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Easter Celebrations
Favorite Candy at Our Favorite Spot
Easter has always been one of my most favorite holidays. When I was growing up my mother always made it very special with wonderful memories. We always had an Easter basket sitting at our individual place at the dining room table as soon as we awoke. It would be custom-filled with surprises and treats. Mom would always remember our favorite candy--mine was little Andes chocolate mints--and she would make sure each one of us four children felt unique and special. . . and we did! Even as teenagers we looked forward to our baskets and mom adjusted the treats to match our ages, and included fun things like lip-gloss and nail polish.
New Outfits and Bunny Cake
We always got two new dressy outfits each year and one was for Easter, complete with new shoes that we would wear on Sundays throughout the spring and summer. We always loved the sense of something new and beautiful that spring would bring. One of my favorite ways that mom celebrated Easter was her tradition of making a bunny cake, complete with licorice for the whiskers, a pink jelly bean for the nose and green food coloring in the coconut "grass" for the bunny's tray. It will always be a fond memory of growing up. Now, that I'm grown and live 17 hours away, I'm not always able to go home for Easter, but I pass on the excitement of celebrating Easter to my children that my mom and dad shared with us.
Prize Eggs
When we began doing Easter egg hunts at our own home with our children, we did what my dad always did for the kids at the church where he was pastor. We wrapped the prize eggs in aluminum foil and whoever found those received a five-dollar bill. We hid one prize egg for each of our children. If a child found one, they would leave the second one they found for someone else to find. Like mom, I too, filled their Easter baskets with fun things I knew they would need in the weeks and months ahead, like flip flops, a t-shirt, sunglasses, their favorite grooming products like hair styling gel, or things I found on sale that I knew they would like, and of course at least a little bit of their favorite candy. We use the same baskets each year and the same stuffed animal bunny rabbit, and pack them away at the end of the week when the festivities are over. They come out again the next year. Easter has always brought so much excitement and we've always had the best time.
Sharing the Fun with Friends and Family
For the past several years, my husband and I have been going to visit some of his family who pastor a church on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, only about an hour and a half drive for us. We attend a worship service with them and sing the hymn, "He Lives!" After our shared lunch of ham, candied yams and other favorites, they host an Easter egg hunt and Easter egg coloring activity for the kids and we all enjoy the visit.
Story of the Resurrection
We also enjoy the opportunity to share the excitement of the resurrection with our children in any way we can. We have visited the Stations of the Cross event at our church the Saturday before Easter reminding us of the sacrifice Jesus made for our "new life." We have also used the Resurrection Eggs to teach the children the story of the crucifixion and resurrection and this year we plan to add the experience of making the Easter Story cookies.
Celebrating New Life
Whatever your methods of celebrating might entail this year, I encourage you to take the time to celebrate a relationship that brings new hope and new beginnings - the one we have through Jesus Christ. And remember; let God breath new life into your dry "wintry" spirit, so that signs of Spring and new hope can be seen.
Copyright © 2008-2015 Debbie Reynolds Harper
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