Easter Parade

Easter is coming up.  If it wasn't marked on the calendar, this would still be obvious from the fliers advertising white shoes and girls' dresses in pastel hues.

I know one man who insisted that the two annual Sundays his family could not wear new clothes were Easter and Christmas.  He was not against having nice things; rather, he did not appreciate turning church into a Finery Parade.  He tried to teach his family that church was a time to worship God, not to get attention for self.

Through the decades of Easter dresses, I have noticed a variety of trends.  Over the past few years, the styles have shifted so that most ready-made springtime dresses available for girls (and for women) are sleeveless.  Some modesty-conscious mothers try to rectify this problem with undershirts or micro-jackets, but the "darling" dresses send a message to our children about our ideas on beauty.  And, sooner or later, the jacket or the shirt comes off.

This was vividly demonstrated a few years ago at an evening concert at Temple Square, in Salt Lake City.  A group of children, dressed in their finest, had been invited to participate in selections of newly-composed songs.  They were seated in the high choir seats during most of the evening.

The girls in the group were all wearing white gowns, with their hair carefully curled.  They had been instructed by the organizers to be modest, and at first there was no obvious difference in the way they were dressed.  Soon, however, a girl on the end began sliding her white jacket off her shoulders.  I was seated on the balcony, but it was evident that her dress was held on only by lingerie straps.  The jacket hastily hopped back onto her shoulders, but throughout the evening -- and even while the group performed their numbers -- the girl kept experimenting with creative ways to expose herself.

Was this distracting?  Of course.  Not only was this girl drawing attention to herself by her movements and exposure; my focus was pulled from the music to my musings.  And the end of it came down to parenting.

Whether or not there are issues with the movies she watches or the friends who surround her, Somebody provided the dress and Somebody told her she looked cute -- Somebody probably even suggested she was dressed modestly.

Like the man whose holiday finery traditions were mentioned earlier, the actions of parents send lasting messages to their children.  Prolonging the dress hunt, learning to sew or seeking out specialty shops to provide modest Easter dresses are not convenient strategies, but the extra effort teaches our children that we value modesty -- every time.

(Girl's dress from The Knot; shoes sold at Prospect Hill.)