Along with other Christians world-wide, Easter-time for my family is centered around the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And I feel like my parents did a good job while we were growing up keeping a good balance between this religious aspect of the holiday and the other more worldly and commercial festivities of Easter. With that being said, in preparing for Easter this year, I decided to establish some additional traditions that would help to further enrich and enliven our celebration of this sacred holiday.
My desire to keep my family's attention on the religious meaning of Easter is the result of an opportunity I had five years ago to live and study in Jerusalem. One of the highlights of my time in the Holy Land, was getting to celebrate Easter there. My fellow classmates and I followed the events of the last week of the Savior's life- studying relevant scripture passages and visiting the many sites that pertained to this final chapter of Christ's ministry on the earth. From the small town of Bethany and the Upper Room, to Gethsemane, Golgotha and the empty Tomb, I experienced an Easter unlike any before. Without question, the impressions of that momentous, life-changing spring forever instilled in me a desire to bring that same spirit, reverence and richness into my own home at Easter.
As a result, I created a sequence of traditions this year that I want to follow each Easter-time. My one-year old was still a little too young to fully participate in some of the activities and discussions, however, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit family during the week leading up to Easter, and thus got to invite my mom and grandma, and some of my siblings, nieces and nephews to participate with us.
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I hope you enjoy taking a look at the Easter Week that I organized (with inspiration from my own mother and family traditions), and that it might offer you some suggestions for celebrating a more Christ-centered Easter with your families. I'd also love if you would leave me a comment and tell me some of the religious ways you observe this special holiday in your own families! I hope to continue to build each year on what I've come up with.
Note: I got a lot of inspiration from an amazing book I found called A Christ-Centered Easter by Janet and Joe Hales (available at Desert Book). To give credit where credit is due, I have italicized and put *asterisks* around anything I did that was inspired by this book .
Also note that a lot of what I had my family do this year involved scriptural reading and discussion. While it may seem like a lot of heavy things to go over for little ones, these discussion points can easily be adapted to the age and attention span of your children. The idea is just to get your family talking about and focusing on the true meaning of Easter, and to add a new-found depth and richness to your holiday observance.
THE HOLY WEEK
In wanting to invite the true spirit of Easter into our home and hearts, our celebration began the Sunday before Easter, known as Palm Sunday, and continued throughout the days leading up to Easter Sunday. This week is known as the Holy Week (or to some the Passion Week). The following is a list of the things that I had my family do, and will serve as an outline to follow for future Easters.
Day 1: PALM SUNDAY
Christ's Triumphal Entry
1. Discuss the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ into the city of Jerusalem. (Refer to Matt 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and/or John 12:12-36.)
2. Share my own personal experience about taking part in the Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem, where I joined thousands of Christians on the top of the Mount of Olives, and marched down the hillside into the city of Jerusalem (through the same gate Christ would have entered), waving palm branches, singing hymns of praise, and shouting "Hosanna."
Even if you haven't had the same experience, you can talk about and discuss how this procession takes place every year in Jerusalem to commemorate Christ's triumphal entry! Thousands of "Christian pilgrims" from all over the world travel to the Holy Land every spring to participate.
Me and a friend at this Palm Sunday processional
3. *Read about and discuss the significance of Palm branches*:
The palm branch is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace and eternal life. The symbol was first used in the Near East and Mediterranean world. To the Greeks and Romans, it was a symbol of triumph and victory. The Roman ceremonial toga was sometimes ornamented with emblems of the palm. To the ancient Egyptians, the palm represented eternal life. It was also used by Christian martyrs to represent triumph over death. John the Revelator prophesied about the multitude of people who, dressed in white, would stand before the throne of God in the last days, holding palm branches.
(Read 1 Kings 6:29, Revelation 7:9)
5. Make Paper Palms:
6. Talk about how the believers, when they heard Christ was coming toward the City, ran to meet him with excitement and joy, casting their garments and palm branches at his feet and shouting Hosanna. *Discuss what you would do to show your joy if Jesus came today. *
7. Sing the song "HOSANNA" while waving your paper palms! (From the Children's Songbook, Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pg. 66.)
