At MOPS this week, our speaker spoke about how Easter is not all about bunnies and chocolate and gave lots of ideas for traditions to establish in our families that help to celebrate the real meaning of Easter. I agree completely and I want to make an effort to establish Easter traditions that are about Christ's resurrection and the true meaning of Easter. So I'm wondering...do I ditch the Easter bunny? I love doing baskets, egg hunts, new spring clothes, chocolate (of course), dying Easter eggs, the Easter bunny, etc. but I'm wondering if I should scale back on that stuff to allow us time to celebrate the true meaning of Easter. I think this year I am going to have a week-long Easter celebration (the religious part of it)...then have the Easter bunny come Saturday morning, and then reserve Sunday to focus on the real Easter. I'd like to do resurrection eggs, make the hallow empty tomb cookes, make a traditional Easter dinner, have an Easter FHE about Christ being resurrected, and more. So I'm throwing out this question to any of you who may be reading...What kinds of Easter traditions do each of you have that teach the real reason of Easter? Please share....
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Your kids are just too adorable, Julie! I honestly want to reach across the screen and kiss their cheeks!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou know that I LOVE holidays, so I understand your "dilemma." I'll tell you what we do and I can’t wait to get new ideas from your friends.
We do tons and tons of Egg Hunts, wherever we can find them – city, church, neighborhood, school, etc. Love them. The kids love them. Good times are had by all. We also decorate eggs, read fun books, decorate the house, wear holiday-ish clothes, visit the Bunny at the mall, etc.
But my kids don't think the Easter Bunny actually brings them stuff. I've always said, "For real, do you think a giant bunny is jumping around bringing toys to people? That's silly. It's just a fun story that we tell and enjoy. It's like the Tooth Fairy." I know, I'm mean, but I hate lying to kids. It’s fun to pretend that those things are happening, but I like them knowing that we’re just pretending. Like when the leprechauns destroyed the playroom last week, colored their pancake batter and applesauce green, and left their gold coins behind. The kids knew that it was just me, but they played along. We all had fun. The whole Santa story makes me nervous, but Don won't budge on that one. Anyways, on Easter morning when they open their basket, they know it's from us.
To add the religious element, we have TONS of religious Easter books in our seasonal book basket downstairs and we read one a night up until Easter Sunday. We also have an "Easter Can" with the symbols of Easter in it and scriptures that relate to each item. We take out one a day of those as well. And on Easter morning, we wake them up early, drive to a quiet place and watch the sunrise. While we're there, we read the story of the Resurrection. Then we go home for a yummy breakfast.
Last year, Don and I made these wooden plaques for each one with vinyl lettering that said, “I am a child of God” on them. We put those in their baskets along with a Bible coloring book and candy. I think we’ll start doing from now on too, instead of more secular toys. I have a friend who lets her kids do their baskets on Easter Saturday so that they can completely separate the religious from the secular. Maybe we’ll try that. I thought it was smart.
So that's it. A little bit of both, but we try to separate them from each other. One is a secular fun thing to do. One is a remembrance of a sacred, religious event that is the crux of who we are and will become. I think it's fine to do both.
For FHE the week of Easter we always do an easter egg hunt with the plastic eggs, inside the eggs I put characteristics of Christ. As we find the eggs we talk about Christ and the real reason for Easter.
ReplyDeleteI love the mall. The kids all really love the play place. I'm so glad they disinfect everything every night. Last time we were there with Ky and Nora, Jerome assured me that they do. (Followed by a roll of his eyes. What does that mean?)
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