I’m not a fan of Christmas, in fact I am positively Grinch like.
Halloween, I’ll begrudgingly carve a pumpkin which then rots in the garden for the next six months.
But Easter?
This celebration well and truly has my heart, despite the fact that it seems to be under-rated.
I don’t mean commercial Easter, with a scary bunny costume and twee decorations.
It’s more so the feeling, despite the fact that it seems to pour with rain as soon as the schools break up.
To hope is to be human, and you can’t get more hopeful then the Christian story of the resurrection.
Regardless of your faith, I think Easter marks a turning point.
The lambs in the fields, daffodils doing their best against the north-east wind – it’s the signs of new life emerging come what may.
One might argue that I’ve got Easter mixed up with Spring, but the two are forever entwined in my eyes.
My late dad loved Easter because it represented time as a family.
During his final months, he managed to summon the energy and make a bird box for my son.
I didn’t really give it the best chance seeing as my garden is bordered by hedges instead of trees, and it’s perched low down and without surrounding foliage.
But I have spotted one of my dad’s favourite birds, a blue tit, emerging from the peep hole.
That to me, is Easter.
It’s a memory, grief, and the determination to start afresh.
I’ve spoken with Pastor Pete Rennie, and Craig Wilson, aka, The Kilted Chef, who is celebrating Easter with his family for the first time in 20 years.
Pete Rennie: ‘Easter is a sign that everything is going to be ok in the end.’
Pete, who lives in Inverness with his wife, Anne, and the couple’s two year old daughter, prefers Easter to Christmas.
As pastor at Living Hope Church, it’s a busy time of year, especially as the congregation continues to grow.
Even the name of the church itself is linked to a bible verse concerning the resurrection.
“Many churches are closing in this area; we started off with 17 adults and four kids,” said Pete.
“Now we have 65 adults and around 20 children, we’re very much about welcoming people to come along and make up their own mind.
“We’re more than just a church service which you go to once a week.
“Our Seder meal will see us getting together in different people’s homes, and the meal is a way of walking through Easter.
“Our big event is our Easter egg hunt at Torvean Park, I think we have 150 kids signed up and we’ve actually had to cap numbers.
“This year it has just exploded.”
Pete believes there’s several reasons as why the event has soared in popularity.
“Easter is a really hopeful time of year, people have a spring in their step and it lifts their mood,” he said.
“Covid helped people to realise that there is more to life than just work, people want to enjoy the good parts of life.
” Easter anchors hope and everyone needs hope.
“For me as a Christian, Easter is rooted in the resurrection.
“That historical event means it is all going to be OK in the end.
“It’s the concept that the best is yet to come.”
Craig Wilson: “Easter is a time to come together.”
Perhaps best known as The Kilted Chef, Craig is at the helm of Eat on the Green, found at Udny Green in Aberdeenshire.
Eager customers will arrive in the idyllic village to collect an special Easter Dine at Home kit this weekend, which will include minted lamb skewers and mini hot cross butteries.
Craig believes people are even more keen to mark the occasion this year following the pandemic.
“I used to live in England and I was pretty amazed at how big Easter was in comparison to Scotland,” he said.
“Easter is definitely a time when people come together, and I think we’re all making more effort following the pandemic.
“Traditions comes into play as well, from family traditions to Simnel cake.”
Craig believes Easter is a time when people recreate recipes passed down through the generations.
“It’s all about the family eating together, and the change in seasons is certainly reflected in our own menus,” he said.
“Lamb isn’t very popular here, but it gets my vote because I absolutely love it.
“For the first time in 20 years, me and my family will be going out for Easter lunch.
“I want to put the family and my kids first.”
Easter around the world
Although Easter is rooted in Christianity, the many traditions which come along with it actually hail from around the world.
The fun activity of painting eggs for example, can actually be traced back to Ukraine where it symbolises calling out to the Gods of health and fertility.
And when it comes to sweet treats, Cadbury’s makes 500 million Creme Eggs every year.
The UK’s first chocolate egg was made in Bristol rather a long time ago, 1873 to be exact.
Cadbury’s didn’t come on the scene for a further two years, so we really have the Fry family to thank for the Easter eggs which now adorn the shelves today.