DAY 2: MONDAY
Cleansing the Temple
1. Read Matthew 21:12-18, Mark 11:12-19, Luke 19:45-48 as a family. Discuss how Christ, seeing that the temple had become polluted and a "den of thieves," cleansed the temple in righteous fury.
at Biblevideos.lds.org.
3. Visit the Temple grounds as a family (if you live close to one). Talk about how our bodies are temples, and just as Christ cleansed the actual temple in Jerusalem, he can also cleanse us.
4. *Talk as a family about how Jesus would feel if He came into our home. Would He be pleased with what He saw? Or, how might He want to cleanse it? Decide one or two ways we need to purify our home and work on that goal during the week. *
DAY 3: TUESDAY
Parables and Teachings
On this day Christ taught in the temple, and shared many of his parables with the disciples and other listeners, including:
The Parable of the Two Sons
The Wicked Husbandman
The Marriage of the King's Son
The Widow's Mite
The Ten Virgins
The Parable of the Talents
The Parable of the Final Judgement
He also delivered the Olivet Discourse to his disciples on the Mount of Olives (see Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21:5-36),
and The Great Commandment:
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, this is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
Matthew 22: 37-39
1. Discuss why Jesus taught in parables. What does the word parable mean?
2. *Choose one parable as a family and discuss it in-depth *
OR
*Play Parable Charades by writing the name of each parable onto a strip of paper. Take turns drawing a slip and acting out what is written while others guess which parable it is. (This may take a brief review of the parables beforehand. Also, assign partners to help younger children play.)*
DAY 4: WEDNESDAY
Rest in Bethany
Christ often retired to Bethany, where His good friends Mary and Martha lived. During the last week of His life He stayed in Bethany each night. Not much is recorded about this day, except that Christ dined at the house of Simon the Leper (thought to be Mary and Martha's home) and Judas accepted the money for the betrayal of Christ.
1. While at dinner that night, Christ was anointed by a woman with a very special and expensive ointment called spikenard. Discuss this event and talk about why she might have done this. Learn what spikenard is. (Refer to Jesus the Christ, by James E. Talmage: pg. 512-513 and pg. 523 footnote 7.)
DAY 5: THURSDAY
The Last Supper
I planned and prepared a Last Supper meal for six of my nieces and nephews on this day. It turned out to be an amazing experience and a tradition I want to keep each year.
The following is what I did and the discussion outline I followed. However, adaptions can certainly be made should you choose to do this with your own families.
1. Set a Last Supper table on a low coffee-table or on a blanket on the floor. Invite your children to take off their shoes and sit on the ground, as Christ and His disciples would have done.
(My parents have also visited the Holy Land and, like me, purchased pottery dishes there. We used these dishes for our Last Supper dinner- they were perfect!)
2. Explain that Jesus had come to Jerusalem that final week of His life for the annual Passover, or Seder. The Last Supper is believed to have been the Passover meal. Review the story from Exodus about the Passover and why it was instituted.
Explain that the tradition of honoring the Passover carried on in homes until the time of Christ, when it was believed that the law was fulfilled. While Christians no longer observe this holy tradition, Jews, who do not believe in Christ, have continued to honor the Passover as they still wait for the Messiah to come.
A helpful book for younger children to understand Passover.
3. In Christ's day, there were only four ritual foods included in the Passover (many have been added over the years). Invite your children to sample each of the four original foods, one at a time, discussing the symbolism tied to each as they do so.
First: The Paschal Lamb
To escape the destroying angel, the Israelites painted the blood of an unblemished lamb on their doorposts. Discuss how this was in similitude of Christ, the Lamb of God, whose blood will ultimately save us from destruction and death.
(We purchased shaved lamb from a local Greek restaurant.)
Second: The Unleavened Bread
The Israelites had to leave Egypt in such haste that they did not have time to let their bread rise. Anciently, yeast or leaven was associated with sin. Just as it corrupts or spreads through bread causing it to be inflated, so do the effects of sin spread, causing us in many cases to be puffed up with pride.
(We purchased Matzos, the Jewish name for unleavened bread, at a local whole foods store. It is available for purchase in many stores around Passover time.)
Third: The Bitter Herbs
Discuss how Christ used the remaining unleavened bread and wine to institute the first sacrament.
(In Christ's day this was most likely Romaine lettuce or horseradish. We used the lettuce. Be sure you use the white stems, which is the most bitter, instead of the leafy green part).
