During the very early years of my life, I lived on Meridian Street in Greenfield. One interesting fact about that street is there was a marker at its end, in the woods, designating it as a meridian from a global standpoint. I remember that it was near the edge of the river bank. Hopefully, it is still there.
All the children in the neighborhood each year would build a trough alongside the hill from Green River Cemetery at the top to Water Street on the bottom and roll their hard-boiled Easter eggs down it. There may have been a contest to see which ones would reach the bottom and go the farthest and still be intact at the end.
My mother always wanted us to color Easter eggs every year. Back then, colored pieces of paper were used and put into cups. Hot water was poured in to get the color from the paper into the cups. White eggs were then put in the colored water. Later, I recall that colored tablets were used and still are to get the eggs colored. They are nice to look at as well as to eat.
As for Easter dinner, I don’t ever remember my parents buying a spiral-type ham. They would have a ham shoulder with a very thick skin that my mother would boil and serve.
One other tradition that my parents had while I was growing up was to obtain an egg that was laid on Good Friday.
My mother would ask my Aunt Rose for one, as they had chickens at their home. She would put it in a dish and keep it all year. It was believed that having an egg laid on Good Friday would prevent a home or apartment from being struck by lightning during the rest of the year. The egg at the end of each year would still be whole and would still looked fresh.
These are just a few memories I hold from those early Easters. I hope that you all have traditions as well that are still being carried on in your homes. Enjoy the Easter season.
Robert Bitzer, 93, of Erving is a lifelong resident of Franklin County, having been born in Greenfield. His columns are inspired by his own memories of the county.