Whatever happened to dressing up on Easter Sunday?

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Saturday, April 10, 2004 | Alyson Walls

[Willie Green]

Although famed musical composer Irving Berlin thought them lovely enough to write a sonnet, nowadays few women are donning Easter bonnets.

In fact, you're more apt to see wrinkled khakis and rumpled polo shirts than pressed suits and pastel pumps at church on Sunday.

While Easter Sunday has traditionally been the day to show off your new spring finery, America has become a nation that dresses down, and not just on "casual Fridays" in the office.

[Willie Green]

Woodstock-era Baby Boomer hippies are all a bunch of lazy, atheistic slobs.

[woofie]

Yep but Im happy

[Conservative til I die]

I don't think there's necessaroly anything wrong with wearing polo shirt and khakis. Now don't read what I am about to say the wrong way, but times have changed, and fashions along with them. The perception today is that polo shirts, khakis, and dress shoes are what passes for formal these days.

[Vision]

I think you may be somewhat right. But I'll say this...I don't take my religion all that seriously anymore. I still answer to God, he is my moral compass. But, I'm burned out on the ceremonies. Maybe I'm a disgruntled Catholic. That's where I'm at right now.

[Fiddlstix]

Woodstock-era Baby Boomer hippies are all a bunch of lazy, atheistic slobs.

Hmmm...........
You left out "egocentric".....
J

[missyme]

Pink Purple and Black dress today with the beautiful cross I wear that is near and dear to my heart and reminds me of what Jesus did today!

[kdot]

"It's gotten to the point where people go the entire year without caring what they look like."

This is a good thing.

[Huck]

I'm doing the bare minimum.

[Blue Scourge]

Call me crazy, but I'm much more certain that the Lord would rather see you at a church praising his resurection than showing off your new 3 piece armani.

[stboz]

Clothes make the man....Naked people have little influence on society.

--Mark Twain

[Hildy]

I'm glad you brought this up. Could somebody here please explain to this Jew what bunnies, eggs and bonnets have to do with the resurrection of Christ? I'm not being facetious. I've asked many of my friends, and they can't seem to tell me. I know you all will be happy to inform me. Thank you.

[7.62 x 51mm]

Ditto that from a disgruntled Methodist, whose entire church has been taken over by liberals, and I don't recognize it anymore, as it was in the 50s and 60s.

[Howlin]

Could somebody here please explain to this Jew what bunnies, eggs and bonnets have to do with the resurrection of Christ?

Rent Eddie Izzard's video, Dressed To Kill. He explains it all quite well. :-)

[CindyDawg]

One of the reasons I stayed home today. Nothing to wear to the fashion show .

[cyborg]

I have become a crotchety,private person and yes I'm a Roman Catholic also. My sunday best is a old red Gundamwing tee. However, not dressing up would be VERBOTEN. My mother is an old fashioned Caribbean Catholic and wearing sneakers would give her a heart attack!

[Unknowing]

I'll wear a Brooks Brothers suit, a Nautica tie, and wingtips. And I'll shave my face. Must. . . strike. . . blow. . . against Baby Boomer slobs.

[Cicero]

I plead guilty.

There has been a general change in acceptable clothing since the 1960s. The first time I went to Europe in the 1950s, everyone there wore suits and ties. Our ancient English gardner, Acker, in the house we rented wore a three-piece tweed suit with tweed cap and tie when he came to dig in the garden. It would have been inconsistent with his dignity to wear anything less.

On the continent women all wore dresses, widows wore black, and men wore dark suits. I always wore gray flannels, a sports jacket and a tie back then, even when I was working alone in my study. When I bicycled through Europe I had a polyester shirt, a blazer, and a tie in my saddle bag for restaurants and church.

Next visit to Europe everyone wore an aligator shirt and khakis. Needless to say things went even further here in America.

I know I should wear a coat and tie to church on Sundays, let alone Easter. I did put on a tie for the Easter Vigil service, but I should do it every week.

It's called dressing down. Everybody does it, and you get in the habit. But when you go to church you should dress at least as well as you would to meet a great king. And I have to confess I don't do it.

Maybe we should try to start a counter trend.

[PISANO]

What happened?

IF it feels good do it, happened. Of course with it came if it doesn't feel good "DON'T" do it.

[FreedomPoster]

Bunnies and eggs are vestigial remnants from pagan Spring planting/fertility celebrations.

[CindyDawg]

Becky
You dress up today? :')

[stboz]

...you should dress at least as well as you would to meet a great king

The only King I ever hope to meet will love me whether I wear a suit or a tanktop. I just wish He were here already.

[tiamat]

There were old Roman (and other ) springtime holidays that had to do with fertility...Eating eggs was considered lucky for any woman trying to conceive at this time of year. A lot of the time the eggs were colored red to symbolize the sun, blood, life....the Greeks still do the red eggs.

The rest of us like other colors as well.

And BUNNIES are famous for... well.... you know! ;-)

I think bonnets are simply because after a long , drab, winter, people want a bit of color to celebrate spring!

A lot of these pagan traditions got co-opted into our modern Easter traditions.... they are simply fun "extras" nowadays.


Does this help?