Fourth: The Wine (or Grape Juice)
Jews drink four cups of wine during the Passover meal to symbolize four promises Christ made that He would redeem the Israelites from bondage. Discuss how after the Last Supper, in Gethsemane, Christ was to commence the literal fulfillment of those promises he made.
(We used grape juice instead of wine. Raw, unfiltered grape juice purchased from a whole foods store is a great choice. It's a little thicker and richer than the regular kind.)
4. Discuss how Christ washed the feet of the apostles. Why did He do this? What did it symbolize? (Jesus the Christ, pg. 595). Remember that the feet of those men, who walked in sandals on dusty, unpaved roads, would have been very dirty. Perhaps using a towel and wash basin, let your children take turns washing each others feet.
5. During the Last Supper, Christ gave to His disciples the commandment to "love one another." While in Jerusalem, I was asked by my professors to speak on Christ's institution of this commandment at a special Last Supper devotional. It was a tender experience for me since this particular scripture was my dad's favorite. He also deeply loved the hymn "Love One Another,"(pg. 308 in the LDS Hymnbook), based on this passage of scripture. My dad truly exemplified this commandment in his life, and those who knew him will attest to the fact that truly one of his most defining characteristics was his love for others. He had a remarkable way of demonstrating genuine love to all he came in contact with.
The night my dad passed away, my family encircled his hospital bed and sang the words of this hymn to him. It was a moment I will never forget.
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you . . . By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
John 13:31-34
James E. Talmage said, "the new commandment, by which the apostles [and we] were to be governed, embodied love of a higher order. [We] were to love one another as Christ loved [us]; and [our] brotherly affection was to be a distinguishing mark of [our discipleship], by which the world would recognize [us] as [a people] set apart." (JTC, 599.)
Discuss as a family the institution of this commandment and its significance. Talk about what it means to really love others as Christ loves us. Read James E. Talmage's words, and challenge each other to develop this Christ-like love. May our love for others be our "own distinguishing mark of discipleship."
6. Before heading out towards Gethsemane, Christ invited His disciples to sing a hymn at the close of the dinner. Sing a hymn as a family to close your Last Supper meal. A good choice would be "Love One Another" (from the LDS Hymn Book).
7. Explain that after the Last Supper ended, Christ went straightway to the Mount of Olives, to the Garden of Gethsemane. It was there that his suffering began.
Day 6: GOOD FRIDAY
This was the day that Christ was crucified.
1. Discuss how at 6 am, after suffering the Atonement through the night, Christ was arrested. At 9 am, after three hours of interrogation by public officials, He was nailed to the cross.
At 6pm He commended His spirit to God, and passed away. By 9pm his body was prepared and laid in the tomb to rest.
2. Do the "BITTER CUP" Blender Object Lesson
Gather your kids for an object lesson on the Atonement. Have your blender plugged in and ready to be used, where your kids can easily see it. Tell them that you want to make them a delicious smoothie. One by one, place various items in the blender. (Prepare ahead of time an array of food items that have spoiled or are otherwise not edible. For example: curdled milk or yogurt, moldy cheese, left over food from the garbage, lettuce that has gone bad, wet hair from the shower drain, toe nail clippings . . . ok you get the idea.)
After each item has been placed in the blender, followed no doubt by gags and grimaces from your children, blend everything up {yes, you will want to thoroughly Clorox your blender after this lesson or run it through the dishwasher, but I promise it will come clean :) }. When the smelly, revolting concoction is mixed, pour it into a large glass.
Then, invite one of your kids to come forward and tell them you want them to drink it. Explain that they have no choice and must finish the entire glass. {Under no circumstances actually let them drink it ;) }. Once they have (hopefully) put up a good fight, ask them how they would feel if someone else volunteered to drink it for them. As you watch them sigh with relief, discuss the idea of the "bitter cup" that Christ drank for each of us. Explain that Christ suffered and drank from the bitter cup so that we, if we repent, do not have to.
