The Nightmare before Easter - Easter Saturday

Similing Faces in front of the entrance to the Supermarket

I would just like to mention that this article is based on the truth, the whole truth. All actions really took place - nothing has been invented.

Easter Saturday – As soon as Good Friday is through, there is a break to go hunting for more food to cover Easter Sunday and Monday. It seems that on Easter Saturday everyone is worried that the famine will break out over the remaining two days of the Easter holidays. Although I had already filled the cupboards and fridge with food to get me through the holiday time, there were still the meals on Saturday and Monday to cover. I had decided to invite my son for Sunday dinner and had already organised the Spring lamb with all the trimmings.

When we drove to the supermarket this morning we met with the first shock. Where to park the car – was there a space amongst the 300 parking lots for our car? Hubby let me out the car and after I found a trolley (there were not many left) I entered the supermarket on my own (wondering what was really so super about it). I fought my way through the masses and eventually started filling up the trolley. I then remembered that I hadn’t seen hubby for at least 10 minutes so took out my mobile (what a nice invention for frustrated housewives) and called him. He answered quite promptly to say that he had found a parking spot and was now on his way to me after battling his way through getting a newspaper at the chiosk on his way.

I do of course understand that Easter is one of the family celebrations during the year. Relatives (and even good friends) visit each other as a tradition and usually stay over the Easter holidays. This, of course, means that as Easter Saturday forms part of these get-togethers, the shopping trip is also made together. So we have instead of the usual housewife with hubby and perhaps the children (of course, how could we leave them at home or with a neighbour). The grandparents (the older generation are not to be forgot at this festive time) and above all the relations and friends that may have come from far away places to celebrate together are also integrated in this Easter Saturday ritual . They all form part of Easter Saturday shopping. There is also the children’s training programme which is now organised by various supermarkets. Smaller miniature shopping trolleys are now supplied to enable our offspring to learn how to be a super professional housewife/houseman when they are older. This is especially a good idea when it is difficult to find one’s way through the over populated lanes of people in the supermarkets. It has often happened that one trips over such a mini vehicle being parked where it shouldn’t. One must have patience and understanding, after all the children are learning something for their adult years. I would also mention that there are also positive aspects of this shopping tour. Neighbours meet each other – usually somewhere between the vegetables and meat, making sure that the path is blocked whilst the women catch up on the newest developments and the men just sort of stand in the way with their hands in their pockets wondering why they are there.

This video was taken on Easter Saturday morning in our local supermarket by myself

We had made a list for this shopping trip, although I knew that this was not exactly very practical. On Easter Saturday you take what you find. First disappointment – no white asparagus, only green – asparagus crossed out of the list. Next disappointment – two deep freezers were empty as they had broken down. We needed cheese – it seemed that everyone needed cheese. As soon as I saw that a housewife with a devilish grin on her face moved out of the way I pushed my arm past her and grabbed a piece of Emmental cheese. I didn’t really need meat but my colleague who works in this section called me over to wish a happy Easter. I asked her if no-one ever went beserk with a gun, rifle or baseball bat under such circumstances. She said if they did, she would not get to hear of it as they usually send for the police.

Unfortunately we had to go down the escalator to the basement to get a bag of cat litter (only 10 Kg .- yuck). I then saw that washing powder was being sold as 2 for 1 – so naturally took 2 using my womanly intuition – just another 10 Kg more. Eventually it was time to pay, we were quite lucky, there were only about 10 people before us in the queue (not counting the children, relations, granparents etc.). The lady at the till wished me a happy Easter, and I made the remark that it could only get better – luckily she had a sense of humour and the gentleman behind me as well.

Our Hunting Trophies

Then we decided to get a chocolate Easter Egg – on Easter Saturday? – really just to make sure we had one. After loading our booty in the car we drove to the next supermarket where they had better quality chocolate. This supermarket was already emptying so finding a parking lot was quite easy and shopping was less stress, so I thought. After we had bought our Swiss chocolate Easter egg and was waiting at the till we noticed a young man laying down on the floor near the till. Apparently he had had fainted. We were relieved to see that 3 shop assistants were attending to him and as we drove away from the supermarket the ambulance with his horn screeching drove past us. At least things seemed to be under control. Eventually we arrived home and spent half an hour organising our purchases. Although we found enough room in the fridge, there was not room for more.

You would think that I had had enough, but we women are addicted to this sort of thing, once we start we cannot stop. In the afternoon I decided to take a walk to town to the bookshop and also to hunt for clothing. This was not to be compared with the morning as this was more pleasure than punishment. Needless to say I left hubby at home. It was a nice sunny afternoon, so not only did I have this idea, but a few thousand other housewives (naturally with their offspring and husbands). Eventually I arrived home tired, feet aching, and feeling like I had just been racing in a marathon.



Solothurn, Easter Saturday afternoon

This leaves the question whether it was all worth it. I am sure that next year it will be the same race for survival over the Easter holidays so may the best housewife win.