My daughter spotted the chocolate eggs and bunnies already over one month ago. It confused her. No it is not Eastern yet. Shops mess up time by trying to sell their products each year earlier. I ignore it. It saves me a lot of money and... the later you buy the more is on sale.
This celebration is not very important to me. I have no idea what to celebrate or decorate. I made most out of it as my eldest were young which was 35 years ago. Decorating was not a custom within our family and I saw never other people do it. It was the time to clean up your house perhaps?
I painted eggs and hid them but frequently is was frustration. My children are not smart if it comes to searching eggs or perhaps the bunny hid them too well?
As I was a child the house was not decorated and I doubt anyone did.
Some people had ranks of the willow (catkin) inside or some other bush. Why the willow? I have no idea.
These days you can buy all kinds of ranks painted in different colors. I have no idea if they are real or plastic.
Perhaps the idea is to decorate it?
This can be done with eggs or other stuff you can buy or make yourself.
As I just started my career as a mom I painted blown out eggs for decoration.
I had them for years.
The last time I set the table for Eastern is probably about 7 years ago.
My children searched eggs until about two till three years ago. For the three youngest I changed the egg searching rules. Each of them received some cards with a description of it. They needed to read it first, figure out where the egg is hidden and if they knew the answer they could go grab their egg.
First I used boiled eggs later chocolate eggs only and after that boiled and chocolate eggs.
Two years ago one egg I hid (a year earlier) was found back. Kind of strange we never found it because it was hidden between hats and scarfs and the cupboard was removed from its place twice. The good news is it was a chocolate egg and even better news is it tasted great. 😁
I believe one year I decorated the Christmas tree with eggs. This year I do nothing or perhaps I color some eggs with beetroot and spinach and just put them on the table for me as a snack.
Once I hopped around as a fat brown Eastern bunny for my scouting group. We took all children by bus to a park to search for eggs. That was kind of fun although I don't like to dress up. Celebrations like Eastern are mostly done at schools, by scouting, sport clubs and shops join too and try to make you buy.
My basket is filled. As you see it's not with eggs but little piglets. They are so cute. My daughter made them for me for December 5th and the basket? I bought it for me as a birthday present for me months after Eastern for a ridiculously high price.
The only thing we do with Eastern is buying a decorated chocolate egg.
I save so I have enough money to buy four. It's not as pretty and huge as what my father bought for my mother (or the smaller version he bought for us) but the chocolate tastes better and inside are some bonbons. It's fine if the children eat it at once (it saves their tooth) and it is one of the things, extras, we look forward too.
Eastern in the Netherlands is mainly celebrated with chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies, and searching eggs.
It is not about decorating.
We have two Eastern days which means two Sundays/free days off. On the second day cars and kitchens are sold (don't ask me why or when that started) and I guess by now supermarkets are open too. Times have changed. Sunday, the day of rest, the day that once was the most terrible, boring, sick-making (thanks to the food) day in my life no longer exists. We are free to do as we like, go where we like to go to which means freedom to me and a good thing for my children.
This is my entry to the CCC contest TAKE a PIC and comment #23 hosted by
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Theme: Eastern decoration/stuff
Deadline: March 15, 2020
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