The Easter Parade

Now you have to realize I grew up in a time where Easter (besides the religious holiday) was celebrated with families dressing up in new spring outfits. Typically as a little girl, I got a new dress complete with a full skirt and big bow in the back, new black patent leather Mary Jane shoes, white socks with lace trim, a purse, white gloves and a hat! During the fifties, this was the typical annual rites of Spring for most middle class American families. After receiving our chocolate bunnies and basket from the Easter Bunny, our next treat was the annual Easter egg hunt. I remember when I was 5 or 6, I found the treasured golden egg. An older boy snatched it out of my hand and claimed the Grand Prize! (I was a shy little girl and the bully got away with it then. Today he'd have a harder time.) In elementary school, we glued paper flowers on a paper hat. There'd be an Easter Program on the stage wearing our paper hats singing all the ole favorites, "In your Easter bonnet..."

Several years ago we went with good friends for a fun weekend in New York City. The food was fantastic--saw the Rockettes with their Easter Extravaganza--Central Park--Museums--and topped it off on Sunday going to the Easter Parade! So when we arrived at 5th Avenue, I expected to see a lot of sophisticated New Yorkers parading around in their fashionable finest!!! WRONG. Near Rockafeller Center, I did see one group of 4 or 5 beautiful young women wearing spring dresses, hats, heels and Italian sunglasses looking fabulous. But they were the only ones. Today's Easter Parade has evolved into something that is a cross between Halloween and a circus! One man was walking around with a hat with a 2 foot plastic statue that resembled a chocolate bunny perched on top. Others had hats with odd plumage attached but the piece of cake was the lady with 2 live iguanas tied to her canvas chapeau. Everyone thought that was cool. Is this the new meaning of the Easter Parade? This morning I looked at the Richmond newspaper only to see 2 photos of Sunday's Monument Avenue Easter Parade--one featuring a clown on stilts and the other had a dog with rabbit ears!

You'd think the Easter Parade would be a "shoe in" event for those people that love the expensive designer bags and shoes! For all the money spent, you'd think these fashionistas would be out showing off their good taste. But where are these trappings of couture in the Easter Parade? Why do people spend vast fortunes on expensive fashion and accessories only to miss a holiday parade that was created for them!

Long gone is the elegance of yesteryear. It goes to show that now you can wear your old painting clothes just about anywhere or anytime. From someone who loves their creature comforts and hasn't worn high heels for years, this is still disconcerting. Is there a double meaning to the quote, "There is a time and place for everything!" Maybe it should read, "There is a time and place for certain things" meaning everything isn't meant to be everywhere all the time. Have I made myself perfectly unclear?!