Easter has never been much of a holiday in my family; these days, it tends to pass with little more than a glance at the calendar.
It wasn’t always that way.
When I was growing up, we were Catholics, and Easter was a major production. The day began with Sunday Mass, followed by a full-family gathering at my aunt’s house for dinner. Afterward came the ritual egg hunt, which, for the younger set, was the real main event.
The preparation started well before Easter Sunday. My mother would sew new outfits for herself and my sister—carefully chosen fabrics, thoughtful details, everything just so. Meanwhile, my father and I followed a simpler tradition: we wore whichever suit had most recently joined our closets.
And that’s where the trouble started.
I remember feeling a quiet, persistent envy of my sister. She had the full Easter treatment: a new dress, new shoes, and, most enviably, a hat. My female cousins arrived just as elaborately turned out, each one a small parade of spring colors and carefully coordinated accessories.
I, on the other hand, was buttoned into a perfectly respectable and thoroughly uninspired suit.
Looking back, it’s hard not to smile at how clearly the divide presented itself, even then. The girls were allowed a kind of expressive transformation for the occasion; the boys were expected to look presentable and leave it at that.
I can’t help but wonder how many readers here experienced a similar kind of “Easter envy.”
And so it goes.
 |
| Wearing Stylewe |
 |
| Lon Chaney femulating in the 1925 film The Unholy Three. Click here to view this film on YouTube. |
Even though the first time I ever crossdressed was for a summer day camp show when I was given a role I never wished for and endured relentless teasing and endured a lot of shame over what happened, over time I began to envy the pretty girls who always seemed so sweet and feminine in their pretty dresses.
ReplyDeleteI started to wonder what it would feel like to get dressed up as a girl again? If I did it myself would I still feel the shame and embarrassment? At first I believed it could be a "one and done" sort of thing, but I was wrong. It brought more shame and self recrimination to my young teenaged mind.
Eventually, I stopped beating myself up for having those desires. I am not a woman, but a man who likes getting dressed up as a woman. I'm mostly in the closet and for now that's fine.
Emily
As an old geezer who is almost 74 years of age, I put a stop to Easter envy. For Easter Vigil on Saturday evening I will wear a man's coat and tie outfit with a white shirt and gold tie. HOWEVER, for Easter morning I will wear a white maxidress with white heels. And of course, I will wear makeup.
ReplyDeleteJohn
Same easter envy for me growing up. My brother and I would get dragged to Sears or JCPenny for new suits (boring!) and I would admire all the pretty pastel dresses and shoes, wishing I could take a new pair of pantyhose out of a plastic egg.
ReplyDeleteI too was raised Catholic. I was an altar boy too. Spent all Good Friday in church. No TV or radio from 12 to 3. Easter with my grandparents. Always ended in a squabble. And so it goes!!
ReplyDeleteI was an altar boy too!
DeleteEaster Envy -- never thought of it like that, but SO true. And the fact that, in those days, the best pantyhose came in an EGG! What could be more perfect?
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, I had similar thought about the eggs. Imagine having a whole basket filled with plastic eggs, each one containing a pair of silky sheer L'eggs pantyhose. So much better than candy haha!
DeleteI am of the same era at 75 but was far more interested in how the women were dressed even at an early age. The catalogs with dresses and shoes arriving weeks ahead of time were a big buildup to the big presentation on Easter Sunday.
ReplyDeleteI still to this day am envious of the women I see on Easter all dressed in their nice dresses and accessories. Always wishing it could be me.
ReplyDeleteI conquered "Easter envy" last year when I was able to go to an affirming church the Sunday after Easter wearing a floral dress, white shrug, and white heeled sandals.
ReplyDeleteSuch great points in the differences! SaraE
ReplyDeleteI don't remember Easter envy so much as movie envy. Susan Gordon in The Five Pennies was the first time i can remember wanting to be a girl. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music also brought on such desires.
ReplyDeleteIf one of us had been in Leggs marketing department I'm sure there would have been seasonal Easter Leggs!
Almost 79, here. In the church I attended all the males, men or boys, always wore suits and ties. All the women, women or girls, were dresses or skirts and blouses. Pants were forbidden. I don't know, if it was some sort of silent protest, but the boys wore either white or red socks with their black suits. Like others have posted, as a teenage boys I was into self loathing about my desire to wear my mother's clothing (my only option) and destined to burn in hell. What I fondly remember about spring was my love of slips and the spring colors that were displayed in the department stores. There was an array of pastels colors. Valentine's Day brought reds and pinks. Christ brought reds. The fall brought darker colors: greens, browns, purples. I was in heaven. I became a collector of vintage slips. With all the pretty lace and pretty colors full slips had been more than a plain old undergarment. Think, Elizabeth Taylor in "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof."
ReplyDelete