D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
April 2010
The Easter Parade — Roots and Routes
From toga-clad processions in Jerusalem to modern decked-out strolls down Fifth Avenue.
By Michelle Detterick
It's on its way! Not announced by blaring sirens nor the drummers' cadence, rather it is known to be just around the corner through the sweetness of jelly beans, the "sthickiness" of Peeps, the proliferation of bunnies, and the wholehearted devotion to the premise that the only good egg is one that has been dyed. It's the Easter parade! Doesn't everyone love a parade?
Parades date back thousands of years: the victors through the lands of the defeated; the animals into the ark; the Israelites' exodus from Egypt including the roundabout at Jericho. Romans took parades to the next level with the construction of elaborately designed streets whose main function was to provide a place for processions. Romans left their baths and lined the streets for a glimpse of the performers of the circus. During the time of the Roman Empire, military parades or processions called "triumphs" were held frequently.
The Roman soldiers assigned to keep the peace and maintain Roman power over the city of Jerusalem would have seen two parades during the first Holy Week — both equally puzzling to them: one of reputed triumph and one of apparent defeat.
The first parade had one entry: the King of Peace riding a donkey as adoring throngs of people welcomed him, spreading on the road their precious cloaks and cut branches from the trees, creating a carpet of reverence and adoration. The crowd of people ecstatically shouted their hosannas to the one who came in the name of the Lord. Seen through the eyes of the Roman soldiers as no threat to Caesar, crowd control was their primary concern. They did not want a riot to break out on their watch.
The second parade occurred just days later as the Roman governor Pilate yielded to the increasingly loud cry to crucify the one who had been adored. Roman soldiers, followers of the one to be crucified, his accusers and others paraded to the site of execution outside the city, called Golgotha, the place of the skull. Between two robbers, Jesus hung on the cross, with the mockery of the crown of thorns weighing heavily upon his head and the sign reading, "This is Jesus, King of the Jews," identifying him to all who passed by.
Darkness shrouded the land until he breathed his last breath, giving up his spirit. According to the Biblical account in Matthew, the earthquake that came on the bloody, bruised heel of his death gave way to another parade witnessed by some at the scene; many holy people who had died were raised to life and paraded into the holy city. I would think they surprised more than just a few folks. The Roman centurion terrified by what he had witnessed was convinced that this crucified man truly was the Son of God. Apparent defeat turned to victory.
These parades have been commemorated by Christians since the faith's earliest beginnings. During the Dark Ages, Christians in Eastern Europe would gather at a designated location and walk together to worship on Easter morning. The solemn walk to church expressed unity to the participants. Retracing their steps and singing songs of praise, a joyous parade followed Mass, extending an invitation to spectators. In the Middle Ages, the clergy added paintings and statues to the parades and their routes, thus providing information about the faith to those who had no Bible and no understanding of the language of the Mass, Latin. This type of parade continues today as pilgrims journey to various places, such as Chimayo, seeking the presence of God and petitioning Him for themselves or another.
Of course, the term "Easter parade" puts us also on a different train of thought as well, indicated by our singing or humming Irving Berlin's hit of the same title. Traditionally, the Easter parade was a strolling procession on Easter Sunday. The Easter parade was typically informal and unorganized, yet it displayed the latest fashions, worn to impress the onlooker. The hats were elaborate and most often the focal point of a ladies' fashion statement. The first of these Easter parades, spontaneous yet enduring, began in the 1870s in New York City and has continued to this Easter with an invitation open to all to stroll down Fifth Avenue.
The heyday of Easter parades coincided with the release of the 1948 musical film Easter Parade with the award-winning music of Irving Berlin. During this time over a million people would join in New York City's parade. The tradition spread to other cities, but the dress-down trend of the last decades has since taken its toll. In 2010, fashion does not dictate Easter hats as a must for well-dressed ladies. Little girls are dressed in ribbon, bows and bonnets and their counterparts in bow ties, vests and suits, but most of the parades are elsewhere than downtown.
Silver City, as a mini-version of "the city different," has its own Easter parades from dawn to dusk. Bundled-up morning people will be gathering on hillsides and at stadiums and special places like La Capilla for sunrise services. As the Easter morn is greeted, some will remember the first Easter and the spectacular early morning experience of two women. These followers of Jesus had no need for the spices and perfume they had brought to the tomb of the Lord to complete the burial preparation of his body, which had been cut short by the beginning of the Sabbath and the ceasing of labor. Instead the women had a brief encounter with an angel, discovered an empty tomb, and then were greeted by the risen Lord.
Next on the list of local Easter parades are those held indoors and outside as young children search for hidden Easter baskets and colored eggs. Hosted by families, groups of friends, churches and social clubs, the egg hunts will be a time of triumph, defeat and diplomatic consolation. The littlest kids often follow the older kids around and thus have few eggs in their baskets. The tears that follow are consoled by a discreet shifting of the bounty of eggs. Older kids generally don't mind this loss of eggs, as they realize their fun was in the hunt, not the peeling of eggs for egg salad.
Next up on the local parade schedule are the late morning gatherings, generally somewhere between 10 and 11. In Silver City and the surrounding area there are over 50 locations where people will parade into local churches, some in jeans and some in new bonnets. The gatherings will celebrate the apparent defeat that turned into victory, how the cross yielded an empty tomb and a risen Lord. The cadence of the parades will vary from place to place, but I'm sure an invitation is sent from each to all who seek a time of worship.
The 12 o'clock sharp parade is next as groups of families and friends, still in their church finery, parade into local restaurants in anticipation of exquisite cuisine. Looking around, one may assume certain diners had skipped the 11 o'clock parade — but remember, one with a good heart may be bejeweled or be-jeaned.
If Easter 2010 is a day of finding beautifully colored eggs in lush grass and not in stark contrast of freshly fallen snow, there will be a parade of families heading to the mountains, lakes and rivers for picnics and an afternoon of breathing in the fresh air. Games, fishing and eating will likely be the activities of the rest of the day. As the sun sets, picnic baskets and coolers are quickly filled with the remains of the day. Old Uncle Henry catching unaware a totally cool teenage Cousin Shelby with his cascarone, a confetti-filled egg, is the grand prize winner of this 2010 parade.
So get ready. Join the Easter parades, any or all of them. Spectators are welcomed at all the Easter parades, but it's the participants who really have fun!