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AF&PA Coordinator, Communications
Easter is one of my favorite holidays. I love that it represents spring time and an opportunity to spend quality time with family. As a child, I always looked forward to receiving care packages filled with candy, dying Easter eggs, opening my Easter basket and enjoying a delicious dinner. Now that I am older, I have the opportunity to pass along the traditions that make it a special holiday with memories made possible by paper.
As the holiday approached, my aunt always sent me a care package filled with goodies and a thoughtful, handwritten note. I would tear open the cardboard box and read the holiday card and then dive into the candies, bought from a specialty store and packaged in paperboard boxes. Looking back, I recognize having someone take the time to go to the post office and mail you a gift is something not to take for granted- too often now, people choose to send a digital card or note via email.
Once the eggs were dyed a variety of pastel colors, the final step was adding paper stickers. I especially loved the glitter ones and how they sparkled against the dye. When we finished decorating, they were placed to dry in the paper egg stands that came in the egg-dying kit.
Easter Sunday, the baskets were stuffed with brightly-colored tissue paper. As we tore through the blue, pink and yellow paper to get to the small toys and treats, our parents would always remind us to not eat all the candy at once. Later in the day, my mom cooked a delicious dinner. While the adults gathered at the dining table and used fine china, my cousins and I ate at the kids table and used paper plates and napkins. Some years we even had special, Easter themed plates decorated with bunnies and eggs.
All of these paper-based traditions helped make Easter a special time. This year, I am once again looking forward to gathering with friends and family and passing along the traditions, while remembering the value of paper in the holiday.
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