For behold, I, God, have these things for all, that they not suffer if they would ; But if they would not repent they must even as I; Which caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might drink the bitter cup, and shrink—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and my preparations unto the children of men. (D&C 19: 15-19)
3. Watch a video about the crucifixion:
Another good one is The Lamb of God available on video and DVD by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Afterwards, take a moment to discuss feelings about the crucifixion and atonement. In doing so this year, each of my little nieces and nephews voluntarily shared their testimony about the Savior. It was a very moving and memorable experience to hear each of their voices quiver and their eyes fill with tears as they spoke about their belief in the Savior and His atoning sacrifice.
Day 7: SATURDAY
Shabbat - Jewish Sabbath
1. Read 1 Peter 3:18-20 and Doctrine and Covenants 128:29-37. Discuss Christ's visit to the spirit world, while his physical body lay in the tomb. Discuss his institution on this day of vicarious work for the dead and the importance of family history work.
2. Talk about the Jewish Sabbath. Explain how it begins Friday night at sundown and goes until Saturday evening. You might show pictures of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, and explain how Orthodox Jews gather there every Friday night to bring in the Sabbath with lively music and dancing.
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| Shabbat at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem |
I shared my experience of visiting the Wailing Wall and being able to sing and dance with the people there on the eve of the sabbath. I explained that the Jews greet the sabbath with such excitement and joy, and asked if we do the same. I challenged us to look forward to our day of worship with more joy and enthusiasm, and to see Sunday as the highlight of our week, instead of just another day.
DAY 8: EASTER
Resurrection Morning
MORNING "TOMB-SIDE" DEVOTIONAL:
On the Easter I spent in Jerusalem, I and many of my classmates joined other Christians at the Garden Tomb for a devotional at sunrise. On that unforgettable early morning, we sang joyous songs of praise and marveled together at the miracle of our Savior's resurrection.
To remember this special day, I want to gather my children early Easter morning, for our own "tomb-side" devotional. No, we won't be able to literally stand at the mouth of the empty tomb in Jerusalem as I did that Easter five years ago, but I can still share with my children the things that I felt and experienced there.
Gather your own families for an early morning devotional. Share testimonies and thoughts on the resurrection. Sing some favorite resurrection hymns. Or perhaps listen to the world famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Easter morning "Music and the Spoken Word" broadcast (For more information click here!)
Have Resurrection Breakfast Rolls to eat at your devotional.
(I didn't make these this year, but I found a great blog that shows a step by step tutorial! I'm excited to try them next year!)
The marshmallow stuffed inside these rolls disappears when baked- leaving an empty "tomb" inside.
EASTER REFLECTIONS
Another special activity that my family does each Easter Sunday, and that I will continue with my own children, is to watch a recording of my dad's talk that he gave at the April General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while serving as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy (a leadership position in the LDS Church). It was an Easter morning in 1995 that he gave this talk, and he entitled his remarks "Easter Reflections." Now that my dad has passed away, it is a beautiful reminder to our family, and hopefully to others, of his testimony of the Living Christ and the true meaning of Easter.
Please feel free to listen to his remarks:
Elder Andrew W. Peterson (my dad!)
A CHRIST-CENTERED EASTER EGG HUNT
I was pleased to see on Pinterest that there are so many families that participate in a Christ-centered easter egg hunt, or similar activity, involving various symbols of the crucifixion and resurrection. I'm not sure where the idea originally started but a version of this idea was introduced to my family about 15 years ago by a friend of my mom.
This year I was excited to surprise my nieces and nephews with this alternate version of an Easter egg hunt, instead of the candy-filled ones they are used to. I must admit it was fun watching confusion spread on their faces as they found dirt, dice, and even some nails inside their eggs instead of the typical chocolate and gummy confections.
There are so many blogs out there that give awesome instructions and even pictures for this activity/egg hunt, so I won't take the time to go into a lot of detail here. But here is a very brief overview-
Fill twelve eggs with the following items and number the outside of the eggs (with a sharpie) accordingly:
Egg #1: Sacrament Cup or other Small cup
Egg #2: 3 Dimes
Egg #3: Twine
Egg #4: Piece of Soap
Egg #5: Small piece of red velvet or cloth
Egg #6: Small nails
Egg #7: Pair of Dice
Egg #8: Baggie of dirt
Egg #9: Strip of white linen or cloth
Egg #10: Small Rock
Egg #11: Baggie of spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, etc.)
