Churches will be filled this Sunday as we celebrate Easter

Easter Sunday. Church goers all over the world will celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus three days after his death by crucifixion this Sunday. For Christians it is victory of life over death. During my lifetime this special day has changed so much.

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

When I was young in the 1950’s, and a little beyond, Easter Sunday meant talking about getting a new outfit. Ads in newspapers were filled with “Easter Specials” and much of the talk was what you were going to wear to church. Everybody was dressed up. Later in life and most enjoyable for me was when my wife would buy those darling Easter dresses for our little girls. I didn’t think that much emphasis is put on dress, now but it is estimated that 20.8 billion dollars will be spent on Easter this year. I know back then it made the day.

The movie Holiday Inn came out in 1942. Years later I saw the film with the song, “Easter Parade,” in the musical. Remember the tune, “In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it. You’ll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade?”

That song was sung and played on the radio for many years after it came out. Although we didn’t have a parade, still most ladies wore a hat to church and several people, if the weather permitted, would take a stroll downtown in their finest wear.

And after church has always been the Easter dinner. I researched why ham is the choice for Easter dinner and this is what I found. Ham became the meat of choice because in the early days it was more readily available than lamb. I guess that tradition carried over to our country.

Hiding Easter eggs was just as enjoyable when I was a child as it is now. But we didn’t have the plastic eggs, so ours had to be dyed. Many still dye eggs but with the price of eggs today plastic is a better choice. Nevertheless, dying them is a lot of fun.

In researching why there is an Easter bunny I found out that, just like Santa Claus, the first Easter bunny was created to ensure kids were well-behaved before Easter started. Treats were only given to good kids, while those who were naughty got nothing.

My memory may be failing me because the first Easter bunny arrived in America in the 1700s, but I don’t remember much about a bunny. I do remember several people going to the store on Fourth Street in Corbin and buying colored chicks. No day is more important than Easter. Attend the church of your choice this Sunday and celebrate our good fortune. To all, Happy Easter!

• Notice to the left “This Week in History.” It is wonderful that we have a morgue that contains every issue of the Whitley Republican and every Corbin! This Week, both now the News Journal.

They are printed on paper. It is sad that so much of our history and newspapers are going digital. There is nothing like reading the old publications.

I was just reading the official program for the boys 1950 Kentucky State High School Tournament.

I love the old ads. Centre College advertised a “College for Men” and a “College for Women” on separate campuses.

Then there is one for Honey Crust Bread. I grew up eating that bread.

Corbin won the 13th Region that year and Bush won the 12th Region. Corbin came in third in the state tournament.

Pictured in the program are all the players including Storms, Vermillion, Perkins, Adkins, Brooks, Bird, Selvy, Barton, Terrell and Kidd.

What great memories! And to think that the state high school tournament now doesn’t print a program. It’s on digital. What a shame!