Celebrate New Beginnings with New Easter Traditions
By Valene Ayar
Easter is a time for new beginnings and with that, why not try new family traditions this Easter season? While I am not suggesting replacing all your annual Easter traditions such as Easter Mass and family gatherings, there are ways to spice them up a bit with a new twist. You may even find yourself a new family Easter tradition!
Easter Bonfire
In northeastern Europe, people celebrate the end of winter by lighting bonfires on Easter Sunday. Unimaginatively called “Easter fires,” they symbolize the end of winter and the beginning of spring. If you are unable to start an outdoors fire, an indoor fireplace works just as well.
Easter Egg Hunt
This one is a classic for a reason. You can hide real, hard-boiled, dyed eggs or the plastic ones filled with treats or even cash prizes. How about a combination of both? The possibilities are endless and it is so easy to execute both outdoors or indoors. It is a great way to involve the whole family and keep everyone occupied for a bit.
Egg Spoon Race
In addition to the traditional Easter Egg Hunt, you can host other outdoor activities that everyone can enjoy. Why not an egg spoon race? In addition to the fun of competing, it will teach children the importance of hard work and patience; after all, a hasty and sloppy run with an egg usually ends in disaster.
Dress Up as The Easter Bunny
Who said Santa gets all the fun? Why not dress up as the Easter Bunny and pass out Easter baskets filled with treats and goodies? It is a fun spin on the traditional Easter baskets and something the younger kids will especially enjoy.
Fly a Kite
In Bermuda, they celebrate Good Friday by flying kites. According to legend, this tradition originated from a teacher who gave his students kites to fly in order to explain the ascension of Jesus. Seeing how Easter will be in April and we are usually blessed with the perfect kite-flying weather during this time of year, I suggest you adopt this practice and make it a fun post-brunch activity. You can even include a kite in your child’s easter basket.
Watch an Easter Movie
For me, Steel Magnolias will always reign supreme as THE ultimate Easter Movie. As emotional as I get every time I watch it, it always makes me think of Easter. However, you don’t need to pick something that will leave you all blubbering in tears; you can pick a more lighthearted film everyone can enjoy. Google “Easter movies” and you will have plenty to choose from.
Put On an Easter Play
A great way to for the older kids to teach the younger ones about the meaning of Easter is for them to all come together and put on a play for the adults. This is a fun way to bring everyone together and really get them thinking in a deeper, more spiritual way about why we celebrate the holiday.
Eat a Giant Omelet
Since this list is comprised of traditions from around the world, here is another fun one. In Haux, France, every Easter Monday, the entire town gathers to eat a giant omelet made from 15,000 eggs! Now, you don’t need to make an omelet for the entire town or even for the entire neighborhood, nor do you have to wait for Easter Monday to enjoy this tradition. But you could modify it and make a giant Easter Sunday omelet for the entire extended family.
Make Easter Crafts
There are countless Easter projects and crafts available online that require very little material and will occupy the family while you finish making dinner. Just do a simple Google search to find oh so many!
“Egg” a Neighbor’s House
No, I am not talking about vandalizing private property. This is a more innocent, and friendly way to wish your neighbors a Happy Easter that won’t get you charged with any misdemeanors or felonies. Have the kids put together baskets of dyed hard-boiled eggs and goodies with a printed sign that says, “You’ve been Egged, courtesy of....” Then leave the baskets on the neighbor’s doorstep and ring the doorbell. It is a fun project the kids will enjoy — sort of like trick-or-treating in reverse. The neighbors are sure to get a kick out of it as well. It could make someone’s day, especially if they don’t have anyone to celebrate the holiday with.
However you decide to celebrate this Easter, just make sure it is filled with love and light and really drives home the significance of the holiday. There are so many fun ways to teach your kids about the spirit of the holiday that they can have fun with and that will create lifelong memories everyone can think back on fondly. Happy Easter, readers!