My oldest brother Steve – circa 1970 Martins Creek
Easter in Appalachia is black patent shoes, dresses trimmed in lace, and bonnets. It’s little ram-rod boys stilled and stuck in dress pants and ties. Easter in Appalachia is sunrise services, cantatas and long walks through dark hollers to bright high ridges. Easter in Appalachia is the older kids hiding eggs for the younger ones. It’s shouts of Hallelujah and Amen mostly on the inside, but with some escaping our lips. Easter in Appalachia is the mountains dotted with white and the yards dotted with pink. It’s a day filled with family, faith, and food.
Tipper
Sister Nancy and I were talking earlier today about how our mother had a big bag tucked in a closet that was filled with frilly hats, patent leather purses and tiny white gloves and sometimes dress shoes, that she’d carefully clean and put away after each Easter and pull out right before the next one to see what fit who that year. It was an exciting time for us when young.
She also use to hide our Easter baskets and make us each a treasure map to find our own, and the rule was, if you found someone else’s first and told them where it was, you lost your own on Easter day and didn’t get it til the day after, so we were careful not to do that.
She also hid colored eggs for us to fine. One year we found one several months later behind the couch. After that, she made a list of where she’d hidden each one. LOL
God bless.
RB
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Dorothy DeLong- Could this be what you’re looking for? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq2FFQNnTHk
It starts at about 0:30 into the video
Does anybody remember Easter baskets made from round oatmeal boxes? The boxes were cut in half except for two strips left on each side that when stapled together at the top served as a handle. The whole thing was then covered with crepe paper, ribbons and bows. The girls took the time to make really pretty ones. The boys only wanted something to hold the eggs they found.
Tipper,
To me, Easter is a Special time of the year, signifying our Risen Lord. And I think the mid-fifties was the best of times…Happy Easter everyone…Ken
What an adorable picture! Reminds me of my brother when he was little. I remember the crinoline petticoats, the hats with elastic straps under the chin, and patent leather shoes. I always had a spring coat, as we called them then. They were lighter weight, and in pretty colors. We gathered for a family meal on Easter with my maternal grandparents and maternal aunt and uncle. Glorious days, indeed. I’ve been hosting the Easter gathering at my house for many years, and I’m blessed to still have my mom, who will be 94 next month.
I remember so well the patent shoes, frilly dresses and hats, and the light jacket required for chilly Easter mornings. My mother always made a 3 layer coconut cake. She went all out–chose a coconut from the store after shaking it, broke it open with a hammer, and grated her own fresh coconut, and the coconut water went in the cake batter. She also fashioned spring flowers from gumdrops which she meticulously rolled out and cut and shaped, and then placed on top of the coconut cake as decorations. I wish I had a picture of one of those cakes, because they truly were masterpieces. She could be so artistic, but never thought she had any talent. My memories remind me in so many ways that she had very special talents. A blessed Easter to you all!
I am looking for the lyrics to a old song from the 1950’s called ADAM COME AND GET YOUR BONE. Hopefully someone singing it on video too. If not still want the lyrics to iy. Thanks for any help on this.
I was an ungrateful child! I hated the ribbons, bows, etc of Easter – would much rather be in jeans and playing in the woods. As I remember past Easters, etc. I realize that my mother dressed me very well and I did look nice. She must have spent quite a bit on my hair ribbons – they were lovely and matched my clothes perfectly. I did tell her I was sorry <3. The best part of Easter, and for that matter all other holidays was the arrival of aunts, uncles and my much loved cousins. Have a Blessed Easter Day.
Tipper,
My Mother would always receive a orchid for Easter from my Dad. It was usually in a white box with a clear window to view the flower…It had a small ribbon bow attached to the tube where the orchid stem met the top opening. Also enclosed was a long pin with a pearl bead-like top. Stuck through the fake green wrapping that held it altogether and was used to attach it to your dress. The color of the flower was a pale orchid or pinkish white. She put it immediately in the refrigerator until Suday morning. Mom more than likely would wear a suit with skirt and jacket that matched and a blouse underneath…the orchid pinned on the left collar…When I got in junior and high school I would get the florist flower too. Not always a orchid usually carnations…because the orchid was expensive and reserved for Mom…I didn’t care for most of the girls wore carnations.
When I was a very young girl, Mom would usually fashion me a little flower from one of her hat flowers with a ribbon. Sometimes, if there was a new bloom of a daffodil or narcissus in the yard, she would tie those together with ribbon and use one of her many bead-head pins to attach it. I always managed to get stuck at that age…too tom boyish and rambunctious I guess…
The orchid and carnations were always taken off as soon as we got back home and put back in the refrigerator. After Sunday was over Mother would take out the flower and put them in one of those single stem vases (milk glass 40/50’s) and display it on the dining room table until it faded away!
