Welcome to Easter at Penney's Place!

It's almost time for the Easter Bunny to come hoppin' down the Bunny Trail with a basket full of the goodies we all like so well... jellybeans, Cadbury Eggs, malted milk balls, and chocolate bunnies... yum!

     Why do we celebrate Easter? The Christians, of course, consider it the day on which Jesus rose from the tomb; but the celebration of Easter has far older roots than Judeo-Christian ones. The name, Easter, like the names of the week, have been passed down to us from old Teutonic mythologies, where they represented the feast days of the Norse gods. 'Easter' is derived from the Norse 'Ostara' or 'Eostre', the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, to whom the month of April, and called Eostur-monath, was dedicated.

     The Greek myth, Demeter and Persephone, with its Latin counterpart, Ceres and Persephone, conveys the idea of a goddess returning seasonally from the nether regions to the light of day. This is in conjunction with the festival of spring, or vernal equinox, March 21, when nature is in resurrection after winter.

     The origin of the rabbit icon, or Easter Bunny, comes from the fact that rabbits are notable for their capacity of abundant production of young especially at this time of year. The use of Easter eggs, has its roots in the characteristic of eggs laid in great numbers in the spring being colored like rays of the returning sun and the northern lights or aurora borealis. There is also a long tradition of decorating Easter eggs and giving them at Easter.

     Today we celebrate Easter, each according to our own traditions. For me, Easter is a day for the child inside us to dye and hunt Easter eggs, receive that cherished basket of goodies from the Easter Bunny, or, as with any other holiday celebration, to spend time with family and friends.

Let's Have a Little Fun!

Here are some wonderful games from BlackDog's Easter Celebration that I'm sure you will all enjoy!

Easter Bunny Tic-Tac-Toe     Easter Bunny Match Game

The Egg Click Game     Easter Egg Hunt Game

Some of my friends have some lovely Easter pages as well; just follow the links below to visit their Easter pages.

Berkanna     Columbine     Jan Dee     Kitty Kapers    Maiden Fair    Michele   

 Muffie

And now it's time for the piece de resistance of Easter here at Penney's Place -- my second annual Easter Egg Coloring Contest! To view the eggs that have been submitted and vote for you favorite one, just follow the link below.

Penney's Place Egg Coloring Contest

My Easter Quilt for 2003

My Easter Gifts Page