10.4.09

Happy Easter Week


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Happy Easter/Passover Blessing to everyone!
Clay Aiken sings "I Know Who Holds Tommorow", another favourite from Look What Love Has Done.


click arrow to listen to song

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The Origin of the Easter Bunny & Colored Easter Eggs

Just as Santa Claus represents Christmas, a hopping life-size bunny with a basket full of colorful eggs is the quintessential image of Easter.
The original Easter Bunny was probably associated with the Pagan equinox festival that predated Easter. The Saxons devoted the month of April to celebrating their goddess of spring and fertility, who was, not coincidentally, named Eastre. Eastre's sacred animal was the hare - not surprising since the rabbit is one of the most common symbols of fertility and rebirth.

The colored eggs carried by today's Easter Bunnies have another, even more ancient origin. Eggs have long been associated with fertility and springtime festivals - for so long, in fact, that the precise roots of the association are unknown. Ancient Romans and Greeks utilized eggs in festivals celebrating resurrected gods. The egg also featured prominently in the Jewish rituals of Passover - and still today the roasted egg has prominence on the seder table as an essential symbol of springtime and rebirth.

Scholars believe that the pairing of the hare and the egg together in Easter may also have Pagan roots. During springtime, when days and nights were equal length, the hare was identified with the moon goddess and the egg with the sun god. Pairing the two together offered a kind of ying and yang to spring equinox celebrations.

The next historical entry under Bunny & Egg is found fifteen hundred years later in Germany. There, children would eagerly await the arrival of the Oschter Haws, a rabbit who delighted children on Easter morning by laying colored eggs in nests. This was also the first known time that the rabbit and egg were iconoclastically linked together.

The German tradition of the Oschter Haws migrated to America in the 1800s, likely accompanying German immigrants, many of whom settled in Pennsylvania. Over the past 200 years, the Oschter Haws or Easter Bunny has become the most commercially recognized symbol of Easter.

Today American children squeal with delight when they see the bunny-whether he's headlining their neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt or greeting visitors at the local mall. The Easter bunny and his ubiquitous basket of eggs has surely become the most adored and recognized symbol of the Easter season.


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Jesus is Love - Clay & Ruben




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Lucky Paulina!

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Playlist: The Very Best Of Clay Aiken, Clay Aiken

Billboard Top 200
#173

Top Internet Albums
#10

No other Playlist albums are on those charts at this time!! Considering there was zero promotion, and distribution very spotty, I think this is great :)

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11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Ashes,

Wow!! Am I First??? How did that happen?? I LOVE THIS SONG!! And hearing Ruben and Clay sing together, brings back Awesome Memories. I would love to hear them sing together again. Maybe one day.

Another AMAZING BLOG!!!

Big Hugs,
Marlyne

SueReu said...

Hi Ashes - beautiful blog!!!!

I loved Clay & Ruben singing Jesus is Love - it's just stunning (wish I could hear them sing together again - I loved how their voices blended)

Gorgeous blends (as always) and YAY for TVBOCA!!!!

Have a lovely Easter and hugs to you & yours

Dianne Barbee said...

Ashes,

Beautiful Easter blog with lots of Clay Aiken memories interwoven! I love the songs you have selected to feature.

Happy Easter!

Caro

barb 55 said...

Joan, you have done it again with another beautiful entry and a special one for the Easter holiday.

I haven't seen that performance in ahwile of Clay and Ruben. I remember seeing that performance on TV. They were awesome! Oh, what a fun walk down memory lane!

Wonderful pic of Clay and Paulina!

Love and Hugs,

Barbara

dee said...

Easter blessings to you too , Ashes . Thanks so much for adding that Jesus Is Love video . It's been a while since I've seen it and I love it !

Lucky Paulina , indeed . ;-)

bonniecarmen said...

Easter Blessings to you too! Beautiful blog, lots to think about. Great song! luv B

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you've got the song "Jesus Is Love". I was looking for it on the clack site, but couldn't find it. Where do I look?

Your third picture from the top is wonderful. You know how I like bright colors. Can I copy it for next year? Lois

T said...

It's always a pleasure to visit your blog especially during a very special day -- HAPPY EASTER! Your lovely and amazing graphics give me joy always. I really enjoyed reading the Origin of the Easter Bunny & Colored Easter Eggs. Oh my, looking back at that video with Clay & Ruben. I remembered how exciting it was just seeing both of them perform. So glad that you featured it which brought back great memories.

Hope you have a blessed Easter. Thanks so much for another beautiful blog.

Cheers J!

Anonymous said...

Wow, perfect harmony by Clay and Reuben in Jesus is Love. The origin of Easter bunny and the colored eggs is a good read too. Thanks for bringing them here. I really marvel at your speed and creativity in making and collating all these beautiful blends, animations, videos, song choices and interesting stories offering us such delightful blogs week after week.

Excellent job Ashes ...

Love,
Sally

Sandy said...

Happy Easter Joan! Hope you have a wonderful day!

I just loved the duet "Jesus is Love" by Clay and Ruben. I am going to post it on my Facebook profile right now!

I thought Clay was magnificent on ANTM! Just the sight of him lights up my day!

Hugs,
Sandy

PS - My sister wished me a Merry Christmas this morning from Moncton...they are getting a ferocious snow storm today. Only in Canada! Sunny and bright here in Ottawa.

Anonymous said...

Hello Joan!
Thanks so much for the Easter wishes!
As usual I'm a bit behind lol. I hope you had a wonderful Easter too!

Love visiting here, I always learn something new. I just love all the interesting stuff you post!

The blends are beautiful as always and the video just made me smile. You can tell Clay really enjoys performing with Ruben! I just Love that smile!

Have a great week,
Lisa1068

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