And this is why we hide the Afikoman inside...

We have a family near us that celebrates Easter (as many people do) who have now been standing outside with there 2 and 4 year old for the past 45 minutes in a fairly heavy snow, and it is not yet 8:30 in the morning. Why are they standing outside, you ask? Very simply they are looking for "Easter eggs" those pastel colored plastic eggs that have treats hidden inside of them.

If you will imagine the scene: It has been lightly snowing here off and on since Friday morning, and picked up considerably in the wee hours before dawn. I am assuming that these eggs were hidden last night after their little ones went to bed in order to be in place this morning for the festivities. Mom is outside in sleeping pants, slippers, and a heavy jacket, dad and the kids are bundled fully in snow pants, jackets, hats, mittens, and boots (most probably with PJ's still on underneath). Not a single plastic egg is visible due to the falling snow, and they are searching. And searching. And searching. The children's baskets (which I am assuming should be quite full, still have lots of neon colored straw visible from my vantage point at the kitchen sink where I stood carefully washing the shabbos china. As the family finally gives up and heads inside, I see the dad take a confused scan of the yard, wondering no doubt where the rest of the eggs are that are sure to turn up days from now one at a time as the snow melts.

And that is why we hide the Afikoman inside. No bundled up feats digging through snow banks for us!