The weather forecast for today was for rain, hail, tornadoes and damaging winds, but by late afternoon all had subsided and we were able to ride about 30 miles with only a ridiculously strong headwind to contend with.
The bulk of our day was actually spent more pleasantly celebrating Easter, the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and is always the first Sunday after the first full moon following the northern spring equinox. Christians mark the day by attending mass (this year via television) and gathering with family (this year in groups no larger than 10!). This is the first year David and I have not been with our own children at Easter and the first time in 27 years we have not hidden eggs for our children (yes, believe it or not, every Easter we have an Easter egg hunt and hide eggs for our now adult children and their friends to find!). Decorating and hiding eggs on Easter dates to medieval times and symbolizes the new life of the risen Jesus and for pagans, the new life brought by spring. The Easter bunny came into being in the 17th century as part of Easter traditions because bunnies were considered to have amazing powers of fertility—thus reinforcing the concept of new life for both Christians and non-Christians.
While we missed our children and our own Easter traditions, we were blessed to be with my parents and siblings and had a wonderful day celebrating as one does in Acadiana, with a crawfish boil.
We were deeply grateful to be alive and well and together and wish the same for you and your families. Happy Easter! Happy Spring!
– Isabella