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Havre Daily News Staff
Aside from some rain Saturday, most of this part of north-central Montana saw mild weather to help with Easter celebrations that were held over the weekend.
It was a major difference from Easter weekend last year, when the region was still recovering from one of the harshest winters in decades, that earned the dubious honor of being named Weather Channel's worst winter in the nation.
This year, celebrations started Friday, with Easter Egg hunts starting in the area that day - and going through the weekend - and with the annual Good Friday Walk of the Cross.
In that event, local pastors and their congregations gathers to carry a cross through town in commemoration of Jesus' carrying his cross to Calvary.
This year, the walk started at First Lutheran Church and ended at Messiah Lutheran, where services were held after the walk was completed.
Churches also held ceremonies over the weekend in observance of the holiest week in Christianity.
And, of course, the tradition of Easter egg hunts thrived in the area, with both indoor and outdoor hunts held in communities through the region.
One of the final Easter egg hunts of the weekend was held at Optimist Park Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds of children and parents gathered near the baseball fields in the park for a chance at collecting some of the 2,000 hand-dyed eggs lying out in the park. At the signal from a Havre Police squad's siren, children bolted toward the eggs and gathered them all up in less than seven minutes.
Optimist Club Treasurer Byron Ophus said the Optimist Club egg hunt is one of the oldest in the area, dating back before 1984, when he joined the club. He said the event stands out from other Easter traditions in the area because the Optimists still use real eggs.
Dyeing all 2,000 eggs took the club less than an hour Thursday, due to the hard work of club members' children and grandchildren, he said.
Ophus said he was happy to have good weather this year after the event was forced to relocate last year.
"God smiled on us with the weather," he said.
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