When I was a child, Easter was quite different than the Easter season we celebrate now. It was one of the most exciting times of the year. First, in our small rural elementary school we prepared for the annual “Easter Day Parade”. We spent weeks before Easter constructing the most beautiful hats and bonnets to wear in this parade. When the special day arrived we dressed up for school and everyone put on their homemade head attire while the school played Easter Parade over the loud speakers. Room by room we paraded showing off our stylish homemade Easter bonnets. It was a treasured day that filled us with many fun memories! I dare say most kids today have never even heard of the song Easter Parade written by Irvin Berlin. Easter was also a time of excitement because you usually had a new dress for church and Sunday school. Along with the dress would be a new pair of shoes, little white gloves, straw purse, white socks and of course a little Easter hat. I mean, what little girl wears these to church anymore? And of course on Easter morning we had our wonderful family Easter Egg Hunt until we were way too old to be hunting eggs. Our dad loved Easter so this tradition lasted many years. After church we would celebrate a lovely lunch at our grandparent’s home. Easter was very much a time for family and friends and of course, the Easter Bunny!

This photo was of me in my Easter dress when I was five. (Minus the hat and gloves)

Easter Parade
by Irving Berlin

Never saw you look quite so pretty before
Never saw you dressed quite so lovely what’s more
I could hardly wait to keep our date this lovely Easter morning
And my heart beat fast as I came through the door

In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it
You’ll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade

I’ll be all in clover and when they look you over
I’ll be the proudest fellow in the Easter parade

On the Avenue
Fifth Avenue
The photographers will snap us
And you’ll find that you’re
In the rotogravure

Oh, I could write a sonnet about your Easter bonnet
And of the girl I’m taking to the Easter parade