It's that time of year again. Dyed eggs, giant bunnies, matzo, and Manischewitz wine are taking over. Easter and Passover fall around the same time every year. Now, like it usually is, the Jewish holiday is overshadowed by the Catholic holiday. Easter takes over media and stores with displays and Passover has a tiny shelf section in Giant. Now there are many different thoughts that go through a Jewish kid's mind during Easter season. I personally am Jewish and have had these thoughts that my fellow Jews have had as well.
1. "Is Easter about a rabbit?"
I was 4 years old. My mom and I were going shopping at the King of Prussia mall. We walk in as the mall doors swung open, and the first thing my eyes laid on was a giant, brown, human-sized bunny. Now I never really understood these costumes. The thought that went through my head was that there was this giant rabbit, and Easter was about this giant rabbit (which it obviously is not). Over the years I never understood why kids went to sit on this giant bunny's lap. But to each their own.
2. Easter egg hunting is like finding the Matzo.
For those of you who don't know, finding the matzo is a Jewish tradition during Passover. Matzo is unleavened bread (basically a giant cracker). Your parents hide the matzo and whoever finds it first gets money. Obviously my parents hid a piece for each child because if one kid got money and nobody else did all hell would break loose. This is very similar to Easter egg hunting though but you get a giant cracker and a couple bucks instead of candy.
3. Double dipping.
I am a double dipper. Double dipping is when one parent is Jewish and the other is Catholic. I get to celebrate both Easter and Passover, Christmas and Chanukah. I don't go to church since I am fully Jewish in forms of practice, but I do get an Easter Basket, eggs, and attend my Roman Catholic side's Italian dinner. Being a double dipper is a great privilege.
4. Eating before the prayer.
Being a double dipper, this happens to us a lot. The amount of times we awkwardly start eating when nobody else is is uncountable. The Nonna has yelled at me on multiple occasions because I am not used to waiting for my cousin to say the prayer. This is something a lot of people encounter, Jewish or not. But it happens to me every year. It's not my fault my Nonna's raviolis look so good.
5. Elijah and the Easter Bunny are basically the same.
You guys have the Easter Bunny. We have Elijah the prophet. The Easter Bunny brings you Easter eggs and presents. Elijah is a ghost that comes through your window and drinks your wine during dinner. I guess Jewish parents just wanted a reason to drink wine. But I guess they are the same in some way.
6. "Can I take ______ home for Easter?"
We have all heard our friends ask their parents this. Bringing a Jewish kid home for Easter with you is like bringing in a stray dog during the holiday. There are multiple times when my friends have asked to take me home for the holiday.
6. In the end, Jews like to dye eggs and hunt for Easter eggs too.
Even though Jews don't celebrate Easter, I've learned it is still really fun to dye eggs, do Easter egg hunts, and get in to the holiday like everyone else. Learning about different faiths and cultures is good for everyone. All Jews should try Cadbury eggs, and everyone else should try some matzo ball soup.
