I went a little crazy with Bay Area homesickness after Kate sent me a Lavande des Hautes-Alpes et Fleur de Sel Maison Bouche bar. So I placed an order for more, and luckily completely missed this whole Easter section. For the best, really.
Easter is a non-holiday in this house, but I like all the Spring rituals of it. Painted eggs in the grass? Pretty baskets filled with chocolate? We may need to start an animist version of Easter around these parts.
Do you have any chocolate based Spring rituals?
Ostara is way more fun and less blood-and-gutsy than Easter. I should buy some fancy chocolates this weekend.
I heard an Iranian-American woman describe her Nowruz celebration on VPR a few years ago, and I kind of like what I heard– it’s a Zoroastrian/Persian/now pan-Iranian New Year celebrating the vernal equinox with ceremonial items, family/community visits, and food. I can get into those things, and I’d like to develop some rituals and ceremonies to honor spring with those components.
Oh dear. You are going to get me in trouble! Last time I was at Tail of the Yak, I spent waaay too many dollars on those fancies! You know how I feel about Easter, though!
You should go with the Zoroastrian (Persian) holiday of Nowruz—my best friends are Persian, and we have adopted their spring rituals in our house–the holiday is so beautiful and so filled with hope and symbolism! Plus, it is celebrated on the spring solstice–perfect! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz#History_and_tradition