gluminal: How to Celebrate Easter

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Easter is a religious holiday celebrated by Christians, but non-religious people often mark the day, too. Religiously, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Non-religious celebrations include things like brunches, family get-togethers, and activities like painting eggs. Regardless of your reasons for celebrating Easter, there are many things you can do to commemorate the day.

EditSteps

EditMaking Easter Fun for Kids

Paint eggs. You can buy an egg painting kit at nearly any supermarket around the Easter months. Hard boil some eggs and let your children have fun decorating them for the Easter holidays.^[1]
- Usually, you place dye of different colors in various cups. Eggs are then dunked in the dye to add color.
- Make sure your kids wear old clothing when decorating eggs. It can get very messy.
Have an Easter egg hunt. An iconic part of Easter is the Easter egg hunt. You can have kids hide real boiled eggs they decorated. However, you can also fill plastic eggs with treats and hide them throughout your home.^[2]
- If opting for plastic eggs, you can provide things like Cheerios and pretzels if you want healthier snacks. Religious families sometimes put Bible verses on pieces of paper in plastic eggs.
- Keep track of where you hid all the eggs in case they are not all found by the hunters. This is especially important if you're hiding real eggs, as these will eventually start to rot.
- Some large easter egg hunts are put on by local communities or organizations and are open for you and your family to attend. See if you can find an Easter egg hunt in your area.
Provide Easter baskets. Easter baskets are an important Easter tradition. Young children love waking up to a basket filled with Easter goods. You can buy baskets at department stores around the holidays. Fill them with small treats like candy and tiny toys.
- If you're religious, try adding plastic eggs with Bible verses tucked inside.
- Snacks do not have to be unhealthy. If you want your kids to have a healthy snack, put things like fresh fruit in their Easter basket.
- You can also provide small toys instead of food-based items, like tiny plastic animals or small plush toys.
Make rabbit-themed baked goods. The Easter bunny is an exciting part of Easter for children. Make baked goods shaped like bunnies. This can be a fun way for kids to get excited about the holiday.^[3]
- You can make cut-out sugar cookies using a rabbit-shaped cookie cutter.
- Bake three cinnamon rolls. Stick two together, forming a snowman-like body, and cut the other in half. Place the two halves near one end of the cinnamon roll, making bunny ears, and then use cream cheese frosting to color your bunny white. You can use chocolate chips or blueberries for eyes.
Decorate with your kids. Children often enjoy decorating for the holidays. Invest in small decorations at a local department store or even a dollar store. You can also look for craft tutorials online. Your kids may, for example, enjoy using construction paper or felt to make things like chicks and bunnies.^[4]
- Window stickers are great for young children, as they're fun and easy to use.
- If you're having an Easter Brunch or dinner, try having your kids make special placemats for everyone attending using cardboard paper.

EditCelebrating with a Secular Approach

Take a hike with family or friends. Easter often takes place as the weather starts to get warmer. If you live in an area where Easter marks the start of spring, take advantage of the warm weather to celebrate the day. Spend Easter Sunday taking a long walk or hike along a local nature trail.^[5]
- If you don't live near a wooded area, you can simply take a walk through your neighborhood with family and friends. For example, instead of driving to your favorite ice cream place, walk or bike there.
Have an Easter brunch. Many people love early afternoon brunches on Easter. You can go out to a restaurant that has an Easter brunch special. You can also have family or friends over for an Easter-themed meal.^[6]
- Due to the connection with eggs, deviled eggs or scrambled eggs can be a good thematic fit to your Easter meals.
- Many people enjoy serving ham as the main dish for their Easter meal. Think about adding some side dishes such as mashed potatoes or glazed carrots.
- Try to use a spring-like color scheme. For example, use pastel plates, napkins, tablecloths, and silverware.
Plant something to celebrate new life. As Easter falls during the spring in many parts of world, it is seen as a celebration of life. Stop by a local greenhouse and pick up some seeds. Plant them in your yard or in a pot in your home. Growing some new flowers or other plants can help you commemorate Easter by welcoming spring.^[7]
Spend time with family and friends. Holidays are great opportunities for us to spend time with our loved ones, enjoying the time together. Most people have the day off Easter, so take advantage of that time. Make some plans with your loved ones to make your Easter together a great one.
- For example, you and a group of friends could get together for dinner on Easter Sunday.
Take photos each year to preserve memories. Photos can be a fun way to remember the holiday. While having brunch, dinner, or engaging in other activities, bring a camera. Take some great photos to help you remember your Easter memories for years to come.^[8]

EditCelebrating with Religion

Pay attention to the significance of different days of Easter weekend. Easter is not one holiday. There is a Holy Week which leads up to the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Starting the Sunday before Easter, known as Palm Sunday, pause to reflect on the Biblical significance of such events. If your church holds special services on these days, attend if possible.^[9]
- From Palm Sunday to Holy Tuesday, there are Biblical stories surrounding Christ entering Jerusalem and entering the temples there. On Holy Wednesday, Judas decided to betray Jesus and the story of his persecution begins.
- Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, which took place between Jesus and his disciples. Good Friday is the day of Jesus's death on the cross.
- Holy Saturday and Sunday, or Easter, are the last two days of the holy week. During these days, Christ's resurrection is remembered and celebrated.
Attend Easter services at your church. Almost every Christian church will offer an Easter service on Easter Sunday. Exactly what the service will consist of will vary depending on your church. However, attending any Easter church service can be a good way to focus on the Christian messages that accompany the holiday. Make sure to attend church on Easter morning.^[10]
- If you have young children, see if there are special Sunday School classes offered on Easter Sunday. It can sometimes be difficult for children to understand the story of Christ's death due to the scary subject material. A qualified Sunday School teacher can help your child understand the meaning of Easter.
Read the Easter story in your bible. Take some time over Easter weekend to read over the Easter story. This can be a good way to focus on the meaning behind the holiday. Reminding yourself why the holiday is celebrated can help you to engage more fully with your faith and its traditions. Much of the Easter story is found in the New Testament, covered in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.^[11]
- If you have young children, see if you can find a children's Bible that details the story of Easter. This may explain Jesus's death and resurrection in terms they can easily understand.
Discuss Jesus's sacrifice with your family. Easter is primarily a celebration of God sacrificing His only son for your sins. This is something to talk over with your family. On Easter morning, or Holy Saturday, have a talk about what God's sacrifice means to you. Why are you grateful for Jesus's sacrifices, death, and resurrection?^[12]
- One activity to help with this can be writing down times you've sinned on a piece of paper. Have everyone in the family do this on Holy Saturday and then gather the papers together.
- On Easter Day, do something to destroy the papers. You can, for example, burn them in a fireplace or feed them through a paper shredder. This represents Jesus saving you by erasing your sins. You can then express gratitude at Christ's sacrifice.
Focus on the personal meaning this holiday has for you. Attending a church service or reading over the Easter story can both be great ways to focus on the meaning of the holiday. However, taking some time on your Easter Sunday to reflect on the personal meaning of the holiday can help you discover what it means to you.^[13]
- Think about your religion. How has it benefited your life? What have you learned from Christianity? How have Jesus's lessons affected your actions?
- You may want to have your family answer these types of questions. For example, you could have everyone go around the table and share a time they acted in a certain way because of Christ's teachings.
Practice some non-religious celebrations. If you are religious, not everything you do on Easter has to be specifically related to your religion. Try doing things like having an Easter brunch or doing something fun with your family, like going on a hike. This can be particularly helpful if you have non-religious relatives who want to celebrate with you.