Egg #12: Leave this egg empty
(If you are doing this activity as an egg hunt, since there are only twelve eggs, a suggestion might be to make one set of the 12 eggs for each of your children, so that there are more eggs to go around. Some families skip the "hunt" part, and just open the eggs together around the dinner table or at a family night. Its up to you.)
As a family, open the eggs one at a time in numerical order and read the verse of scripture that correlates to each one as you discuss the symbolism of the object inside, as follows:
Egg #1: Matthew 26:39 {Small Cup = Bitter Cup }
Egg #2: Matt 26:14-15 {3 Dimes = Judas betrays Christ for 30 Pieces of Silver }
Egg #3: Matthew 27:1-2 {Twine = Christ Arrested and Bound}
Egg #4: Matthew 27:24-26 {Piece of Soap = Pilate Washed his Hands}
Egg #5: Matthew 27:28-30 {Red cloth = Christ smitten, scarlet robe placed on Him}
Note: In conjunction with Egg #5, I brought out a large stem of thorns (too big to fit in the egg) and we talked about the crown of thorns placed on Christ's head. I had each child feel the tip of the thorns and imagine having them pressed into their head. Some families stick a small twig of thorns inside this egg, but my family has always used these much larger thorns, which I think have a greater impact.
Egg #6: Matthew 27:31-32 {Nails = Christ Nailed to the Cross }
Note: Only small nails will fit into the egg. As my nieces and nephews looked at the little nails, I asked: Do you think those were the size of nails they used on Christ? Then I brought out a large steel spike and pressed it into the palm and then wrist of each child. I asked them to imagine having that driven into their hands and how much it would hurt! (You can purchase large nails like this at a hardware store. They are called steel cut masonry nails.)
Egg #7: Matthew 27:35-36 {Dice = Cast Lots over His Garments}
Egg #8: Matthew 27: 50-51 & 54 {Dirt = Earth Quaked and Rocks Rent}
Egg #9: Matthew 27: 57-60 {White linen or cloth = Body of Christ wrapped in linen}
Egg #10: Matthew 27: 60, 65-66 {Rock = Great Stone rolled away}
Egg #11: Mark 16:1, Matt. 28: 2 and 5 {Spices = Mary brings spices to Tomb}
Egg #12: Matt. 28:6 - "He is Not Here, For He is Risen" {Empty Egg}
This is a very memorable experience and a great way to review the events leading up to Christ's death and resurrection, as well as help youngsters to really visualize what took place.
SING EASTER SONGS
Singing with your kids is a great way to invite the true spirit of Easter into your home. Some of our favorites are:
It's Easter Time, by Janeen Brady
Spring of the Year, by Joanne McCrea Parker
There is a Green Hill Far Away, LDS Hymnbook no.194
I Believe in Christ, LDS Hymnbook no. 134
NON-RELIGIOUS EASTER FUN
To enjoy some of the undeniably fun aspects of the commercialized side of Easter, we did incorporate some fun books and activities into our week that included dying Easter eggs, reading Easter bunny tales, exchanging Easter baskets, and eating lots of bunny snacks and treats!
READ EASTER BOOKS
BUNNY TREATS
I also made some yummy bunny and carrot shaped Mac-n-Cheese by Annie's organic brand, for my little guy to enjoy. The brand also carries bunny-shaped crackers, grahams, cookies, and fruit snacks.
My husband and I decided that the Easter Bunny will visit our home on the Saturday before Easter each year. That way
our kids can enjoy the fun of Easter Bunny surprises, while
reserving Sunday for things only related to the true meaning of
Easter.
Since my family tries to eat clean and natural, my little boy's Easter basket was candy-free. Instead, I put in some fun toys and snacks for him to enjoy: TOY TRUCKS, COTTON TAILS (cheddar puff snacks), Annie's Organic Brand PARTY SNACK MIX (which has bunny and carrot shaped crackers and pretzels- so cute!!), BUNNY POPSICLE MOLDS (for yummy all-natural fruit popsicles we'll make this summer), and some totally cute CARROT-SHAPED BUBBLE BLOWERS (that I found at my local dollar store!)
I know this was a lot of information but I hope it will help spur some ideas for celebrating a more Christ-filled Easter. Thanks for reading! And don't forget to tell me some of your ideas for keeping Christ the focus of your Easter holiday!
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