St. Joseph's Parishes Share Easter Tradition

Churches Join Together to Make Easter Egg Hunt Big Success

March 22, 2008
By: Kevin Leahy

In an instantaneous flurry all the Easter eggs were mopped off the floor.
(MyBayCity Photo by Kevin Leahy)

The sun was shining but the mercury wasn't cooperating Saturday morning as the parking lot at Saint Joseph's filled up with Easter egg hunters.

The cluster Parishes of St. Boniface, St. John and St. Joseph's held their annual Easter Egg hunt inside the school because the temp outside was still a chilly 30 degrees at 10:00AM.

You could feel the tension and anticipation in the air as the kids were anxiously awaiting the horn.
(MyBayCity Photo by Kevin Leahy)

The cluster of parishes usually holds the event outside in Maplewood Park but the temperature and the muddy conditions pushed it inside Saint Joseph's school where each classroom was set up for different aged egg hunters.

Once the horn was blown the kids instantly mopped up each room in a flurry of "eggciting" action.

"If they could only do that with there socks and underwear at home that fast," said County Commissioner Brian Elder in the five year olds room.

Once the eggs were collected the children emptied their candy bounty, returned the plastic eggs for next year and received a ticket for the prize table.

The candy bounty was sorted by the throngs of kids before proceeding to the prize tables.
(MyBayCity Photo by Kevin Leahy)

The event went off without a hitch as volunteer clowns guided the throngs of children, as the hugely attended event moved along nicely.

The Easter Bunny was camped out near the exit for photo opportunities and parents were taking full advantage as the event may have been the most recorded event in Bay City on Saturday.

Eastre used to be a pagan holiday celebrated by the Saxons with a huge festival honoring their Goddess of offspring and of springtime. In their attempt to convert Pagans to Christianity, Missionaries used existing celebrations to inject Christianity into their efforts of conversion.

When in doubt send in the clowns, they can handle the kid crowds.
(MyBayCity Photo by Kevin Leahy)

To openly celebrate Christianity in the second century would have meant sure death to any missionary. The coincidence of the Pagan Eastre festival and the Christian observance of the resurrection of Christ was slowly jelled into our modern day Easter as more converts accepted Christianity.

Thus the celebration of spring and Easter are related.

The Easter Bunny comes from The Pagan goddess, Eastre, because her Anglo- Saxon earthly symbol was the rabbit.

Decklyn Leahy posed with the Easter Bunny before embarking on her Easter Egg hunt.
(MyBayCity Photo by Kevin Leahy)

The Germans brought the symbol of the Easter rabbit to America. In fact, Easter itself was not widely celebrated in America until after the civil war.

The Easter egg predates the Christian holiday of Easter. The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries old when Easter had become a Christian holiday.

From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers.

Today, children hunt colored eggs and place them in Easter baskets along with the modern version, those made of plastic or chocolate candy. Enjoy your Easter Celebrations and the new life and rejuvenation of spring.

Who's next with their camera? HAPPY EASTER!
(MyBayCity Photo by Kevin Leahy)