Easter Traditions: Ways To Celebrate As A Family
Posted: Monday, April 03, 2006
by Laura Trahan
Easter is my favorite holiday of the year. It means so much to me because it is really the one time of the year that the sacrifice made for us by Christ is actually recognized. Even non-Christians stop to see the significance of the day.
However, I must say I never quite celebrated the day like I do now after being married. It is funny how the question as to how couples will celebrate holidays never comes up until after they are married or, more specifically, when they have kids.
She would spend days cooking, getting things ready. There would be ham, mom’s famous potato salad, green beans, etc. Tons of candy left over from a basket was never enough, either, for dessert. Our mom, even when we were in college, still prepared extravagant homemade baskets. I have to admit the first few years with my husband were disappointing. One year, we actually ate at Luby’s, and I was excited about it, if you get the drift.
But then we had kids, and I began to marvel at my husband. His family growing up did the most awesome thing Easter morning that we now do for our kids. We have begun to make Easter our own and I would like to share some of the traditions we do. I think that is the most important thing when you bring two families together and create a new family. Realizing that something more beautiful can happen. That is why God puts two people together anyhow, right? So that the best qualities come out of each person and something more amazing and wonderful is created? Here are a few of our traditions. Feel free to steal and personalize.
Scavenger Hunt
The most awesome thing my husband taught me is the scavenger hunt. It is the coolest thing we do every Easter. Instead of traditionally hiding Easter baskets in your child’s room every Easter, we hide an egg. Inside the egg is a clue. The clue is usually a brilliant rhyme that will lead the child or children to the next egg. If you have more than one child, there first clue for each of them should lead to the same second clue where they can do the hunt together. There is no age limit on this activity. We started when our son was barely two and my brother–in-laws still do it when they are home from college. With the younger kids, the clues have to be simple and basic and you will have to read the clues to them.
As each clue leads them from room to room, you can leave little gift trails, like a lollipop or a book or an egg filled with money. They enjoy getting things as they go and it builds even more excitement. We have hidden eggs in the bathroom, refrigerator, dryer–you name it, we have hidden an egg there. You can be as creative as you want on the rhymes and the hiding places. Here is an example of one of the rhymes we used:
“For your next clue, you won't need to go far. Head to where mommy's shoes are!"Remembering the true meaning of Easter
It was hard for me as a mom of preschoolers to teach my kids that Easter is more than the bunny, egg hunts and candy. Some parents go the extreme and completely leave the bunny, etc. out of their houses. We decided that we wanted our kids to be able to have both but realize the importance of the holiday. Honestly, this has been a struggle at times.
There are a lot of products on the market to help with this time of year. One of course is the Resurrection Eggs. The eggs use different symbols to help tell the story of Christ. Probably, my most proud moment as a mom was listening to my son, who was four at the time, recite the meanings.
Also for those younger preschoolers, there is a great book called Easter is ... For Me! by Christine Tangvald. The book explains what Easter is using bright pictures and rhyming. It simplifies it for the kids. It talks about how eggs are a symbol for new life and Jesus gives us new life. It talks about Easter traditions and relates them to God. It is a great book.
Finally, we always include something special in their basket. It may be a new Bible book or a Christian CD. All of these products can be found at your local Christian store.
Pray as a family
We are very fortunate to have a church that stays open 24 hours starting on Maundy Thursday through Good Friday. It is a wonderful time for us to go as a family and pray and concentrate on who God is, what he expects from us and just show gratitude to him. I invite you to create an altar in your own home if your church is not open. It could even be at your dining room table. We also have Good Friday services as well as Easter morning services. I invite you, if you have never been to church, to attend on Easter. It is a spirit-opening time that can change your life forever.
I hope that these traditions inspire your creativity and give you a renewed spirit this Easter. No, the Easter meal was never settled. It is probably still the most disappointing part of Easter. Partly because my mother-in-law now has cats. I am allergic and spend the meal time with my eyes swelling shut. But the other stuff makes up for it, right?
I invite and encourage you to comment if you too have some Easter traditions. All of them could help one of those families just starting out find their own way to celebrate.
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Top-level comments on this article: (9 total)My parents did the scavenger hunts for me too! They were great fun. Now i'm older we paint boiled eggs, take them to a park and roll them down a hill to crack them (and for fun!), and then eat them with salt! Yummy. :DVery interesting tradition! Sounds like a ton of fun! Thanks for commenting!
We have our famiy dinner on Sat., attend Sunrise Service on Sunday (7am), followed by Sunday School and a nap! Any ideas for Easter afternoon that we could make into a family tradition? We already do our egg hunt, dye eggs and make cookies on Sat.What about taking family pictures. Most times you are still dressed up so it could make a great annual marker of time together as a family! Thanks so much for commenting!
Good suggestions!Thanks for commenting!
Wonderful ideas about the real meaning! And thanks for the book title! My son is 1 year old and I plan on reading him this book each year!Awesome! Glad to help!
Well I'm still 9 years old but every Easter after lunch (usually roast and veggies) we also go on a type of scavenger hunt, every Easter morning after we've all got up and gone to church, Mum hides Easter Eggs in the backyard then as I mentioned after lunch, here comes my fave part of the day, we have to find all the Easter eggs that were hidden (though last year my what was 2 -year old nephew Jack went out a bit too early and actually found some)P.S are you catholic too?Thanks for commenting! It sounds like your mom works hard to make Easter special! No, I am not catholic, but I am a Christian. Have a great Easter and thanks so much for commenting!
There is an egg game in the russian culture, its called "edd-butting!", after dyeing/tatooing hard-boiled eggs, two people can play at a time. Basically each person holds the thinner part of the egg in their palm/hand, and pretty much hit the exposed part against the other egg to see whose cracks first, then the winner either gets a yummy prize, or can make the other person complete a dare etc...its gets the party going and is definetely fun!Enjoy butting eggs!Cassey, from to!very fun idea! Thanks for sharing!
thank you for your suggestions. I have a 3yr old and a 1yr old and realised this year that we don't have our own Easter traditions! oops.One thing we did do this year and will again is to blow out duck eggs, then paint them. then we hung them on some flowering branches. You can hang them by putting thread round bits of matchsticks, then putting those in the blow-hole. They are great and the flowering branches are a great way of bringing spring indoors.I would like to make more of Easter as a spring and family time, but am not religious so will be looking for more ideas :)
well im 11 years old we have a scavenger hunt after church then we have roast turky with stuffing
i like turkey
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