When did it change?
I came across this image sometime last year. At first it made me laugh, but then it really made me think. When did Easter change from being a time of remembering our Savior into celebrating the 'Easter Bunny', candy, and egg hunts?
I can't say that I don't really enjoy all the commercialized things that the world associates with Easter. It is fun to watch my kids as they find the hidden easter eggs, and see how happy they are when they wake up and see their baskets full of goodies. Yet, at the same time...I don't want them to think that is what Easter really is about.
I want them to understand how important this holiday is. That without the sacrifice of our Savior, we would not be here today. Every year I struggle to try and do something to help teach them of this importance.
What are some things that you do with your children to help incorporate the Savior into this holiday?
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The easter bunny doesn't come to our house. We fill each other's baskets. We put the focus that the Savior did such a wonderful thing for us, that we need to do special things for others. We still do the easter egg dying and hiding, but it's not the focus of the holiday.
BTW- Such a cute baby! Holy cow, I'm starting to get baby hungry. Please come over and slap me to remind me how crazy I am!!
first off, awesome comment by the doster dorks! i love that idea!
secondly, CONGRATS! he is so cute:)
i am thrilled... hopefully i can teach all three Akers in primary one day... :)
so, i dont have kids yet, obviously, but Jeff and I have been trying to help keep Easter Christ centered. here are some things we have tried to do...
1. go to the easter pageant and invite everyone we possibly can
2. think of people that could use a testimony of the ressurrection and Christ, and write your testimony (as a family) in a card and deliver (as a family) some homemade easter baskets.... basically i love decorating eggs, and doing crafty things... so yeah... but you can put an Easter book, picture or cd from the LDS bookstore or something with your basket.
3. have a family night, the monday beforehand and set some goals to have no contention in the house all week- so that you can feel the spirit more in the home.
4. on Easter have everyone prepare a talk on Christ, or bear testimony, or draw pictures, or sing songs... have a little "easter program"... and perhaps invite some non-members. you can always record it, too, because kids will love to go back and see how cute they were :)
5. when i was a growing up, my mom would always write her testimony of the ressurrection to us kids in a beautiful easter card, and it meant a lot to me.
anyways, those are random, and probably lame, but maybe it will get the creative juices flowing?!
HAPPY EASTER!! :)
I have to agree with you. I was just thinking this the other day. Actually the first year Seb wsa born. I used to help my dad go out and entertain people at the resorts for Easter brunch. I saw then kids getting huge baskets full of stuff almost like christmas! it was upsetting. I promised myself that I would not get wrapped in it when my kids where older. I never got an easter basket when I was young. Sometimes I would get a chocolate bunny and a new outfit for the Family gatherings. Most of our holidays have turn to such a circus sometimes I feel like boycoting.:)
Kendra got so excited on Monday night because we were going to have a lesson on Easter. I started the lesson and she asked, "Mommy? When are we going to have the lesson on Easter?" I was so happy that she asked that because I had no idea that she didn't know what Easter was REALLY about. She thought it was all about dying eggs and the Easter bunny. Well, it turned out to be a good lesson (well, I hope, I was crying the whole time.) I love Easter and I am so thankful for what the Savior did for me and everyone that I love. Thank you for posting such a wonderful post. Your baby is soooo cute!!! Call me!
We dye the eggs but I talk to my kids about how the egg is like us. We are boring and lifeless without any color and Jesus in our life gives us joyful colors. Then I can talk to them about how he was born to die for us and that is what Easter is about. Kind of cheesy, I know but they get it. We also do baskets but we get them meaningful gifts. I also don't put candy in their baskets if I can help it :) Last year I got my daughter a tiara that sits on her dresser as a reminder to her that she is the daughter of the King of Kings along with a devotional Bible for girls. I got the boys books. One was the Easter story and the other was Will the Mighty Warrior which talked about how you are in God's army. I do like to buy the girls new dresses though, this was a tradition when I was growing up. I hope those helped. I know my kids are a little older than yours.
This week we had an FHE lesson on Easter. I numbered 12 plastic eggs and filled each with a symbol of Easter (a nail, a stone, thorns etc.) and a corresponding scripture. The boys had fun opening the eggs and seeing what was inside and it helped keep their interest in the easter story.
The Easter bunny comes our house on Friday night instead of Saturday night. We get to do all the fun "Easter Bunny" stuff like easter baskets and Easter egg hunts on Saturday. Then on Sunday we can focus on the Savior. We also don't have to get up really early to do all the easter basket/egg stuff before church at 9this way.
On Sunday, we'll go to church and we'll have a family dinner. I have a couple of activities and treat ideas I got off of www.Sugardoodle.com.
I hope this will give us a good balance between the Easter bunny side of the holiday and celebrating our savior.
Crystal,
First of all, thanks for always taking a minute to comment when you read my blog. I LOVE hearing from you! You have helped me to try to do better at leaving comments for others!! Second, CONGRATS on your new baby boy. Such a blessing for you (and you look TERRIFIC, by the way).
And third - I Love all the comments so far about easter. I grew up never getting an Easter basket - and it wouldn't have been so bad, but we had neighbors who got HUGE baskets with an obscene amount of candy, so we always thought we were missing out. We've tried hard to balance the commercial holiday with the TRUE meaning of easter. We talk a lot about the Savior and the meaning of Easter, and try to make the baskets and candy-filled eggs a completely separate event. Still - it's difficult when the kids get older and see the baskets at Walmart and hear about Easter from school. I guess all we can really do is try to always keep our celebration Christ Centered. I will check back, though - because I love all the new ideas I'm seeing here!
Becky in Georgia (but my heart will always be in Mesa!)
I agree with all those comments about Easter. I struggle with this every year. I only give candy and maybe a new pair of flip-flops but it's hard for my kids to understand the meaning because they have cousins who's parents go all out and get those big baskets full of stuff.
I just think though talking about the Savior and what he means in our lives is the best thing. They will remember that more than all the candy and toys they got.
Plus Jersey was born on Easter. So I like to reflect that day that I could have named her Easter Sunrise.:)
We like to do the 12 days of Easter in our house. We also do an egg hunt a few days before Easter so on Easter we can focus more on Christ. We do a very small and minimal Easter basket.
In RS one year we made Easter story books. In 3-ring binders we put pictures of the last week of His life, with the scripture story and a few songs, We read it each Easter Morning. I hope they understanding the real meaning of Easter. {the bunny dose make a stop and we color eggs for hiding.}
What a beautiful surprise, I came to visit you and wish you and your family Happy Easter and WOW you had your baby BOY!! Congratulations, Crystal he's beautiful. Blessings to you and your family!
We colour eggs and talk about how out of an egg comes a baby chick, a new life. We can have new life through the Resurrection of the Saviour and every time we repent we call feel new!
My wife grabbed this and e-mailed it to me last week. I gotta admit I laughed, I laughed mainly because it's so true. What do dyes eggs, candy, baskets and a rabbit have to do with resurecction? Did I just misspell resurecction? prolly! Anywho nice blog.
We try to do a very special FHE all about our Savior. Your baby is so cute!
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