Easter Memories

I can't remember when exactly this happened, but I know it was before 1946 when I informed mother that she could color the Easter eggs before I went to sleep because I didn't believe in the Easter Bunny (Osterhase) any longer.  So this must have occurred before the French and Americans came through the neighborhood.  It most likely happened on Easter Monday of 1943 or 1944.

One of my mother's sisters, my cousin who was 10 years older than I, and my mother took me on an Easter egg hunt.  There was only one rule:  If I found an egg, I had to show it to them and then put it back so other children could find it also.  I would be able to keep the last egg for myself.  Off we went into the Forest for a walk and Easter egg hunt.  I eagerly ran back and forth searching for eggs, finding one, showing it to my aunt Agnes and mother and then putting it back for another child to find and, then, on to finding the next one.  The afternoon went by quickly and when I was tired from looking for all the eggs, I was able to keep the last one.  I never questioned the fact that all the eggs I found were the same color and that my cousin was not to be seen anywhere.  I had too much fun.  It only occurred to me later in life that there were no other children and that my cousin hid the same egg over and over again so I could look for it.

Some years later, when food was more plentiful, another cousin and I colored several eggs with various colors with the last one dipped into every color we had used.  This work of "art" was for my uncle.  That year we hid it in the kitchen lamp shade.  My uncle being a good sport went through every room in the apartment looking hither and yon until he "found" it. 

Now this was fun.

A happy Easter Holiday to everyone.