Concordia Residents Share Easter Memories

“He is not here; he has risen!” Luke 24:6-7

Easter is a sacred and special time, and as we look forward to this year’s celebrations, we continue our family traditions and recall fond memories. We asked some of our residents to share their own traditions and memories with us, and they center on spending time with loved ones, eating great food, coloring hard-boiled eggs, filling Easter baskets and more.

Jane M., Concordia of Monroeville

My favorite memories of Easter are being with family, going to church and having dinner together. We also enjoyed visiting the Easter flower show at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh.

Barb K., Concordia Haven Retirement Apartments

When I was growing up in Vandergrift, Pa., with my grandparents as a little girl, all the other girls would get to buy new suits to wear to church for Easter. My grandmother made mine because we couldn’t buy one, and on Easter, she also noticed that all the other girls also had corsages. We couldn’t buy a corsage either, but she went to her garden and picked all of her African violets, tied them up with a ribbon and pinned the bouquet to my suit. It was so special to me that she went out of her way to make sure I had a great Easter!

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Katherine D., Concordia of Cranberry

My favorite Easter memory is taking Easter baskets to church to get them blessed. I attended St. Titus Church in Aliquippa, Pa., and I’ve been a member since 1934. We would get the best basket we had, fill it with boiled eggs, kielbasa, ham, cheeses and Easter bread (a sweet bread) then take a doily to cover the basket – the prettiest one we had. All the baskets would get lined up in front of the church to get blessed for everyone to see. Then we would bring it home for our Easter meal, and the basket would have a special table to be displayed on.

Virginia W., Concordia of Wexford

I have some advice to share: Always count the Easter eggs before you hide them in the yard. It’s a lesson my husband and I learned very quickly. We and our three children would always color hard-boiled eggs leading up to Easter, and it’s something I still enjoy doing to this day. On Easter morning, my husband and I would hide all the eggs in our backyard for the kids to find – it’s a very special memory for me. I also loved that this was a day the whole family would come over to our house for a large ham dinner. But one year, a few of the hard-boiled eggs went unnoticed until summer – a funny memory, and from then on my husband and I always made sure to count the eggs before we hid them!

Walter and Miriam S., Concordia at Bethlen

We have the tradition of sending Easter cards instead of Christmas cards because we think it is the most important Christian holiday.

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Anne H., Concordia of Franklin Park

Growing up in Germany during the war, Easter was very different for us. We didn’t have chocolates or baskets or fancy meals. However, we did look forward to seeing lots of baby bunnies in our backyard and chicken eggs in the spring. That was the best part of our Easter at that time, and I’ll always remember that!

Cleone S., Concordia at Ridgewood Place

I took after my mom with all my Easter traditions. We always had friends and family over to visit, because the door was always open. The more we had the better! My mom taught me how to make hot cross buns and paska bread, also known as Easter bread, with a braid on top. We had ham, kielbasa, scalloped potatoes, eggs and pickled beets and coleslaw with pineapple (my husband’s request). I also made lamb and bunny cakes made from a sheet cake. We colored eggs, and my dad and my husband would have an Easter egg hunt for the children. I now go to my daughter’s place for the holidays, who has carried on many of my favorite traditions.

Rosemary W., Concordia at the Orchard

When we would go to Mass on Easter Sunday, we would get all dressed up.  We had to wear an Easter bonnet, dress, white gloves, little purse, white patent shoes and a matching coat.  I did not allow my children to wear slacks on Easter Sunday … this was one of my Easter traditions.

Linda Z., Concordia of Franklin Park

My grandmother used to take us to have our Easter meal blessed when we were very little. My mother carried on the same tradition, and then I eventually continued the tradition as well. It was my favorite part of the Easter season!

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Millie S., Concordia at Villa St. Joseph

My favorite part of Easter was when my mother asked me to help her fill the Easter baskets for my nieces and nephews. I remember adding the Easter grass, candy and a real hard-boiled colored egg! I loved to hear the kids’ expressions of happiness when they received their special Easter baskets!

Phyllis M., Concordia of the South Hills

May everyone have peace, hope, love and joy over the Easter Holiday!

However you and your loved ones celebrate, we hope you have a blessed Easter! To learn more about the communities these residents call home, click here to view our Locations Overview page. You can also call our headquarters at 724-352-1571 or message us through our online contact form.

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Founded in 1881, Concordia Lutheran Ministries is a faith-based, CARF-accredited Aging Services Network and recipient of the inaugural Pennsylvania Department of Aging Excellence in Quality Care Award. As one of the largest nonprofit senior care providers in the country, the organization serves 50,000 people annually through in-home care and inpatient locations.