Alabamians have held Easter as an important holiday from the beginning of the state’s history. Luckily, local sources have held on to small, sentimental pieces of this extensive history that give us a glimpse into the past. Below are two such pieces shared by Wilcox Historical Society and the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

Wilcox Historical Society

“A look back to Easter 1946, from the Wilcox Progressive Era Newspaper ‘The Easter sunrise this year will bring the most joyous promise of all Easter seasons: peace. And while millions will be spending their first Easter at home in years, there are still many whose thoughts will be turning homeward on Easter Sunday across thousands of miles of ocean. To them, Easter this year will come in the form of remembrances of home, cheerful messages of friendship or affection, with titles like Happy Easter Across The Sea and Thinking of You At Easter. And to make certain these Easter messages arrive on time, the War Department has urged that overseas Easter cards be mailed early – so that those GI’s, wherever they are, will know that back home someone’s thoughts are with them on Easter Day.'”

 

Alabama Department of Archives and History

“An Easter card from Alabamian Penrose Vass Stout, stationed in France during WWI, to his mother, Zemmie Stout Lawton, South Carolina. March 1918.

“During the war, Stout was a pilot, eventually serving as a lieutenant in the 27th Aero Squadron, First Pursuit Group. This card features a patriotic image featuring the Y.M.C.A. symbol. A printed message on the inside of the card notes that the correspondent is ‘on active service with the American expeditionary force.’ Stout, a talented artist and architect, includes a sketch of a rabbit holding a military cap.”