[Maigrey]

Origins of Easter

I hope this helps.

[It's me]

Well, people will dress up nicely to see the Pres or to out to a party but, they won't dress up nicely to see Our Lord.

Sad...

[Junior]

The egg is a symbol of rebirth. Bunnies are pagan fertility symbols that have made their way to modern times as a sign of spring. Bonnets just look good.

[CindyDawg]

Yesterday my little grandsons and I colored eggs. I had 2 1/2 dozen, minus 1 (my husband got to them first:'). Anyway I told them the Story and drew pictures on the eggs and then after colored and it showed the oldest would repeat the lesson back to me. It was fun and Christian :')

[E Rocc]

One thing I've noticed is that while over the last decade or two Christmas has gotten more secular and commercial, Easter has become more of a religious holiday, therefore less on the radar for non-religious people.

Those who bemoan the secularization of Christmas presumably would like this trend.

-Eric

[Willie Green]

Could somebody here please explain to this Jew what bunnies, eggs and bonnets have to do with the resurrection of Christ?

The extremely loose connection correlates the Resurrection of Christ with other traditional customs celebrating the rebirth of Spring.

The pagan origins of the Easter Bunny

[ryanjb2]

"Could somebody here please explain to this Jew what bunnies, eggs and bonnets have to do with the resurrection of Christ? I'm not being facetious. "

Well, we've only been non-Pagans for 1500-1000 years now, so traditions die hard.

[tiamat]

Cindy, I am gonna fix you up!

Look here for some fun, Christian kid-friendly food activities!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1108853/posts

[Spiff]

The tradition in my family is to buy all of the children new Easter clothes which they then wear until the Fall or later. My girls are going to church today in pretty new matching springtime dresses, my sons have new dress pants, shirts, and ties. I would have bought the wife a new dress, but the local stores had NOTHING.

[heylady]

I was always taught that you put a little effort in your appearance. It was a sign of respect. You respected the church enough to wear your "best" clothes.

Sunrise service at 6am we were all dressed in our Sunday best, Jackets, shirts and ties,even on my 15 month old grandson.

[DCPatriot]

Call me crazy, but I'm much more certain that the Lord would rather see you at a church praising his resurection than showing off your new 3 piece armani.

Uh, Crazy, you could spring for a two piece Kirkland Brand from Costco or J.C. Penney for 99 bucks.

The point is that people used to make the effort to be their most dressy on Easter Sunday.

[hgro]

Easter is a day to embrace GOD, not merchants inticing people to buy their wares. Go to GOD in whatever dress suits you.

[threat matrix]

You mean like this?

[Cicero]

The only King I ever hope to meet will love me whether I wear a suit or a tanktop. I just wish He were here already.

If He catches you swimming, He'll expect the tank top. "No man knows the day nor the hour." But if you're paying Him a formal visit, a tanktop would be inappropriate.

[Old Professer]

When they remodeled LAX back in the 80s they put up photos from old files back to the 30s; almost all the men wore suits and hats except for work uniforms and the women wore skirts and dresses and their fair share of hats as well, even along Santa Monica beach and the pier.

[CindyDawg]

How did I miss this? :') Thanks

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Affluence happened.

When nobody could afford much of anything, dressing up was a big deal.

Now that even "poor" people have multiple color TVs with cable, a couple of cars and more food than they can eat without becoming hippopotami, dressing up is not a big deal.

[cyborg]

awww that's cute

[threat matrix]

[tiamat]

You're welcome!

;-)

[mindspy]

I'm too tired right now to think about it much less do anything about it, like get out of my pajamas.

[cyborg]

Let's just hope she doesn't move her hand :-) Sheesh my mother would be going on and on at how she could have worn a scarf.

[threat matrix]

These folks in England have got their bonnets on..

[KarlInOhio]

Is it better to look good for Easter than to be good?

[TC Rider]

The author should visit some churches here in NC.

He wants to see some Easter bonnets, he should visit some of the black Baptists churches.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Happy Easter Willie!!!

IMO fashion is cyclical. We are just in a 'down' turn right now. Low rise jeans, stretchy nylon tops, tees and khakis will give way to something else. Heck even platform shoes came back and they will go away (again). Suits and the Jackie Kennedy look will come back at some point too...just wait.

As for dressing to the nines for Easter (buying new clothes, etc.) I think alot of families just can't afford it. My boys wore the same 'dress' khakis' with a nice shirt as they would wear any Sunday. And I didn't really notice alot of all-out, brand new Easter finery...just people dressed as they normally would have.

[Willie Green]

I would have bought the wife a new dress, but the local stores had NOTHING.

And she BELIEVED you???

Geeez, I NEVER would've gotten away with THAT whopper!!!

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Could somebody here please explain to this Jew what bunnies, eggs and bonnets have to do with the resurrection of Christ?

Medieval tradition. The peasants didn't have to work on the Lord's manor lands on Easter and were given extra eggs for their trouble.

In time, eggs symbolized birth renewal (easter is near the spring equinox -- officially its the First Sunday after the First Full Moon After the Spring Equinox) -- Spring -- renewal -- resurrection -- renewal .. etc

Easter Bunny grew out of all of that.