Easter Tradtions Run Amok

If you are a kid of Easter Bunny acceptance age, please stop reading. Parents may continue.

My children inherited the same Easter Eve tradition that I had growing up. I don’t know where it came from, but it stuck.  On Saturday night, before going to bed, each of the FOMLs would select a pie tin from the kitchen, and a carrot from the fridge, while my EC and I would meander off to our room, to allay suspicions.  The FOMLs would then put the carrot in the pie tin and hide them somewhere in the kitchen or family room. The theory was that the Easter Bunny would then sniff out the carrot, and swap an Easter basket for the pie tin. The next morning, the FOMLs could tell which basket belonged to them by where they had hidden their tin the night before.  (Like I said, I don’t know where the tradition started, but we loved it as kids.)

The problems began as the FOMLs got older. And sneakier. The “hiding of the pie tins” began to be an Olympic-worthy event. The older kids went out of the way to find the most difficult hiding places ever devised. What started out as “behind the couch” gradually became “inside the piano” or “wedged up inside the curtain valances”. Every year I would spend more and more time searching for these infernal pie tins. It was never spoken of, but I know my older FOMLs loved torturing their poor Easter Dad.

One year, after an especially long and brutal search for the final tin (underneath the contents of the kitchen junk drawer) I vowed that next year would be different. And a year later I remembered that vow. (Usually my vows are forgotten within minutes.)

That next year, before the hiding of the pans, I opened up the blinds on the back of the house, and put our video camera on the back wall. I hit record, and went in and told the FOMLs to hide their pans. As soon as my EC and I were safely sequestered in our room, the FOMLs went to work. They were devilish, taking their sweet time to find the most difficult hiding places imaginable. They came and got us when they were done, and everyone went to bed.

Later, I snuck back outside and grabbed the video camera and watched the tape. I could easily see where every pie tin was hidden. I quickly retrieved each one and replaced them with the corresponding Easter baskets.


The next morning I found extra-great enjoyment watching the kids, knowing I had out-foxed the foxes. Genius might be the right word to insert here. Clever? Resourceful? No, I think I’ll stick with genius.

So, if any of your holiday traditions have gone off the rails, I recommend using modern technology.  GPS transponders for Easter egg hunts, anyone?

–I have absolutely no idea if anyone else hides pans for Easter. It does sound odd. But my guess is that many of you have Easter traditions that are unique as well. Please share!