COMMENTS & CURIOSITIES:

Does it feel early to you?

It does to me — Easter, the time change, the whole spring enchilada this year. There are reasons for that. Let me explain them to you.

Last year, the people in Washington, who are really smart, decided that we should set the clocks forward on the second Sunday in March. Not only is that much earlier than we used to, but this year, the second Sunday of March was March 9, which was really, really early.

And what about Easter? Holy Bunnies, it’s early. In fact, this is the earliest Easter since 1913. Do you remember 1913? I don’t. Easter will not be this early again until 2160, by which time the Democratic nomination should be decided, and I will be 211 years old.

March 23 is only the second earliest-possible Easter though. The earliest is March 22, which hasn’t happened since 1818 and won’t again until 2285, at which time I will be 336 years old.

But when it comes to a holiday with the enormous religious and social importance of Easter, dates are not all that matters.

I found some really interesting stuff about candy too. About 90 million chocolate bunnies will be produced this year, according to the National Confectioners Association. Seventy-six percent of people eat the ears first. Eight percent snap the head off first, which worries me.

Chocolate Easter eggs are the most popular, both here and in Europe, which makes sense, since a little chocolate can make any occasion special. Colored Easter eggs go back a long way, as in even before the first Easter Sunday.

The ancient Romans, Persians and Chinese all painted and decorated eggs during their spring festivals. There is a wonderful Polish legend that Mary offered eggs to the Roman soldiers at the foot of the cross, appealing to them for mercy. As her tears fell on the eggs, they took on brilliant colors.

In the weeks leading up to Easter, 5 million marshmallow chicks and bunnies a day are produced in the U.S., the most popular of course being Peeps, those bright yellow marshmallow chicks. Have never been crazy about those. Way too sticky, and I try not to eat anything in day-glo yellow.

But there is an interesting story behind them. Peeps have been around forever, but in recent years they became very popular with Born Again Christians when the story spread that they were first made by a candy company called “Just Born,” in Bethlehem, Penn., no less. That much is true.

But the part of the story that got lost in translation was that the Just Born company was named after the man who founded it in 1917 — an immigrant named Sam Born — who was very Russian, and very Jewish.

This one is too easy: What color jelly beans are the most popular? Red, like you didn’t know that. About 16 billion j-beans are produced for Easter by the way.

This one is almost as easy. Easter is the second biggest holiday for candy sales. What is the first? Don’t miss this. You’ll be embarrassed. Halloween, of course.

Finally, the worst Easter idea in the history of Easter ideas, according to me anyway, happened four Easters ago at the Glassport Assembly of God, which is in Glassport, Penn., which is why they call it the Glassport Assembly of God.

According to the McKeesport Daily News, the church staged an Easter pageant in a local stadium to teach their congregants, especially the young ones, the real meaning of Easter and the perils of commercializing it.

The pageant started out well enough. People seemed to be enjoying themselves, listening attentively, being inspired, until they got to the part about the perils of commercializing Easter. In a stroke of dramatic genius, the Easter Bunny was dragged onstage, tied to a post and whipped, while other cast members pelted it with Easter eggs.

The shocked audience members headed for the nearest exit in droves with crying children in tow. Patty Bickerton, the church’s youth minister, who also happened to be the person in the bunny suit, told the Daily News the pageant was never meant to be offensive.

“We wanted to convey that Easter is not just about the Easter bunny, it is about Jesus,” Bickerton said.

Excellent point, Patty, however — and I am just guessing here — if we sit down and think really hard, I’ll bet we can think of other ways to do that besides flogging the daylights out of the Easter Bunny and pelting it with Easter eggs.

I think that’s it: Polish Easter traditions, the real story behind Peeps, and why whipping the Easter Bunny should be avoided whenever possible. I’m still worried about the people who snap the head off their chocolate bunny though. Have the best Easter ever. I gotta go.

PETER BUFFA is a former Costa Mesa mayor. His column runs Sundays. He may be reached at [email protected].