Easter with Adele Parks

Bestselling author Adele Parks lets us know what she gets up to at Easter…and why she thinks an Easter Bunny delivering eggs makes NO sense!

I love Easter, it’s full of everything that makes me (and most of us) smile: family get-togethers, budding trees, plants and flowers, the first hint of sunshine and chocolate! OK, let’s not over-romanticise things here; I’m fully aware that the extended family around the table means there will be squabbles (but I always try to remember they are loving ones), budding plants and trees are also accompanied by the obligation to spend an afternoon cutting the grass and pulling weeds, and chocolate – well, it’s a guilty pleasure. But, honestly, I can’t see a drawback to sunshine. I like what we are celebrating: rebirth, hope, second-chances, peace. Easter is a fantastic holiday, a minimum of two days off work for most of the grown-ups, two weeks off school for kids. I remember childhood holidays with huge affection.

When my son was younger we did all the traditional things. He and his cousins painted boiled eggs and then rolled them down the hill to see whose would break first, I hid chocolate eggs in the garden and we even made Easter bonnets. I’ll admit he never had much enthusiasm for this tradition – it is a bit girly, but my nieces were keener.

Easter this year is a little more restrained. He’s studying for his GCSEs and so our family, like thousands of other families up and down the country with kids tied to their desks, won’t have the luxury of slipping away for a week or so. I urge those of you who don’t have this constraint – make the most of it! Go somewhere warm and fabulous, dip your toes in the water, eat fat olives (they look a bit like mini eggs), have your Easter egg hunt on a beach, sip wine on a balcony. Sigh. I am a tiny bit envious, I can’t deny it.

Anyway, since I am going to be here in the UK it gives me some time to solve the age-old dilemma that has long since plagued our Easters. Why does an Easter Bunny bring the eggs? I mean, it makes no sense. Why isn’t there an Easter Hen that brings us the eggs? I’m totally on board with a chubby, bearded guy popping down the chimney on December 24^th but a Bunny delivering eggs? That I need explaining. Any ideas? Answers on a postcard please…

By Adele Parks

@adeleparks

In our opinion, there’s nothing better than settling down with a pile of Easter eggs and a good book over the long weekend…why not read The Stranger In My Home

In case you missed it…

Adele Parks on the changing face of love: four special short story collections