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Adding Meaning to Your Easter
Celebration
by Nancy Twigg
Making Jesus the center of your family’s celebration can present a
challenge when images of the Easter Bunny are so prevalent. Parents must
take special measures to help kids understand that Jesus is the giver of
Easter gifts—His love, His sacrificial death, the salvation we have
through Him—not a big rabbit who hands out candy and colored eggs. Here
are some ideas for putting the spiritual significance back into your
Easter celebration.
* Put a spiritual twist on the tradition of decorating Easter eggs.
Before dying the hard-boiled eggs, use crayons to write an Easter
message on each egg. Because the crayon wax keeps the dye from adhering
in those spots, your "Jesus is Risen" and "Jesus Died for You" messages
will show through clearly.
* If your church does not celebrate Holy Week, attend Holy Week services
at a church that does. Or celebrate each day as a family by reading
passages of scripture that recount what each special day commemorates.
* Attend an Easter cantata presented by a church other than the one your
family normally attends. This allows family members to experience a
celebration of Easter that is different than that to which they are
accustomed.
* As a family, choose a few craft projects that emphasis the meaning of
Easter. Do an
Internet search or check out books from the library for ideas. Use your
completed projects to decorate your home for your family celebration.
* Celebrate the Resurrection of Christ by doing the kinds of things
Jesus came to earth to do. Extend God’s love to others by visiting the
elderly and sick, gathering up clothing to take to a homeless shelter,
or making and delivering food baskets to families in need.
* If you don’t usually do so, attend a sunrise service so your family
can experience a little of what Jesus’ followers must have felt the
morning they found the empty tomb. Afterwards, enjoy a big family
breakfast in celebration of the Risen Lord.
* Do some research on how the Resurrection is celebrated in other
cultures. Turn the Easter celebration into a learning experience by
enjoying traditional Easter foods and activities from another country.
* Many churches make Easter crosses by attaching real flowers in some
fashion to a wooden cross to symbolize the new life brought to us
through Jesus’ death. Make your own family Easter cross by cutting out a
large cross from brown construction paper. Let the children use
construction paper, markers, crayons and paint to create flowers to
decorate it.
About the author
Nancy Twigg is a Christian speaker and author who loves inspiring others
to live more simply. Adapted from Nancy’s book, Celebrate Simply: Your
Guide to Simpler, More Meaningful Holidays and Special Occasions. For
more ideas for simplifying Easter and other celebrations, visit Nancy
online at www.celebratesimply.com
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