|
Egg hiding contest was a big rivalry |
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, 04 April 2007 |
By Gen McCracken
When Lent began, it was time for the contest to see who could hide the most eggs before the Easter egg dying, blowing and decorating day came.
As we were evenly divided, the contest was between boys and girls. It was a great honor to bring in the most eggs and be able to choose the egg you wanted of the decorated ones. And, if the Easter Bunny brought a special egg, that was even more wonderful.
We knew that the Easter Bunny laid the eggs because one morning Dad called us to the window to show us a big white rabbit sticking his nose into a little green nest of Easter candy eggs out in our yard—positive proof!
The rivalry was strongest amount the older ones in the family, and we younger ones were begged, bribed, and bullied not to tell anything we saw or heard to the opposite team.
When Mom needed eggs, she called, and all had to stay in the house while the designated one brought in the needed eggs. They were then credited with the amount of eggs they had brought in. If their eggs were stolen at a later date, those would be all the credit they would have – and if the eggs were frozen, all they got was a scolding.
The one time I really remember this tradition well was when I discovered Frank and Rolly’s nest and told Inez and Sarah about it. The boys had dug a deep hole, lined it with straw and rags, put a board over the top, and covered it with lots of straw.
The girls waited until late in the night before the contest ended to move the eggs in a basket and hid it under their bed. When the boys found out that I was the informer, I was very unpopular.
I was sorry I had told because Frank and Russell were really my playmates instead of the girls. But the girls gave me the lovely blown egg that Inez had decorated and I kept it for many years.
Mary hadn’t been in the contest, but she let me help make the big cake and help out on the decorations.
Easter was a joyous day after all, but I don’t remember that the contest was held again. I guess we moved to town so the bigger children could attend high school, and then we had church to go to on Easter instead.
|
