After 40 days of Lenten fasting, we get 50 days of Eastertide feast!  But how do we make joy and rebirth of the Easter season last when the chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks are eaten?

easterTraditions_moviesHome Movies
In the days of iPhones, Flip recorders and other digital media it’s not difficult to record what our families are up to.  Set the camera on a bookshelf to record the whole family, or assign different family members different events to cover such as Easter dinner, decorating eggs, getting ready and going to church,  performing in Passion plays, or whatever your existing family traditions are.  Then edit your film together so you can talk about the important moments.  It won’t be long before you have several years of terrific family memories ready for watching and you’ll be surprised at what your teenagers can produce!

easterTraditions_gardenPlant an Easter Garden
Lilies are a time honored symbol of the new life of Easter.  (Don’t the church lilies look and smell wonderful on Easter Day?)  Use your own plants and flowers to brighten your yard and discuss how they remind us to say goodbye to winter and embrace spring!  Just as we transformed with Christ in his victory over death they, transform our environment and will be constant reminders of our Easter joy.

Bake Easter Cookies
easterTraditions_cookiesEaster is a time of feasting!  So why not add a special dessert to a meal?  Catch the post-Easter sales and find some special cookie cutters that tell the Easter story such as leaves (palm branches), crosses and circles like the stone that covered the entrance of the tomb that was rolled away.  Decorate your cookies and enjoy the after-dinner treat!

Share the Feast!
Choose several dates during the Easter season when your family and friends come together for dinner!  Use a table cloth or the good silverware, make a special dessert, open a bottle of wine, or do whatever is going to make these designated dinners extra special during the Easter season!

Get into Scripture
Looking for something with a little more meat?  The Gospel of Mark is short and ends with the resurrection story!  An annual reading is perfect for spouses’ or individual devotions.