Closet Content Analysis: No New Clothes for Easter
It's Easter Sunday but it looks more like Christmas Day on the Canadian prairies.
Easter meant a NEW Sunday best outfit for me when I was little including something for my hair whether a hat or some other such accessory. As I grew into adulthood, I still used Easter as my excuse to buy a NEW spring outfit. The headgear was a frivolity and not something to which I adhered. Now, the NEW doesn't even enter my mind for a variety of reasons. However, I do "dress-up" if I go to church and always seem a little surprised that perhaps only 20% of the church-goers are in their "Sunday best". I figure I have the clothes so why not? In the same way, others may say, I don't have the clothes, what for?
But it's Easter today and somehow I expected to see more colours rather than the drab winter wear and blue jeans. A couple of years ago while having Easter Sunday lunch on the island of Burano in Italy, every diner, including the little ones, was wearing something in a shade of purple. "Have you noticed . . . " I said to my husband, who in turn responded that he thought it was the light in the restaurant. What a joyful light it was!
I remember the same light-hearted feeling and joyfulness in the air and on the people's backs when we visited Greece at Easter. It's not that the outfits were necessarily new, but they were representative of the season, no matter the weather.
So irrespective of the temperature, put on something from your closet in colours to feel the joy of spring.
Happy Spring . . . Happy Easter . . . Happy Happy!
You'll be happy to know our Martha has been dressing up for special occasion meals for a few years now. This Easter was no exception! Too few opportunities to dress up and feel special these days. I guess we just have to make the opportunities!! Happy Easter to you as well!! Keep up the good writing!
ReplyDeleteThere is liberation in wearing what you want when you want; however in the same way "dress-up" was taken to an extreme with "required tie" restrictions, we now have an extreme of sloppy and at times inappropriate. You are so right, we can make the opportunities to "dress up". When someone "dresses up" and comes to my table, it is an indication of respect - I took the time to make the meal and invite you, you took the time to dress up to add to the festivities. You do make your choices: sweats or "dress up" at the celebration dinner table!
DeleteI forgot to mention that even baby Michael got in on the dress up act: lavender shirt, black vest, and black tie! We were all mighty impressed. Never too young to be a fashionista!! This young man may be a metro sexual someday, although the term will have been changed by then, I am sure.
DeleteToo cute! I can imagine. But this is exactly how we learn . . . how we learn to sit at a formal table with adults, how we learn to put on something nice when we go to grandma's, how we learn to say thank you at the end of a meal . . . we learn by example, experience and doing, not by anyone telling us that we must do it.I remember a conversation about how two 6 and 8 year olds were impossible at grandma's dinner table and the parents were so embarrassed. After delving into the subject, it was revealed that these two always sat in front of the tv when they went "out" for dinner and then one day mom decided they should sit at the table and of course, she became exasperated when they didn't "sit nice" with a bunch of adults. Even at 6 and 8, old habits die hard.
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