My wife and I were buying Easter candy the other day, despite the fact that our children are well past easter basket stage. They like it and it's a fun tradition.
It's not like it's new this year, but I really only just put it together how much Easter candy offerings have changed since I was a kid.
If you grew up in the 70s, you might remember the old cellophane-covered, prepackaged Easter baskets. The basket usually had some creative pastel colors woven through it. In each basket was usually the following: A stuffed bunny, a chocolate bunny, jellybeans, Peeps, Robin's Eggs (malted milk candy) and bubble gum eggs.
The Easter bunnies were always hollow. So as soon as you bit into it, it sort of crumbled. The chocolate wasn't all that good either, but hey, it was chocolate. Now, they have solid chocolate bunnies in exotic flavors and brands. You can get a Dove Chocolate rabbit, you can get a Reese's rabbit, you can get a White Chocolate rabbit. The choices are seemingly endless. Jellybeans are varied too: Starburst, Sweet Tart and lots of others.
I was never much into Peeps, so I have trouble understanding the modern enthusiasm for them. Someone at my office brought in a package of chocolate Peeps once so I tried them. Nope. It just tastes like Peeps with a vague chocolate hint.
Another Easter memory is the annual showing of the 10 Commandments which, in those days anyway, always ran during the Easter season. It was a win/win for the networks. You had the Christian and Jewish people covered with religious programming during both high holy days. Sometimes they'd even show one of the many Jesus-themed movies like The Greatest Story Ever Told. I miss those traditions, but truth be told I don't have the patience to watch them now. It's faster to read the four Gospels in one sitting than watch either of those movies.
One of my favorite Easter stories is the short story "Easter Weekend" by Eugene England. I took a writing class from him in college and love his writing style. He taught me more about writing and finding my voice than any other teacher. I'm sure he would love the explosion of blogs and independent writing that is so much a part of the modern writing landscape, particularly those that feature LDS voices and stories. He felt it was important that all the stories get told: faithful, faithless and in between.
Happy Easter everyone!
