Guest Author - Karen Blakeney

In your Easter bonnet. The history of the Easter bonnet is a lot older than the average persons believes.

In 1948 Irving Berlin wrote.
In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it
You'll be the grandest gal in the Easter parade.
I'll be all in clover, and when they look us over
We'll be the proudest couple in the Easter parade.
--Irving Berlin's "Easter Parade" (1948)

So this is yet another Hollywood started Fad? Wrong, Hollywood (or Irving Berlin) got that idea from somewhere. It is believed that the Easter Parade had its beginning in the 1870s, in New York. The Easter Parade in New York was and still is extremely popular event. Originally the church goes would carry Easter flowers from St. Thomas Church to St. Luke's Church. In this one block parade it became a traditional rite of spring to be seen in your new spring fashions which included hats. The hats were getting larger and larger and with the larger and were decorated with more and more. Flower, lace, ribbon, and birds nest were all used to decorate an Easter bonnet. The parade route then extended from Madison Square to Central Park.

The first Easter bonnets were worn before we even started celebrating Easter. The first bonnets were not even bonnets but were a circlet or wreath of leaves and flowers to celebrate the coming of spring. Today the Easter bonnet is typically round and still filled with leave and flowers. The round shape is to think to symbolize the shape of the sun and the cycle and path the sun takes abound the earth. The days get longer and the plants bust into life after the cold darkness of winter.

The custom of new clothes for Easter goes back to early Christianity and what was known as white week. White week was a time that newly baptized Christian wore white linen robes for a whole week to symbolize their rebirth and new life. The new Christians were paraded around the country side, lead by a crucifix, to show people that they were starting a new life. The other church goers would ware new clothes.

Just after the Civil war Easter was known as “Sunday of Joy,” Mother and daughters who had worn the dark colors of mourning for such a long time decided to start wearing the wonderful colors and flowers of spring. Their hats were adorned with the latest flowers. If the flowers were not blooming they would make them from paper, fabric, ribbon, hair, feathers or sea shells.

When I was a child Easter always meant that I would get a new dress, gloves and shoes but the most fun was the new purse and Hat that always had those wonderful little soft flowers. I think that those wonderful Easter bonnets started my love for hats. A love that was is strong that when I found out I was going to be a Grandmother I rush out and bought a wonderful bright purple cloche in a toddler's size (and yes it had those wonderful soft flowers and I didn’t even know it was going to be a girl). In 2002 just before Easter my grandchild was born. Yes that child was a girl and she got her grandmothers love of hats and yes she gets new hats all the time but at Easter she always get a special one with flowers.

This Easter start your own tradition of wearing a hat on Easter you make it your self or purchase one, with beautiful flowers, take the time to celebrate the rebirth of spring and relax in a fun and gentle way. Have your one parade even if it you are the only person, maybe others will join you. I will be having my own parade. I am working on a wonderful straw with flowers and will ride around in a 1926 model T. If you see me, wave or join my parade.

Happy Easter!

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