IN YOUR EASTER BONNET by Marisa Masterson

 

Easter will soon be here. It started me thinking, "When did women begin wearing Easter bonnets?"

According to one source, Easter bonnets actually connect back to a Eurpoean tradition. To celebrate spring, people would dress in new clothes and decorate themselves with flowers.  I suppose that is sort of like an Easter bonnet. I celebrate Christ's resurrection at Easter and the new life I found with him. (https://www.forsythfamilymagazine.com/history-easter-bonnet/#)

Still, that isn't quite what I think of with Easter bonnets. I imagine women and girls with lovely dresses and hats decorated for the season. 

More like what happened on the Sunday following the end of the American Civil War . It was Easter and women wore decorated bonnets to church to show their joy at having peace once more. (https://www.rivermuseum.com/ham-chronicles/posts/the-importance-of-an-easter-bonnet)

It wasn't until the 1870s that cities like New York began holding Easter parades. These called for churches to empty at the same time so that the Easter churchgoers could stroll down the parade route in their finery. 

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