Easter Sunday started very early for Tony, Roxanne and May, who had to stand in for the Easter Bunny. Having already boiled dozens of eggs the night before, they now gathered stealthily in the playroom to paint them in blue, red or green (the colours of Little Hearts’ logo). They then hid them everywhere on the premises – nestled in the hedges, concealed among the eggplants in the vegetable patch, behind the paintings in the art gallery, around the pond in the botanical garden, and in the flower pots along the main walkway. The Easter egg hunt was ready to begin.
Since its inception, Little Hearts has consistently taught all its young residents to respect and understand the cultural heritage of Cambodia. We celebrate all the important local holidays, including Pchum Benh, when the family’s ancestors are honoured, and Khmer new year, which follows the Buddhist calendar. And we have ensured that the kids are familiar with many of the rituals and performances that are part of these celebrations, such as the coconut dance and the apsara dance.
But because the founders – Tony and Jimmy – are Belgian, and so many of our generous donors are foreign, we also celebrate Christmas and Easter, both of which the children enjoy enormously. On Christmas, Santa Claus arrives on a tuk-tuk and distributes gifts; at Easter, the kids participate in an exciting and highly competitive egg hunt.
This Easter Sunday, as in previous years, the kids were split up into three teams and swarmed over the grounds to collect the hidden eggs. The blue eggs are easiest to spot, so they’re worth only 10 points. The red ones go for 20 points, and the green ones, which can be well camouflaged, earn 30 points each. The team with the highest score at the end of the hunt wins a prize – a giant chocolate egg wrapped in golden foil.
The hunt was a lot of fun for everyone. The Green Team, led by Sothon, won the competition and made quick work of the chocolate egg.
Now, of course, we have dozens of boiled eggs on our hands. Despite Reaksmey’s ingenuity, the lunchtime menu may be a bit dull for the next few days…
Happy Easter to everyone, far and near! May this celebration of rebirth herald a more peaceful and carefree season.