The Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny surely did come to the Armga household every year. We had a core group of sturdy blond-colored baskets that must have represented an investment one year. They endured well and I still have one. Those baskets were supplemented with flimsier, more colorful baskets that didn't last as long.
We did have the plastic grass that today forms the cushion of the basket. I don't remember us having colors of grass to choose from. Perhaps they were available but we had green grass that I remember.
I've been trying to remember where we stored the baskets. Anyone remember? It could have been in the attic where the Christmas decorations were stored but I think I'd remember someone getting up there if that were true. Each bedroom (all 3) had a built-in closet with four pull-out draws underneath and four doors above that opened to reveal a deep storage space with one shelf. I've wondered if that is where they were stored.
The variety of Easter candies was nothing compared to what is available today. I remember jelly beans (very generic in flavor), marshmallow peeps (only yellow ones) and yucky marshmallow filled hard candy on the outside big (thumb sized) Easter eggs. I didn't like those. I do think we had the hollow chocolate bunnies that are still popular today but I don't think it was a high quality chocolate.
Snickers, Hershey's etc. were still candy bars and never included special papers or sizes to be included in Easter baskets. I don't think peanut M&Ms were marketed until the late 60s. The plain M&Ms only came in the primary-like colors. So none of these were considered Easter candy.
Plastic eggs to be filled with goodies also appeared in the 60s but I only remember jelly beans going in them.
I remember one year visiting with Peggy Kelker during the week after Easter. They lived on our block. Her dad was the professional photographer and newspaper man. Peggy still had lots of lovely candies and decorations in her basket. She explained to me how she only ate one or two candies a day. I was dumbfounded. That was totally foreign to my experience. I'm pretty sure it was always a candy fest at our house with me eating every last little candy I could get my grubby hands on the day OF the event and nothing lasted longer than that day unless it was yucky candy that I didn't really like and would only eat when there was no other candy to eat. Pacing myself was not a concept I had been introduced too. Eating TOO much candy was not possible. To eat as much candy as possible was the true meaning of the holiday (also true of Christmas and Halloween).
Yes, I do remember dying Easter eggs. I wasn't a fan of hard boiled eggs then (but I am now and LOVE egg salad sands) so was always confused about the excitement over eggs. My memory of dying the eggs was that it was a messy process involving a strong vinegar smell. We always had to buy the little kit that had pastel colored pellets for the dye and it included one wire egg holder. That didn't work well with four or more little kids wanting to help with the process.
While I don't personally remember going on an Easter Egg hunt, I remember helping my younger siblings at a hunt held at City Park across from the Junior High, near the Catholic church and where the band shell was.
At home the baskets were always hid and hard to find when we woke up Easter morning. I think they must have been labeled so we would know which one was prepared for us. I also think the baskets for the younger kids had to be easier to find while those hiding the baskets of the older kids worked harder at hiding them. But then, there was the ever changing line as to whether you were a younger or an older and at some point you got to be the basket preparer and hider. Mother and Dad seemed very willing to turn all that over to us which I remember being DELIGHTED to do.
The really big thing for Easter was the new clothes. And it was always the whole outfit: new dress, hat, purse, GLOVES, socks and shoes. Whoo! We would get so spiffed up! And taking a photo to document our gorgeousness was a big part of the thing. Many (most?) years we also had a little corsage. Doesn't seem like anyone wears a corsage today.
Since the date of Easter varies, some Easter were blustery and cold and some were warmer and balmy. We had a big dinner. I don't remember particulars. Probably a ham since that seems traditional in my mind. Plus Dad LOVED ham.
Going to church was important and that way we had a reason to dress up. The only significant year I remember in that regard would have been 1966. We were poor. So poor we couldn't get new Easter clothes. Somehow it was an embarrassment to not have those new clothes so we simply didn't go to church that Easter. That would never stop me now, but I think it was so expected that everyone -- at least the kids -- show up in new fancy clothes that it was feared that it would be a difficult visit at church and so staying home was the option to prevent pain.
Happy Easter Fam Damily!!! Please help me sort out these memories if I've got something wrong.