Easter………the word conjures up images of brightly coloured eggs, a virtual rainbow nestled in plastic grass, captured in a basket.  
    As a child, this was one of my favourite holidays. I was raised a Catholic and in kind, went to Catholic school. Of course, we had our first day of spring break as Holy Thursday. My sisters and I would go to my grandmothers’ houses and help prepare the the food for the next few days. Holy Thursday was the last day you were allowed to do any major work, as you were to be in a pious state of contemplation for the next few days. We would help make a ham at my father’s mother’s house, along with borscht, sausage (fresh and smoked) and of course the horseradish sauce. Watching my aunt grate the root was an amazing experience. We would alternate helping my mother’s mother across the street, roasting a leg of lamb among other things. The best part of all of this was colouring the eggs. I still do this today.
    So where did this practice start? Catholics are told that it started with Mary Magdalene. One story is that upon proclaiming to the Emperor that Christ had risen, he scoffed and said that it was as likely as an egg turning red. Another is that she went to the Emperor of Rome, gave him a red coloured egg, symbolic of Jesus’ blood and the life renewed.
   Like many other christian customs, Easter also has pagan roots. The holiday gets it’s name from from the Teutonic goddess of spring and dawn, whose name is spelled Oestre or Eastre. Modern day pagans accept the spelling  Ostara as our word for the Vernal (spring) Equinox. The Vernal Equinox usually falls between March 19 and March 22, although the calendar only mentions March 21. Easter falls sometime between late March and mid April, depending upon when the first full moon on or after the Equinox occurs.
   Eggs are clearly one of the most potent fertility symbols and spring is the season when most animals begin to mate. Trees and flowers begin to pollinate and reproduce. Our pagan ancestors coloured eggs in honour of the goddess, the dyes mimicking the diversity of the newly blooming flowers.
  The Easter egg hunt, as joyous and fun filled as it is today, has a very dark past. As Christianity became more and more popular, the ways of the old Religion were viewed as evil. The followers of the goddess took to hiding their eggs. Finding them was a task put forward to children in the form of a game. It was not unusual for the youths to be bribed with coins or sweets in order for them to participate. One could surmise that here was the beginning of our modern day hunts, where usually plastic eggs with money or candy are hidden to be found, or hiding the basket for that matter. 
  Chocolate bunnies are customary in today’s Easter basket. The Easter bunny has it’s origin in honouring rabbits, an animal very sacred to to the goddess Eastre. Fertility abounds with these creatures. I cannot imagine anyone who has not heard the phrase “F*** like a bunny”.
  The tradition of new clothes for the holiday has much to do with the shedding of the winter coat most animals develop. Wearing the pastels of spring echo the plants that have come to life after the long cold. It is a time for lilacs, crocus and and violets, to name a few.
  My sisters and I continue the tradition of colouring eggs in our own ways. One will cover the table in newspaper, put towels on her children and let them get as wild as they want. The other is much more exacting. She spends days, even months decorating pysanky, the beautiful eastern European eggs that are blown out, to be a treasured keepsake. I take the more relaxed approach. I will break out that box of Paas and dip them in plastic cups. Maybe I will write someone special’s name with a clear wax crayon on one or more.
  All I know for sure is that when I eat them, they will have homemade horseradish sauce on them.

Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick’s day EXCEPT St. Patrick.
          Patrick was born Patricius in Scotland (probably Kilpatrick) around 385 AD. His parents were Romans living in Britainia in charge of the Roman colonies. He was not religious in his youth, in fact he had renounced the faith of his parents and was an Athiest.
          At the age of 14, he was captured by the Celts, taken to Ireland, and sold into slavery. He learned the language and practices of the people who held him, Druids and Pagans.
          Desperate times call for desperate measures, so as most people do, he turned to (G)god in prayer. Having a dream from said god, he went to the coast and found a ship and returned to his parents.
          Patrick also dreamed of god telling him to return to Ireland and convert the people of the land to Christianity. One could surmise that it was more to exact a certain amount of revenge. He came back to Ireland many years later. While he was not the first person to attempt to bring Christianity to Ireland, he did accomplish it. The priest “baptised” the Druids and Pagans by holding their heads under water until they “accepted” Jesus. Those that did not drowned. Did you ever wonder where the elders of Salem came up with idea of dunking Witches? 
       The idea of Patrick using the shamrock to describe the holy trinity was a Pagan practice that he had learned. The native people of Ireland previously used the symbol to teach their children of the maid, mother and crone.
       Yes, it is true that Ireland has no snakes. Modern scientists believe that there never have been. The island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the ice age. Many Pagan practices commonly use and worship serpent symbols. Driving the snakes out of Ireland was the act of putting that particular practice to an end.
      There are several accounts of  Patrick’s death. One is that he died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland on March 17, 460 AD. It is said that a jawbone preserved in silver is that of Patrick. Devoted followers requested it present for childbirths, fevers, and against the “evil eye”. Magick charms, anyone? Another is that he passed at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as a part of Glastonbury Abbey. Although the year of his death may vary, the date of March 17 is consistent.
      In America, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by getting drunk. In Ireland, however, it is the national holiday, similar to our Thanksgiving. With the exception of restaurant and pubs, almost all businesses are closed. Since it is also a holy day, many people attend mass. The traditional Irish St. Patricks Day meal is lamb stew and soda bread. Corned beef and cabbage is an American custom. Lamb was too expensive for the poor Irish immigrants, so the lesser cuts of beef had to be substituted. 
     I personally believe that Patrick’s most significant contribution was a written historical account of Ireland. Patrick is literally the only individual we know of from fifth century Great Britain. Not only do no other records from Britain or Ireland exist from that time period, but there are simply no written records at all from Ireland prior to Patrick’s.
    I recently lost my “nephew”, Nick. nick was fortunate enough to visit Ireland before his untimely death. I am sure the words of many Irish blessings mean so much more to us now because of him. With this in mind,    I bid you goodbye with an old Irish Blessing, taught to me by my grandfather (Papa) who spoke with a brogue:
            “May you always have walls for the winds,
             a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
             laughter to cheer you, those who love near you,
             and all your heart might desire.”