ALT-1 The best Easter Egg Hunts around the World
Although Easter is clearly a religious holiday, there are elements of the Easter festivities that are intended to be more fun and whimsical. They may also represent an attempt to infuse some of the Pagan traditions associated with spring celebrations into Easter observances. Such may be the case with Easter egg hunt traditions, for which there are many all over the world, and in some places, it is not uncommon for cultural traditions to come together with important religious traditions.Here is a look at some of the best 2010 Easter egg hunts around the world, although the main emphasis here is on events in the United States.UNITED KINGDOM -
- Beatrix Potter Easter Egg Hunt, Cumbria
This hunt begins on March 31st at 10:00 AM and goes through Saturday, April 10. This is the biggest Easter egg hunt in the North of England. Since it is sponsored by the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, it is fitting that there will be 100 Peter Rabbit eggs that will be hidden all across Cumbria. Maps will be provided to help the hunters locate the eggs. This is a wonderful egg hunt because Beatrix Potter created the Peter Rabbit stories and they are loved by children (and grownups) everywhere.WALES -*Llanberis Lake Railway -This event runs from April 10 to April 14. To participate, you must purchase a train ticket. The ticket affords you the opportunity to ride a narrow gauge steam train and hunt for eggs in stations along the railway.UNITED STATES -*Easter at Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina -Event takes place on Sunday April 11, 2010 at the Biltmore Estate, 1 Approach Road, Asheville, North Carolina. Admission is free to children under the age of 5, when accompanied by an adult Estate pass holder or an adult ticket holder.The Biltmore Estate is arguably one of the premier homes in the U.S. It was designed by the famed architect Robert Morris Hunt. The estate consists of 125,000 acres, including the grounds and home. The beautiful grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the man who is said to be the father of landscape architecture (certainly in the United States,) and the man who designed Central Park in New York. Biltmore deserves a place on this list because of the unique opportunity that this event affords people to see an important piece of architectural history.Every year on Easter Sunday, the Easter bunny makes an appearance on the front lawn of the Estate. There will be special kids entertainment, including a magician, music, storytelling and craft projects for kids to do. The highlight of the day, of course, is the Easter egg hunts which are scheduled at 11 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM. Registration for the hunts starts at 9:00 AM but ends 15 minutes before each hunt.*Miami Seaquarium 10th Annual Easter Egg Hunt -Scheduled for April 9, 10 and 11, 2010, this is not a free event.At 11:00 AM each day, there will be a special ceremony to welcome the Easter bunny. Continuous Easter Egg Hunts will be scheduled continuously throughout the day between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM, both for big and little kids. Every child who participates in the Easter Egg Hunt will receive a goody bag filled with various candies, goodies and special prizes.*Central Park, New York -There are two events that are scheduled to take place at Central Park, and both are scheduled for the Saturday before Easter, or April 3, 2010. Both events are free.The first event, the Great Central Park Easter Egg Hunt, takes place on between 11 AM and 1 PM. The Egg Hunts for this event are divided into age groups. There will be one hunt for kids under the age of 4 and another hunt for older kids. There will also be other activities, including carnival games, face painting and egg decorating.The second event, the New York Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza in Central Park takes place between the hours of 11 AM and 3 PM on Saturday, April 3, 2010. This event starts at the 72nd Street entrance to the park. It extends south from Bethesda Fountain. Activities include an egg hunt, egg rolling race, face painting, build-your-own-basket, a petting zoo (including live bunnies,) egg dying, a puppet show and other performances at the Bandstand near Broadway.*White House Easter Egg Roll -This event takes place on Monday April 5, 2010 between 8 AM and 2 PM on the lawn of the White House. The egg roll on the lawn is the biggest public event at the White House and attracts roughly 40,000 visitors annually. Although the event is free, tickets are distributed through an online lottery (which closed on February 28, 2010.)The theme for the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll is "Ready, Set, Go!" This theme fits right in with the first lady's campaign against childhood obesity and is designed to promote health and wellness. There will be cooking stations, live music, sports courts, storytelling, and of course, the main event - the Easter Egg Roll.One very special event would have been added to this list and that is the World's Largest Easter Egg Hunt at Stone Mountain Georgia, but the website with the most complete list of Easter egg hunts and other events has indicated that this event is canceled.This is just a sampling of some of the best Easter Egg hunts throughout the world. Although the focus is clearly on events in the U.S., the Peter Rabbit event in Cumbria in the U.K. is such a special and extraordinary one that it couldn't be overlooked. The aim was to include some of the best, most interesting and special events throughout the United States.SOURCES:
Great Peter Rabbit Easter Egg Hunt
Easter Egg Hunts and Events
