Easter treats and Flying Bells

I love little family traditions ... particularly ones involving our children and their cousins and the excitement or anticipation of an upcoming celebration ... and listening to their chatter as they discuss 'how these things must happen' with great sincerity!

At Easter, like children the world over, our boys put baskets next to their beds, waiting for the Easter Bunny to come and deliver lovely chocolate eggs.  And in case the bunny is hungry as he goes, they leave a carrot in the basket for him.  And when they wake there is usually a nibble or two missing to show he's been.

And as we were preparing these bedsides last night, it got me thinking about the little 'stories' we parents tell our children.  That bunnies are going to come with chocolate eggs for the baskets.  And about the stories french parents are telling their children about Pâques (Easter).

{image via Becoming Madame}

The church bells of France which ring cheerily throughout the year, fall silent in respect and mourning on Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified and died, and they do not ring again until Easter morning in celebration of the Resurrection, as Jesus is alive again.

So as not to upset the children by the change, a story is told that all the bells suddenly grow wings and fly to Rome to visit the Pope, where they are blessed and les cloches volantes (the flying bells) return with treats for the children.

And as the Easter bells (les cloches de Pâques) fly back to France, they drop chocolate bell, eggs and bunnies into the gardens of the French towns.  When the children wake up, they have great fun finding them (a chasse aux œufs) and all the bells ring once again because they have returned from Rome!

{image via The Paris Poodle}

I can't imagine my boys accepting this one, or being able to tell this with a straight face ... but I suppose they have put out baskets with carrots in them, in expectation a bunny will stop by with chocolate eggs!

What little traditions do you enjoy at Easter?

Jennifer

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