Easter Traditions
by Nikki
Willhite
What is a family? A family is people of
unique personalities, the love they have for each other, and the things they do
together.
What sets families apart from each other?
One thing is family traditions- memories laced together with love.
Think back to your childhood. What are your
fondest memories? Most likely it is the time you spent together as a family -
whether it be vacations or just doing things together at home.
It doesn't take money to start family
traditions. It just takes a little planning, the then the discipline to do
it each and every year.
By establishing family traditions, you strengthen
your family, give it it's own personality, and give your children not only
something to remember, but activities and traditions to pass on through the
generations.
It is as much fun for parents to watch
their children experience the things they enjoyed as a child as for the children
to experience them.
If religion is a big part of your life, there are
many things that reflect your faith that you can do together to celebrate
Easter.
One the more secular side, there are also many
things to do to make Easter a special time. Here are some ideas.
- Have an Easter Egg Hunt, whether it's with your
immediate family or extended family members. You can also participate in
church and community planned Easter festivities. Children always enjoy these and
will look forward to them.
- Make or buy your family new outfits for Easter
each year. Girls in particular will know this is coming, and often spend
weeks thinking about what color dress they want, or other details of this
special outfit.
- Have a craft day before Easter with your
family. There are new crafts each year, and while you may not find it
exciting, your children will appreciate the time you spend with them, even if
it's only to dye eggs.
- Make special treats that you make only on
Easter. Nothing is as exciting to a child as a sugar cookie cut in a
special shape, with frosting and decorations. You can buy Easter treats,
but it is not the same as making them yourself.
Think about what you feel when you smell pumpkin
pie baking in the oven. It brings back memories. What if all your life you
always had a store bought pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving? The smell would
mean nothing to you.
You experience life with all your senses,
including smell. When you let your children help, they also remember the
touching. Make as many treats as possible yourself. Give your children
these warm memories.
- Make Easter a sign of spring by bringing in
some spring flowers and letting them see their beauty and smell them. If
you don't have tulips growing in your yard, buy some, and display them. Make
Easter a time of rebirth on all levels.
- Watch a special movie together as a family, or
play a special game.
- Each country has different traditions. If
you do a search on the Internet, using the keywords "Easter Traditions", you
will find a lot of them. In your celebrations you might consider learning
about other countries, and the history of Easter.
- Easter is also a good time to take family
pictures- especially if you have new clothes.
Plan ahead and start traditions that will be
carried down through generations Find that which is most appropriate for your
family, and make memories that will last a lifetime. It doesn't take much money-
just love, time, and caring.