Easter Sunday

My time in Boston has been one new experience after another, and today was no exception. I was a bit bummed out that I couldn't see any of my family for the holiday. Home is too far away, and my Saturday class meant that I didn't have time to make a trip to New Jersey to see Myrlene and Eric. So, measures were taken to ensure I wouldn't miss out completely on family holiday traditions.

On Monday, I received a package from my parents. They had told me they were sending my allergy meds, but the box that came was far too large and heavy to just be nasal spray. Inside was an Easter bag of candy, which I've managed to ration pretty well so far. There was also a fuzzy little chickie that makes cheeping noises when its belly is squeezed.


Today, I went to Easter services at Park Street Church, as usual. The service was a bit more of a production than usual, with the full sanctuary choir, the Park Street Orchestra (which I have to find a way to become a part of) and the Park Street Brass performing multiple anthems. They also sang the Hallelujah Chorus, inviting the congregation to stand and sing along. Having read through it before (though not performed vocally--I think that was a combined band and choir piece when USF did it), I sang along with the alto line and managed to do pretty well with it. That was pretty fun.

After the service I walked through the park to see how the spring flowers were coming along. The sun was shining, but the wind was blowing, and I was glad to have worn my winter coat and a scarf. The flowers are still rather slow in coming, but everything is green and the trees are budding out. A few trees had also been decorated by decorated eggs with tassels that made them look rather oriental. I'm not sure where they came from or what the exact meaning is supposed to be, but it looks pretty cool:

Just as I was about to leave the Public Gardens, I heard the faint sound of a fiddle. Following the sound, I soon came upon a group of people preparing to do something I had heard of but never seen before: a Morris Dance. The Morris Dance is a tradition in England that was performed every year to bring in the warmth of spring, banishing evil spirits and blessing the land with fertility. The dancers (traditionally men) wear all white, with ribbons and flowers and tie bells to their shins, so they jingle the whole time they're jumping around.

Before today my only knowledge of the Morris Dance was gleaned from Terry Pratchett, specifically his Discworld volumes about the Lancre witches. I was pleased with myself for being able to identify the men as Morris Dancers before they even began to dance. Granted, Pratchett definitely used the dance for his own purposes, so my understanding of it is warped by a fictional world in which Spring doesn't come without the dance, and the real event is undoubtedly more about celebrating spring than superstition. I'm such a nerd I don't even really care what the real reason behind the dance happens to be--I was just excited to see something from Discworld happening in real life. It's great fun to watch. Here's the first dance they did:

They did a number of different dances. By the end, I believe they had performed at least eight different dances, each one a variation on the same style. Here's a look at one that doesn't involve the sticks:

I think this last clip is more of what Terry Pratchett had in mind when he wrote about the Morris Dance. If the dancers were just a bit more frantic, we may worry for their safety as they perform.

I froze my fingers getting this much footage, so I have no idea how the fiddler managed to keep his from going numb, but he did. The dancers had no trouble keeping warm as long as they kept moving. When they finished in the park, they moved on to Copley Square, where I saw them again as I was heading to the T station.

If I have to spend Easter by myself, at least God has blessed me with phone calls from home and new experiences.

Our Lord is risen indeed!

-Kim