(E)pistle: A Different Kind of Easter Egg

What would Easter be without Easter eggs? 

That’s a question many children and adults alike might ask. Although the connection between poultry and the Feast of the Resurrection might be vague*, many people will remember days in the kitchen when the smell of hard boiled eggs, vinegar, and food coloring filled the air.

On the UC Berkeley campus near CDSP, there is another kind of Easter egg—four of them, actually. They are located on the roof of the Berkeley Campanile, 250 feet above the ground. 

The eggs belong to two resident peregrine falcons, Lou and Annie. Every year at this time, the campus eagerly awaits the hatching of their chicks.** 

In fact, this week is known locally as “Hatch Week.” The first part of May is designated “Fledge Watch,” when the new chicks will make their first tentative flights. It’s a dangerous undertaking to say the least, so their efforts will be monitored by scores of volunteers (Cal Falcons), who stand ready to catch them if need be.

These eggs with their new chicks seem to me to be a much more powerful symbol of Easter than our hard-boiled, prettified, and decorated version. Even for many Christians, Easter Day is at best a nostalgic occasion, accompanied by lilies, flowered hats, and Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” 

The dramatic reality of new life and a new season “visiting us from on high” is often overlooked.  But these newborn falcons swooping down from their lofty perch in the sky can lift our gaze to a living and powerful reality. No wonder thousands await in awe. Not a bad image for the Feast of the Resurrection!

In that same spirit, the faculty, staff, and students of CDSP wish all of you, our extended family, circle of friends, and supporters, a truly blessed and exciting Holy Easter Season!

Kirk
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*Briefly, the easter egg finds its origins in the ancient Eastern Church as a symbol of fertility as well as the empty tomb. Coloring them evokes the blood of Christ. Medieval churchgoers looked forward to the end of the Lenten fast, which prohibited the consumption of eggs. 

**The San Francisco Chronicle April 3 edition gives the whole story.  You can even tune into several webcams to witness replays of the event at calfalcons.berkeley.edu. This site has over 10,000 members!