Sunday, March 16, 2008

Easter Traditions . . .

I'm sure you are all aware that Easter is one week from today! When I think of this, a few things cross my mind . . .

1. It still feels like winter here . . . it's been snowing all weekend. It is weird to think of Easter being in a week when there aren't even any flowers outside!

2. Ambree's Easter dress has short sleeves! I guess I'll have to put a sweater over it!? We'll see!

3. What kind of traditions do I want to start with my kids for Easter? Do I want to encourage them to believe in the Easter Bunny? Do I want to have them wake up to an Easter basket, or just have an Easter Egg hunt the Saturday before and then focus on the savior and resurrection on the actual day of Easter? If I do fill a basket for them, what do I want in it? Candy, clothes, books, toys?

Anyway, those are just a few of my thoughts today! What are some of your Easter Traditions? What do you think about the "Easter Bunny"? Or Easter Egg hunts on Sunday? Growing up, we never woke up to a basket, but Craig did. We just had an Easter egg hunt later in the day. . . therefore I never believed in the Easter Bunny. Do I wish I would have? I don't know? I guess it's always fun as a kid to have magical experiences. Anyway, what do you think?

3 comments:

Jenna said...

I grew up with all the magical-ness of the Easter Bunny...we woke up on Sunday morning to a house full of hidden candy...after we all found it, we put it all in a pot, and chose one piece at a time until it was all divided up. (When we were older we would hide the candy ourselves the night before for the younger kids). We had a great time that way...and we still thought about the Savior...it was no worse than when Christmas landed on a Sunday morning with Santa stuff--or when we have family over for a birthday get-together on a sunday). In fact...it might have been less distracting since Christmas can last all morning, and Easter-bunny stuff was relatively short...

David on the other hand did not believe in the easter bunny--but Mr. Bunny came anyway on Saturday morning (whether or not the kids hid the candy themselves...), and then Sunday was left to not have the commercial easter eggs...

Now that we're the parents...my family's tradition has won out! (: (Though one year I remember church being at 9 a.m.--too early for us to imagine trying to get everyone out the door and do an egg hunt, so The Bunny came to the kids during nap time.) We let them have fun with the eggs and candy, and try to make a special lesson sometime that day to remember the ressurrection.

As for losing the spirit of the sabbath...we have routines we do every week on Sunday like only church shows on T.V. (hurray for "Living Scriptures) and home videos. We try to do things as a family.--those things stay the same even though it's Easter. but honestly...I don't know a single child in the world who sits and thinks about Jesus all day on Sunday--only reads the scriptures and writes in journals...certainly a little play must go on...and why not let it be "directed" like hunting for eggs...then you have an excuse to explain religious symbolism!

...but those are just my thoughts...everyone floats their own boat!

Lindsay said...

Yep, we do the Easter Bunny thing! The twins know that the Easter Bunny leaves a trail of plastic eggs that leads to their Easter baskets. Should be interesting when we get a bigger house!

I try not to go overboard with Easter baskets and just get a few fun things (this year one thing will be a churchy book for each from Deseret Book) and maybe one candy item. My family never really did Easter egg hunts, but Matt's extended family does.

We for sure still talk to our kids about the real reason we celebrate Easter, just like we do with Christmas. There are some fun Easter traditions out there that involve symbolism and teach about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Aaron & Sara Warren said...

I was thinking about these very same questions around Easter tradition.

When I was younger the Easter Bunny brought us baskets of candy and little toys. My parents gave us an Easter outfit. We would have an Easter Egg Hunt inside with the little chocolate eggs - 300+ hidden everywhere. We would still stumble upon some unfound chocolate eggs months later. It was pretty fun!

This year it was spent with me in the hospital being monitored for baby #2 so we just gave Abby her basket when I got home at night.