In a recent study by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, 92% of responding adults confirmed that they eat the ears of chocolate bunnies before they nibble on the rest of the Easter basket prize piece.
If you believe it just wouldn't be Easter without a basket of colored eggs, jelly beans and a chocolate bunny, perhaps you'll want to head North of the border to celebrate Easter with the grandkids.
The Rare Easter Baskets
In fact, the only time I've seen a display of Easter baskets in a local store was in mid-December of 1991. The dozen or so cellophane swathed baskets – complete with plastic grass, candy eggs and chocolate and plush bunnies were displayed in a now defunct Ajijic grocery store along with a handful of plastic toys and a sign that read, "Feliz Navidad" (Merry Christmas). That's the way it was then…the problem was we never knew if inventory had arrived very too early or way too late for the intended holiday. From what I heard, the local children who received Easter baskets for Christmas were thrilled.
Easter here isn't about elaborate brunches or enormous ham dinners, new clothes, coloring boiled eggs, chocolate bunnies, jelly beans or yellow marshmallow Peeps.
Easter at Lakeside is all about being with family, participating in the community Passion Play and attending the Saturday night Easter Vigil Mass and the dance in the plaza that follows.
We’ve talked about Ajijic's long-respected Passion Play history and tradition in several of this past week’s posts.
Friday, March 26 -- The Virgin de Dolores – Remembering the Sorrow of Mary
Sunday, March 28 -- Palm Sunday – The Triumphant Entry and the Celebration
Thursday, April 1, Holy Thursday – The Last Supper and Arrest of Christ
Friday, April 2, Holy Friday – The Passion of Christ
Yesterday, April 3, Holy Saturday – The Easter Vigil
Domingo de Gloria or Pascua (Easter Sunday)
Finally, today is Easter Sunday. Until I Iearned about the tradition of the Easter Eve vigil, I was puzzled by the absence of riotous celebration at the church on Easter morning. I thought that if ever there was a time for pealing bells and skyrockets, it certainly would be Easter morning.
Much to my chagrin, like Christmas day, Easter morning in Ajijic is eerily quiet. Few people are on the streets; traffic has quieted to a standstill. The joyous ringing of the bells and celebration were held last night, at the conclusion of the Easter Vigil in the church’s atrium.
Easter Sunday, just like Christmas Day is a time for sleep and quiet relaxation. You could shoot cannon balls all over the streets of town and not nick a Mexican national – at least until around 10 a.m.
Easter celebrations, like many other customs are very different here in Mexico. You'll adapt just fine once you tell yourself that these (and other) customs aren't wrong, nor are they right. They're just different.
Meanwhile, please nibble the ears off a solid chocolate bunny for me…and maybe devour a Reese’s egg or two…oh and maybe a handful of malted milk eggs…
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