Dear Readers,
As a kid growing up in the 1950’s, Easter was the culmination of a week in which many religious services were attended by my family.
Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter observed in commemoration of the institution of the Eucharst, was a school holiday. We attended an early morning service where we marched in a procession honoring the Blessed Sacrament. The second and third graders wore Communion dresses and carried baskets of beautiful mixed spring flowers. Later in the afternoon we returned to church for a Holy Hour of prayer and songs. Each class in my grade school was assigned a specific hour of prayer.
Good Friday was a solemn day where the story of the passion of Christ was read. The service usually took place during the hours of noon and 3 PM., corresponding to the amount of time Christ suffered on the cross before His death. Many stores were closed during these 3 hours. This day was a time of great solemnity and sadness. We did not watch television at all on Good Friday.
But this was the night we dyed Easter eggs using Paas egg dye. The tablets were mixed with white vinegar and boiling water which was poured into large, deep cups. A different cup was used for each color. The colors were brighter and more brilliant than they are today. Our family dyed about 5 dozen eggs and the last egg, called the “Weickel” egg (Weickel is my maiden name) was dipped into every color with the same results every year; the egg turned out an ugly brownish gray color. But it was tradition, so we always concluded with the “Weickel” egg. Each egg was then carefully polished with a little shortening to make the shell shine. The eggs were then returned to the carton in a rainbow arrangement. Every year we commented that these were the prettiest eggs ever!
Be sure to read Part 2 to find out what my family did on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. And remember to always
Keep smilin’!
