For many, faith is an important part of recovery. That means many people in recovery and many currently going through alcohol or drug detox in Florida will be celebrating Easter or Passover soon. With that in mind, we thought we’d look into some of the common traditions for these major religious holidays, which will be celebrated at our residential treatment detox center in Florida.
Easter Traditions
According to MentalFloss.com, many Easter traditions have their roots in pagan rituals and old superstitions. For example, they say, “The tradition of decorating eggs of all kinds—even ostrich eggs—may go all the way back to the ancient pagans. It’s easy to see why eggs represent rebirth and life, so associating them with spring and new growth isn’t much of a stretch. To celebrate the new season, it’s said that people colored eggs and gave them to friends and family as gifts.”
There are also a number of stories involving eggs that relate to either Jesus’ mother, Mary, or to Mary Magdalene, the first person to see Jesus after the Resurrection. RealSimple.com refers to one such story. “[Mary Magdalene] was holding a plain egg in the presence of an emperor and proclaiming the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The emperor said that Jesus’ rising from the dead was as likely as that egg turning red—and the egg turned bright red while he was still speaking.”
Time offers yet another possibility. “Eggs are also representative of new life, and it’s believed that decorating eggs for Easter dates back to the 13th century. Hundreds of years ago, churches had their congregations abstain from eggs during Lent, allowing them to be consumed again on Easter.” The decorating came in much later. History.com reports that during the 1800s, the Russian aristocracy began exchanging ornately decorated eggs. Apparently, some were even covered in jewels! Imagine finding something like that in your Easter basket!
As for those Easter baskets, the theory is that they were supposed to represent a bird’s nest. And the explanation for that one will also shed light on the reason why it’s up to a rabbit to deliver all those colorful eggs.
Again, the roots of this tradition seem to stretch back to the pagan past. The German goddess of spring and fertility was called Eostre. “According to folklore, Eostre found a bird dying from the cold and turned it into a rabbit so its fur would keep it warm—but that rabbit still laid eggs like a bird.” Children were told to make nests for the rabbit to lay its eggs in. For one reason or another, those nests evolved into baskets. It was probably easier for all those poor mothers to clean up. And, with all the shredded filler we put in our Easter baskets, they do resemble a nest to some extent.
Passover Traditions
“This year, Passover begins at nightfall on March 30 and ends on April 7,” Time reports. “The Jewish holiday is centered around the retelling of the Biblical story of the Jewish people being freed from slavery in Egypt. Every family has its own Passover rituals, which may reflect family tradition or the denomination of Judaism (some are more orthodox, others less traditional).”
According to ReformJudaism.com, “The seder is the centerpiece of any Passover experience. A seder is an elaborate festive meal that takes place on the first night(s) of the holiday of Passover. Family and friends join together to celebrate. The word seder literally means “order,” and the Passover seder has 15 separate steps in its traditional order. These steps are laid out in the Haggaddah, the book used during the seder. Many congregations hold a community seder during at least one night of Passover. There are also synagogue services held during the first day(s) of the holiday.”
In addition to the widely held social customs, holiday traditions can be a very personal matter. In detox centers in Florida and across the nation, Easter and Passover may bring with them either painful association or memories of love and family. At Spring Gardens Recovery treatment center in Florida, we understand that the holiday will mean something different to each of the clients undergoing drug detox in Tampa at our residential facility. Our holistic, non-12-step rehab approach means that they will all have the support and the freedom to express themselves and what the holiday means.
Maybe this is the year for you to start a new holiday tradition. Call Spring Gardens Recovery treatment center in Florida at (866) 244-9556 today.
