Trends for April 9, 2001

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, April 9, 2001 | 9:11 a.m.

Holiday lore

It wouldn't be Easter without Hallmark, right? At least, that's what the greeting-card maker would have you believe.

The Hallmark name has been synonymous with Easter greetings since the 1920s. This year more than 25 percent of all Easter cards will be sent to children, and more than 118 million cards will be exchanged in the United States.

The company is ripe with holiday trivia. According to Hallmark's website, historians believe the word Easter is derived from "Eostre"(ee-ah-tra), the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring.

The Easter bunny ritual originated with the hare, which is an ancient symbol for the moon. Legend also says that the bunny was originally a "large, handsome bird"belonging to good old Eostre. But she changed the bird into a rabbit. "Which explains why the bunny builds a nest and fills it with eggs."Does it, really?

Speaking of eggs, they were first dyed and eaten during spring festivals in ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome. But colored eggs were not specifically associated with Easter until the 15th century.

Chew on this

And what would Easter be without candy? Pretty boring, if you believe the folks at Hershey Foods. The company reports the holiday is the "second-sweetest holiday/season"for candy sales, just behind Halloween. Need proof? Last year Americans shelled out close to $1.9 billion for Easter candy.

But wait, there's more: Bet you didn't know or care that 15 billion jelly beans lined up end to end would circle the world three times. That more than 60 million chocolate bunnies will be made for this Easter holiday season.

That Reese's peanut butter eggs are the No. 1-selling Easter candy in the country. That Hershey sells enough of those gooey Cadbury's Creme Eggs to fill more than 100 million Easter baskets.

For more tooth-rotting facts, as well as recipes, visit Hershey's special holiday website, keepeastereasy.com.

Tasty art

While we're talking about candy, we thought we'd mention that Hershey's competitor, Nestle, is hosting a contest urging youngsters in grades three through eight to create a mural-size masterpiece or sculpture for its "Find the Art in SweeTARTS ... and Discover the Artist in You"contest.

Feel free to include the sugary, sour candies in the artwork, as well as the the brand's logo and bright colors. Mostly, though, the piece needs to "build appreciation for art in everyday life" whatever that means.

One grand-prize winner will be awarded a $10,000 prize to benefit his or her school, while five other schools will win $5,000. A 5-by-7-inch photo of the artwork must be postmarked and submitted by May 30, in care of Kaleidoscope and the contest, to P.O. Box 21660, Charleston, SC 29413. For rules and more information, call (877) 853-1494.