In Christianity, Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but for some, it simply means running around the lawn and collecting colorful eggs. However, does there come a point when people become ‘too old’ for the beloved Easter egg hunt?
Most people recognize the Easter holiday from the Easter bunny, who delivers candy-filled eggs and pastel baskets full of goodies. However, the symbolism behind Easter goes much deeper than this. As many of us enter adulthood, we are often expected to put childish antics behind us and observe Easter as a religious holiday.
Make it fun for the kids
Easter Sunday is deeply important for the Christian faith, as it marks the day that Jesus rose from his grave. This, admittedly, doesn’t sound like the most exciting thing for young children. Most kids couldn’t care less about somebody being reborn from their tomb; all they care about is getting fistfuls of chocolates.
While the grown-ups are supposed to be focused on church, children are encouraged to engage in the more fun aspects, such as hunting for eggs. Things like this allow young kids to observe the holiday in a way that is more digestible– unlike the gelatinous Peeps that fill their Easter baskets.
However, just because the Easter egg hunt is an activity for children doesn’t mean adults can’t partake in the same childish fun.
Stealing tradition
While some Easter Scrooges might argue that the Easter eggs should be saved for the children, you don’t have to trade in the fun for the King James Bible just because you’ve hit the 18-year-old mark. Especially when the Easter holiday didn’t even belong in Christianity to begin with.
Throughout the Bible, a giant rabbit leaving eggs full of Hershey’s for children is mysteriously absent. This is because Christians actually stole the Easter traditions from the Pagan festival of Eostre. These traditions had nothing to do with Christianity, but were about celebrating Spring and the rebirth and fertility of nature. Christians took symbols from this tradition and did their best to apply it to Jesus’s resurrection.
If a bunch of old Christians stole an entire holiday for themselves, you can steal that Easter egg right out of a six-year-old’s hand.
Keeping Easter light
Maybe you don’t feel like going down a rabbit hole (pun intended) of the history behind Easter. Maybe you just want to enjoy the beginnings of spring with friends and family. That is completely okay as well.
Regardless of the holiday’s origins, modern-day Easter is widely seen as much more of a celebration of Spring than Christianity. After being trapped inside for a long winter, everybody deserves to get out of the house and have fun.
Whimsy has no age
There seems to be a prevailing sentiment that adults aren’t allowed to have fun like kids are. This idea, to put it plainly, is completely absurd. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Easter egg hunts can be even more exciting in adulthood than in childhood.
A grown adult is much more capable of hunting for things than a four-year-old who can’t keep his nose out of his iPad for more than 15 minutes. This makes the hunt itself more exciting, as well as making it more challenging for the person hiding the eggs. While you might have to simply scatter the eggs across the yard for the kids, you can use much more clever hiding spots with adults.
But, if the adults are doing the searching, who’s doing the hiding? I’m sure you are asking this exact question. If you can’t find somebody to be the designated hider, then there is an opportunity still involving the kids. After you’ve let all the snot-lickers find their eggs, have them hide some for the adults to find. This creates an even more memorable experience for everyone to enjoy.
If you find yourself questioning whether you are too old to be participating in an Easter egg hunt, just don’t. Allow yourself to enjoy the fun, regardless of your age.
