Egg-O-Centric

Easter Sunday is the one day of the year when rabbits make a mind-boggling career leap from the bottom of the food chain to the top.

And the Easter Bunny himself will orchestrate the traditional hide-and-seek scenario as kids around the county gather for the annual Easter egg hunts.

Since the Council of Nicaea in 325, Easter has been celebrated on the Sunday after the first full moon of the spring equinox.

In the West, the Celtic church in England refused to accept the day until 664 because of its own calendar. The confusion seems to exist to the present day, as Easter festivities occur in various locations up to a week early.

But at the Westlake Village Inn, no such time frame problems exist. Its celebration is on Easter Sunday.

The inn is situated on 17 acres designed to convey a touch of Europe. The grounds include botanical gardens with bougainvillea-covered pavilions, floral ponds, a waterfall and more than 20 varieties of roses.

A youthful clientele will be on hand Sunday for the Easter egg hunt near the waterfall area. Stephanie Jamison of the hotel staff explains the scenario.

“We expect 300 to 400 kids,” Jamison said. “Our staff will be hiding the eggs, about 2,500 of them, so that even the littlest kid will have something for his or her Easter basket.

The hunt will begin at 10 o’clock sharp or when the Easter Bunny arrives.”

Easter traditions go far beyond just another big weekend for candy manufacturers. In ancient Egypt and Persia, decorated eggs were exchanged at the spring equinox as symbols of creation, fertility and new life.

Christians of the Near East adopted this tradition, and the Easter egg became a religious symbol, representing the tomb from which Jesus was resurrected.

Early on, the eggs were generally dyed red to represent the blood of Christ.

In folklore over the ages, colored eggs were said to emulate the returning sun or the northern lights, symbolizing the return of spring.

One Polish legend concerns the Virgin Mary, who brought eggs to the soldiers at the cross in an effort to make them less cruel. As she wept, her tears fell on the eggs, spotting them with brilliant colors.

The most famous decorated eggs were created by the well-known goldsmith Peter Carl Faberge. Not to be confused with these elaborate eggs that delighted the Russian czars, at Westlake Village Inn, a golden egg will be the ultimate finders-keepers artifact at Sunday’s egg-stravaganza.

“The person that finds the special golden egg will get a special prize--I can’t say what it is, because it’s a secret,” Jamison said.

“This is our eighth annual Easter egg hunt, and it’s really going to be a lot of fun.”

The star of the show--the Easter Bunny himself--also has some history.

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The first mention of the Easter Bunny and his eggs comes from Germany in the late 1500s.

Nearly 500 years later, the E.B. has never been more popular, and like Santa, keeps his workload down to a tolerable one day on, 364 days off.

Rabbits are members of the family leporidae, long-eared, short-tailed lagomorphs that are born blind, naked and helpless.

The Easter Bunny is none of the above and is expected to regale the children with tall tales.

In addition to the big bunny at the inn event will be a petting zoo, open all day, featuring smaller rabbits, goats, sheep, ducks, chickens and pot-bellied pigs.

And in the gazebo area, kids can have their faces painted, an activity expected to temporarily increase the local rabbit population.

Although the children will have eggs on the brain, adults can expand their culinary horizons considerably with the Easter brunch buffet, which will include made-to-order waffles and omelets as well as a variety of seafood, plus ham, turkey, beef and the traditional lamb, but no rabbit.

Reservations are necessary for the brunch, which is selling fast, but the Easter egg hunt is free to the community.

Egg seekers should arrive at 9:30 or 9:45, and festivities will commence promptly at 10.

DETAILS

Easter Egg Hunt at Westlake Village Inn, 31943 Agoura Road, Westlake Village, Sunday, 10 a.m.; free; 818-889-0230.

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Other Easter events:

* Youthful egg hunters should gather at Arroyo Vista Community Park in Moorpark for festivities slated to begin Saturday at 10 a.m. The egg hunt for ages 2 through 12 will cost $1, but all children will wind up with some goodies in their Easter baskets. In conjunction with the Teen Council, the ubiquitous Easter Bunny has graciously agreed to pose with interested children for portraits. There will also be a petting zoo, pony rides and assorted food vendors. For more information, call 531-9100.

* Also on Saturday, the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District will hold its annual Eggstravaganza at Valle Lindo Park in Camarillo, with festivities beginning at 10 a.m. Egg hunts will begin at different times, depending on the age of the child: up to age 3, 11 a.m.; ages 4-6, 11:10; ages 7-9, 11:20; and ages 10-12, 11:30. A decorated egg contest will begin at 11:45, and the Wacky Water Easter Games are scheduled later in the afternoon at the Pleasant Valley Pool, 1030 Temple Ave. The egg hunts are free, and the water games are $1.50 for ages 17 and under, and free for adults. For more information, call 482-1996.

* Easter activities will be going on all weekend at the Ventura Harbor Village. The Easter Bunny has apparently been cloned and is scheduled to be strolling about the area from 12:30 until 4 p.m., along with his fowl pal, Easter Chick. Magicians will show their skills each day at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. In addition to the usual musical activities at the harbor, the Mardi Gras Jazz Band and the Frank Umbro Band will provide the soundtrack on Saturday and Sunday respectively. To find out more, call 644-0169.

* The Pierpont Inn, in conjunction with the Pierpont Racquet Club, will host its own Easter event on Saturday. The egg chasing will commence at 11 a.m. in the inn’s garden, and the Easter Bunny will be on hand to pose for photos with children. The inn will also serve brunch. The cost for the hunt is $8 for nonmembers, $5.50 for Racquet Club members. To find out more, call 648-5161.

Bill Locey can be reached by e-mail at blocey@pacbell.net.