Easter traditions

On Easter Eve, as a child, my siblings and I would each lay our coat onto the floor so the Easter Bunny could hide candy and dyed eggs in the sleeves and pockets. I don't know where the practice of using a coat vs. a basket originated... maybe it is a German custom from my ancestry... possibly simple frugality. Whatever its origin, I passed this tradition on to my own children and now my grandchildren are waking at the first sign of daylight on Easter morning to discover treats hidden in sleeves and pockets. This year our 2 1/2 year-old grandson, visiting us from New Jersey, used his jammies instead of a coat which produced the same excitement that I remember as a kid. 

 

I made these "big kid style" Easter baskets for my daughters by filling colorful colanders with a variety of items that I was drawn to because of the brightly-colored packaging and simple artwork. A hand-crocheted dishcloth, a sprinkling of candy... jelly beans and a Cadbury Creme Egg... it's just not Easter without them... with some sustainable corn-based plastic shreds to fill in the gaps and make it complete.