Easter egg tree tradition endures
SAXONBURG — Many people know about Easter bunnies and Easter eggs and Easter baskets.
But for the most part, only people in Butler County know about Easter trees.
That's thanks to Bonnie and Carli Cahill, two Saxonburg residents who learned to decorate trees with Easter eggs from their mother, Margaret.
Margaret passed away in early October 2019. But the Cahill sisters are keeping alive the tradition she started, even during the coronavirus pandemic.
“It didn't seem right to give up our 63-year tradition,” Bonnie said. “And Margaret would have haunted us if we did.”
Margaret first introduced her children to Easter egg trees in 1958, when the Cahill family lived in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain.
Harold Cahill, Bonnie's father, was in the U.S. Navy and the family moved every one or two years. Margaret read about Easter egg trees in Katherine Milhous' children's book “The Egg Tree” and thought a similar tradition would bring her children continuity.
“I think all of us looked forward to the blooming of the egg trees,” Bonnie said. “It meant spring, and since, as children, we got to paint our own eggs, it meant trying to make sure everyone would see my egg first.”
Most of the eggs the family uses were hand painted by Margaret. Spanning six decades, the collection has reached 5,297 eggs.In the past, the Cahills invited friends and family to a decorating “party.” Things changed this year.“With social distancing, even as an outdoor event, I didn't want to place anyone in jeopardy,” Bonnie said.Not willing to let COVID-19 “stop us even that much,” the Cahills decided to carry on the tradition as best they could.One recent Sunday, Bonnie and Carli hung 1,200 eggs in five hours.Without Margaret, who painted over 45 dozen eggs at age 94, and people dropping in to help, this year's tree stringing was different.“This is the first year we haven't hung any new eggs,” Bonnie said. “We didn't have the time or the heart to paint them.”Margaret Cahill's Easter trees have been decorated through the Vietnam War, 9-11 and now, the coronavirus pandemic. But Bonnie said she doesn't think of the tradition from a historical standpoint.“I have always thought of it in terms of family,” Bonnie said. “(In terms of) values Mom instilled in us as children.”
Among those values? Keeping promises. Maintaining family connections. And giving kids the chance to see the Easter trees themselves.“For many years the eggs were hung by Girl Scout troops,” Bonnie said. “I ran into a former scout, now with teenage children of her own. She said she still takes pride in knowing that she had helped decorate in the past.”The Cahills welcome people to drive by their home at 1118 Saxonburg Road to see this year's Easter trees and hedge, which Bonnie plans to keep up until April 26. Visitors can stop and take pictures.“It isn't as impressive as the 5,000 eggs we usually have,” Bonnie said. “But as an Easter picture, you can't beat it.”
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