Record breaking numbers for Windsor’s biggest Easter egg hunt

By Samantha Wigfield

Unexpected numbers hit Jackson Park as hundreds of families gathered together on Saturday, March 25, to celebrate an old tradition of hunting eggs filled with treats.

Breakthrough Walls Church in Windsor organized the hunt. There was an area for kids to decorate plastic eggs and another table where people could buy food to snack on during the long line for registration.

Jonathon Nantais, lead pastor of the church, said he was a little surprised at the turnout to the event. Only preparing for about 300 people, he said, it was a little overwhelming that there were roughly 1500 in attendance.

“This is our egg hunt we want to put on for the community. Usually, we only get a couple hundred kids participating,” said Nantais. “We’ve had to scramble a little, but we made it work.”

Nantais said his family gets together to attend church and enjoys time with his family over the Easter long weekend.

Katherine Roberts, a volunteer with the church, said her family has always hunted for eggs and she also said she was excited for the day’s events.

“Even though hunting for eggs is fun, it’s not just about getting chocolate and little gifts, it’s about spending time with family and friends.”

According to localhistories.org, the easter bunny was originally a hare, because a hare symbolized fertility. But, since the Americans were unfamiliar with a hare, they redubbed it a bunny.

The website also says the eggs from the hunt came from the Middle Ages rule of not being allowed to eat eggs during Lent, which is the 40 days before Easter.

At that time, Easter eggs were painted red but towards the 18th century, people were painting them different colours, filling them with little treats and giving them as gifts.

In the 19th century, Easter egg hunting turned into the tradition most of us know today.