This is one of many memories I have left from Easter Sunday in the 40’s and 50’s growing up years!
Once in a long while if Dad had lots of work (self-employed) and had a little extra money he would also gift Mom with a pot of White Easter Lilies…this was a sacrifice for him for the strong fragrance from them being in the house would make him sick.
Thanks Tipper,
Don’t forget the March Jonquils, also known as Easter Flowers or old fashioned daffodils. Also, the starting-to-fade culture of Easter bonnets and gloves worn by the little ladies, new Easter dress too. 🙂
Tipper–Whether consciously or not, your blog today uses a repetitive literary device that was a favorite of John Parris. It works very nicely in your Easter evocation.
For me, this year, Easter will be meditation and contemplation and peace in the loveliest of all cathedrals, woodlands in the spring. If a gobbler gives voice or my wanderings bring morels into view, so much the better.
Jim Casada
Mother made all my clothes but my Easter dress was always the prettiest. In addition to the dress and hat, she always made a “duster” because no matter how many warms days we had before, in B’ham we always had a cool Easter.
Precious picture! Black patent shoes, dresses trimmed in lace, little white gloves, and bonnets. Little boys stilled and stuck in dress pants and ties. Tipper, that is exactly what we were wearing in early 1950’s, really, all of the 1950’s, in MS and in northern Illinois. In northern MS you would have the hills but in northern Illinois it was flat land. I love both. The most important was sharing that special time – faith, family and food. Most wonderful memories. May we all remember the most important event of the year – when our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, died on a cross for us, and then rose on the 3rd day.
Easter was a dress-up day. It was patent leather shiny shoes, a new dress, a new light weighted coat and a special hat with a big bow in the back of it with streamers hanging down . It was a day of church and then the ride to the Schooley Mountains, Long Valley, NJ to visit my mom’s sister and family. It was a chicken farm and a day for birthing many new chicks. My aunt would make a bunny shaped pound cake with coconut all over the outside, lots and lots of hard boiled eggs, and the best cream puffs. My mouth waters as I remember these delicious treats. Of course, I still remember the Easter that I followed my brother and cousins to the pond where their long legs could cross it, but me, my legs much too short, slipped into the mud with my Easter finery and needed much help to get out of the mud. I was a mess and, well, I was in big trouble. A blessed Easter to all!
In the fifties it was homemade dresses from stiff dotted Swiss fabric. Anyone remember that smell? Did you get your face and ears re-washed with saliva on a clean handkerchief? White gloves and pretty hats.
That’s a sweet picture, Tipper, and thanks for telling me about what you see at Easter in Appalachia. Ah, spring! I love it!
Tipper, I loved your summary of what Easter is like in the mountains. It truly is like that for me.
Well sir, that brother is looking so fine! Easter celebrations seems like a perfect way to welcome spring time. But it just a little too early this morning – as frost is covering the flowers! Maybe rhey will com through unharmed! Hope you day is warmer. Eva Nell
Easter and spring and the anniversary of my baptising all more or less occur at the same time. Each of the three are special. There is no green quite like spring green. If Ireland is any greener, I’d like to see it. But even if it was, it couldn’t match home.
Was up in the mountains in Rabun County on Thursday and the trailing arbutus was blooming. It is one of my favorite plants. It isn’t very showy but it has one of the sweetest fragrances of any wildflower and the most delicate shades of white, shell pink and medium pink all on one flower.
That sounds like a wonderful Easter indeed!
Steve certainly is a cutie pie! I think of the Messiah sung as Easter. Mostly now I think of spring coming!
Easter! Time to break out the Gabardines! Sunday Go to Meetin Garb!
Tipper, Easter in northern Ohio is a lovely place, too, though I can see in my mind’s eye the picturesque beauty that you described. May our Lord’s blessings rest on you and your family as you worship and praise and sing “Christ the Lord is Risen Today! Hallelujah!”
Eleanor L.
Columbia Station Ohio
Just like Easter was when I was a child. A dress worn only for church, white shoes and of course don’t forget the required hat.
Just like Easter was when I was a child. A dress worn only for church, white shoes and of course don’t forget the required hat.
Just like Easter was when I was a child. A dress worn only for church, white shoes and of course don’t forget the required hat.
Just like Easter was when I was a child. A dress worn only for church, white shoes and of course don’t forget the required hat.