When I was a child Easter was a big thing in my life. Apart from all the chocolate, it started weeks before. I didn't often get new clothes, but for Easter mother would take me shopping for a new "Sunday go to Meetings" outfit. Sometimes she would have it made for me by a friend of hers and I would get to pick the material. It was also the time when I got my summer sandals, and a new hat or bonnet.
We had a family ritual. Sunday morning was for church, of course. After church we would walk a mile and a half to my grandmother's for a big family lunch. Almost everyone walked in those days, as ordinary people couldn't afford private cars. The style was fabulous, everyone out in their Easter finery. After our evening meal at home we would boil and decorate eggs for the next day.
On Easter Monday we would travel across the city to Belfast Zoo, two bus rides away. The place would be thronged with people. The Zoo was on Cave Hill, above the city so lots of slopes for egg rolling. We would meet up with family friends and have a picnic outside the Floral Hall (a local dance hall) before returning home for our evening meal.
On Easter Tuesday we would walk 3 miles to the Belfast Botanical Gardens and the Ulster Museum. There was a tropical ravine in the gardens with exotic birds and fish in a little river. I loved exploring the little paths of the ravine. We would climb to the top of the museum and walk back down through the galleries, looking at the pictures(I loved art even as a small child). Until we reached the Egyptian gallery. They had a mummy in a glass case and my brother had me convinced that she was asleep. I would watch carefully to see if I could see her breathing but, of course I never did.
These days, I have my family to stay and we continue the traditions. Sadly, the Zoo and the Botanical Gardens are no longer on our schedule as we now live too far from the city. We do enjoy the festivities in our home patch, a local seaside resort.
This year we are having our big family dinner at my house on Easter Saturday as my grand-daughter must return to university in Cambridge early on Easter Sunday, but we will still be painting our eggs and rolling them down some hill on Easter Monday as usual.
We had a family ritual. Sunday morning was for church, of course. After church we would walk a mile and a half to my grandmother's for a big family lunch. Almost everyone walked in those days, as ordinary people couldn't afford private cars. The style was fabulous, everyone out in their Easter finery. After our evening meal at home we would boil and decorate eggs for the next day.
On Easter Monday we would travel across the city to Belfast Zoo, two bus rides away. The place would be thronged with people. The Zoo was on Cave Hill, above the city so lots of slopes for egg rolling. We would meet up with family friends and have a picnic outside the Floral Hall (a local dance hall) before returning home for our evening meal.
On Easter Tuesday we would walk 3 miles to the Belfast Botanical Gardens and the Ulster Museum. There was a tropical ravine in the gardens with exotic birds and fish in a little river. I loved exploring the little paths of the ravine. We would climb to the top of the museum and walk back down through the galleries, looking at the pictures(I loved art even as a small child). Until we reached the Egyptian gallery. They had a mummy in a glass case and my brother had me convinced that she was asleep. I would watch carefully to see if I could see her breathing but, of course I never did.
These days, I have my family to stay and we continue the traditions. Sadly, the Zoo and the Botanical Gardens are no longer on our schedule as we now live too far from the city. We do enjoy the festivities in our home patch, a local seaside resort.
This year we are having our big family dinner at my house on Easter Saturday as my grand-daughter must return to university in Cambridge early on Easter Sunday, but we will still be painting our eggs and rolling them down some hill on Easter Monday as usual.
HI Terri Enjoyed reading how you used to spend Easter as a child and it was very much like my own except we did not live were you did. I hope you have a great time with your family at the big 'dinner'. I see you still think I am a robot!!!!
ReplyDelete