ephemera
Pamela Apkarian-Russell

Easter-Renewal-Springtime

    By the time Springtime or Easter arrives, some parts of the country have many sufferers from cabin fever. The need for fresh air, sunshine, and warmth become overwhelming. Easter is the time of revival, a time for things to be reborn. From Pagan time to Christian times, and in fact in all religions from all times, Spring has been a sacred time for the earth, which after all we can not survive without. The images of Easter are not just Bunnies with baskets of colored eggs on their arms that no one knows just where the rabbit got them from, or if they were stolen from some nice farmer like Mr. Perdue or Mr. MacGregor. For that matter, why are there are so many images of dapper rabbits, chicks, and ducks, dressed in fashionable (for the times) attire from way back when. In my 52 years I’ve never seen one for real, have never had the pleasure of having some Rabbit wearing gold buttons on his vest, walk up to me and wish me a Happy Easter and give me a pretty green egg. What’s wrong with me? Why am I being deprived?

    Somehow the advertising, the postcards, and the papier mache items from years ago are crawling with animals that talk and socialize in a very special way during this season. Then, of course, there are the angels, some of which are grown up cherubs, some of which are children, and others that were just born that way. You know the ones I mean: the beautiful adult angels that are unisex. They are usually dressed in outfits that are loose and flowing, which makes it easier for them to fly. You can always tell the important ones as their clothes are encrusted with gold and silver. There are thousands of Easter angels which are different from Christmas angels as they are very partial to flowers, especially Lilies, and never carry Christmas trees. Their hair is always perfect and beautiful and never gets ruffled by the wind, as they are angels. There is a lot to be said about being an angel, which you can tell if you have watched one of the many great angel shows on TV, to which I am addicted. I’d like Monica’s job. No, it’s Tess I want to work with, not at the White House!

    Everyone is looking for the first Robin of spring which the Audubon society will tell you, there is no first Robin! For all these years we lived under the fallacy that all Robins migrated down south for the winter. I would see them in Florida, eating the red berries off of the Pepperberry trees, and tell them I was heading home and that soon they would be back up north eating the succulent earthworms we have growing here turning over the soil, and hiding from fishermen. Now we hear that only some head south; the others stay here and hide. Why hide from us? We are not interested in their worms, which are really hiding from us, under all the snow. So the birds, some of them, are returning. The flowers are beginning to pop out of the ground. Actually flowers don’t pop, they push out of the ground, casually, and spontaneously. One day there aren’t any crocus or snowdrops in the yard and the next time you look, there they are, just sitting there feeling quite proud of themselves, basking in the sun, and getting ready to open their petals so you can enjoy their beauty. Other flowers like the forsythia and the lilac might just pop, as one minute they are bare and the next thing you know, flowers, or leaves are popping up all over. Spring truly is an amazing time.

   In America, being the melting pot, we find certain unusual ethnic elements popping up in a different way than flowers. The Scandinavians for example, do strange things at Easter time. Now I’m not saying that they don’t do strange things the rest of the year like going swimming in sub-zero weather, but then, that might just be in the old country and they have become softer and less heroic living in America. Glad Pask, the Scandinavians wish everyone on all of the cards they send, which incidentally can come in different sizes, one being very small and will fit in your wallet if you carry one. Instead of angels the Scandinavians use witches. Witches, I’m told by my Finnish sister-in-law bring good luck and are also put on the Christmas trees. Easter witches are not like Christmas witches, as Easter witches brew and drink quite a bit more tea. They sit up on roof tops, their own and other peoples and make tea, which is obviously very good as they drink a lot of it and look so happy that one wishes they would offer us some. They spend all their time either sitting on roofs with their kettles and brooms or flying about with their kettles and brooms. They dress in colorful clothing, very old-fashioned and peasantish and seem to be having quite a lot of fun. Some of them drink coffee and some of them read the grounds or leaves. Because they are not English, I am quite certain that they do not drink Marmite, which after all is only liquid brown salt, which only the English can survive drinking.

   So here are all these countries, Sweden, Finland, Norway, overrun by witches in bright colorful clothing, brewing hot drinks in their kettles, bringing good cheer everywhere. These may be the same ones that turn into kitchen witches the rest of the year but this has not yet been proven scientifically, or at least with the precision of a Sherlock Holmes. So that no one thinks the Scandinavians are the only ethnic group that does unusual things at this time of year I will confess to you that the Armenians take picnics to the graveyards and visit their ancestors. No one ever informed us, or them, that this should be done the end of October and the beginning of November. This is the Mexican Deos Los Mertos, the Day of the Dead.

    Actually there is a difference: Mexicans go at night and the Armenians go during the day, probably because we don’t want to see our ancestors--we just want to talk to them. Then again, it is Spring and Armenians like to listen to the birds that did or did not migrate, and smell the flowers. I’m not sure which of these two celebrations I like the best as there is a lot to be said for dancing skeletons.

   With all the popping and pushing of plants and the flying and brewing of beverages, the season is bound to be fanciful and enjoyable. Some will take time to contemplate the religious experience, while others will treat it as just a commercial enterprise. No matter which, each year Spring and Easter arrive about the same time, as do the birds and the flowers, and each year we are grateful. Now go out to a good paper show and have fun finding some of these fantastical images! Happy Easter, Glad Pask!