Welcome to Spring, Is it Easter Already?

Sunday marked the first official day of spring, and this year Easter is not far behind. Can you believe Easter is only a week away?

Flowers are often associated with holidays, but perhaps none more so than the Easter lily. Lilies have long been popular symbols of Easter, representing hope and love. White lilies, especially, take on a special symbolic meaning for Easter as they signify resurrection and purity.

Lilies aren’t the only symbol of Easter, however. Daisies, tulips, azaleas, chrysanthemums, daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips are also popular Easter flowers, as are a variety of green houseplants, bringing life to every room.

Speaking of Easter symbolism

Traditionally, Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ; and is the most important Christian holiday, but many people associate Easter with brightly colored eggs, strategically hidden from children by a small bunny. At first glance, that appears to have nothing to do with Christianity or the religious observance of the holiday, but they might not be so disconnected after all.

The term “Easter” gets its name from Eastre, which is the Anglo-Saxon goddess who symbolizes the hare and the egg. Where do eggs fit into Easter? The exchange or giving of Easter eggs actually dates back to before Easter, and the giving of eggs is actually considered a symbol of rebirth.

With that in mind, the symbolism isn’t as far apart as many people think.

Of course, one thing that kids of all ages can agree on is that Easter celebrations typically involve candy, and lots of it!

During the holiday, more than 90 million chocolate bunnies and 91.4 billion eggs are produced each year in the United States alone, making it the second biggest candy-consuming day of the year, behind Halloween.

Here are some more Easter fun facts:

- The tallest chocolate Easter egg was made in Italy in 2011. It stood 34 feet tall and weighed over seven tons! It was heavier than an elephant and taller than a giraffe.

- The art of painting eggs is called pysanka, which originated in Ukraine. It involves using wax and dyes to color the egg.

- Americans buy more than 700 million marshmallow Peeps during Easter, making Peeps the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.

- Americans consume more than 16 million jelly beans each year during Easter, or enough jelly beans to circle the Earth three times.

- Seventy-six percent of people eat the ears off the chocolate bunny first, 5 percent go for the feet and 4 percent for the tail.

- Cadbury produces more than 1.5 million Creme Eggs each year.

- In the old days, pretzels were associated with Easter because the twists of the pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossing in prayer.

Whether you choose fresh flowers or a lovely plant for your Easter celebration this year, Soderberg's Floral & Gift is here to help you find the perfect gift for your loved ones. Check out our selection or let us know if you don’t find exactly what you’re looking for – we’re here to help!