What do you ladies do for Easter? Have family meals, egg hunts ,etc. Some may even have traditions you do with your kids. Want to share them? We do an egg hunt with friends during the week, of course church on Easter Sunday morning and usually a nice big lunch that day. Lorna
We used to go all out for Easter but we have down played it over the past couple of years. We still do the Easter egg hunt (although I'm going to have to get really creative at hiding them - they know where to look for them). We get some chocolate treats for them but not a whole lot (their grandparents - especially MIL go over board). We go to the sunrise service at church and spend the day together quietly as a family (well, as quiet as you can with three ADHD boys pumped up on chocolate). Brenda
We have changed the way we celebrate Easter in recent years. We used to spend it with our blood family....now we celebrate with our closest Christian families. We all enjoy celebrating with people who really appreciate what Easter is all about. We found chocolate crosses at Wal-Mart the past few years....white or milk chocolate . We try to emphasize Christ's resurrection in all that we do during our celebration.
We were in MOPS for a few years until my youngest got too old. While there we were introduced to "Resurrection Eggs". They're GREAT! We made our own and still use them every year. Have you guys seen/done that? Sometimes they have them in stores now, but we had fun making our own!
I bought a set of Ressurection Eggs a few years back. Phillip's Sunday School teacher has them right now, LOL! Basically, you take some plastic eggs, and in each one you put in something symbolic of the Easter Story. A nail to represent the nails in Jesus' hands, a piece of gauze, a small piece of wood...... I'm sorry I can't remember right off what all there is. The ones I bought you open in order. Each one is a different color, and they came with a booklet that tells you the order according to color, and also has a small devotional based on each one. I have used it with a small group of children, where you hide them around like an Egg Hunt. When all the eggs have been found, they gather back together and you open them one by one, reading about each one. We have also used them as a family the twelve days prior to Easter. We open and read one at dinner each night. The last egg is opened Easter Morning. It is empty to symbolize the Empty Tomb. There is also a book you can get that goes along with it. It's called "Benjamin's Box", but I don't know the author as Phillip's Sunday School teacher has that, too! It tells of a boy who is there at the events of the Crucifixion and Ressurection. He picks up various objects along the way to help him remember the events of the day. In the end, he puts them all in a box and uses them to tell his friends about Jesus. On a cmpletely secular note, I also plan on making a bunny easter basket with Phillip. I had done it in the past when my girls were younger, and I think Phillip is at an age where he'd love doing it!
Has anyone tried the Resurrection Cookies? I have the recipe and thought about trying it this year, but I wanted to hear others' experiences with it.
I got from MOPS a couple of years ago (if anyone wants I'll post the recipe). Basically, you use just a handful of ingredients, and each one represents some aspect of the crucifixion. With each ingredient there is a Bible scripture to read. When it's all done, you turn OFF the pre-heated oven and put the cookies inside. You put tape on the door of the oven (llike you're 'sealing the tomb') and leave them overnight--remember the oven is turned off. When you get up in the morning, you show them that the tape is still there and inside (opening the tomb) the cookies are done. When you open the cookies, the centers are hollow, just like when Christ wasn't in the tomb. There are scriptures to follow through the whole process. I think we're going to try it this year with our kids now that they're a little older and could understand.
I found the recipe for Resurrection Cookies: Resurrection Cookies You will need: 1 cup whole pecans 1 tsp. vinegar 3 egg whites Pinch salt 1 cup sugar Plastic baggie Wooden Spoon Cookie Sheet Wax Paper Tape Bible Preheat oven to 300 degrees Place pecans in baggie and beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. (Read John 19:1-3) Open the vinegar and let everyone smell it. Put 1 tsp. into the mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, all He was given to drink was vinegar. (Read John 19:28-30) Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. (Read John 10:10-11) Sprinkle a little salt into each person's hand. Let them taste it, then brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. (Read Luke 23:27) So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add the sugar and explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. (Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16) Beat with mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents our purity in God's eyes because our sins are cleansed by Jesus. (Read Isaiah 1:18) Fold in nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. (Read Matthew 27:57-60) Put cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and TURN THE OVEN OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door shut. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. (Read Matthew 27:65-66) You're done! Explain that you cannot eat the cookies tonight, but that you have to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. That might not make anyone too happy. Explain that Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. (Read John 16:20 & 22) The next morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookies. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are HOLLOW! On the third day, Jesus followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. (Read Matthew 28:1-9) Enjoy the cookies and relate to life's daily blessings through God's love and grace—noted especially on this holiest of days!
I got Resurrection Eggs from Focus on the Family some years ago. I'm waiting until Jeanne is a little older to tell her the whole Easter story. Right now she knows bunnies and chicks are for Spring and Easter is about Jesus. LOL!! My family at first thought I was a creep to not get heavy with Santa and the Easter Bunny.
Here's our traditions... Well, we always start out by dying eggs, making a bunny cake/cupcakes and other treats. We do lots of crafts as well. We always have a big egg hunt at the in-laws with lots of kids, snacks and games. We go to church on Easter and usually eat at the in-laws for lunch. This year I bought the Resurrection Eggs and started yesterday opening one a day. The kids will get to take turns opening the eggs and I read the story that goes with each egg. We also are going to make the Resurrection cookies this year. I have never heard of these before and it sound like so much fun. Also, my kids watch all the Easter movies we have. As my daughter and son get older I'll introduce The Passion movie as well. The Easter Bunny does come to visit on Easter morning here. We always leave out a plate of carrots and some water for him. The kids love waking up on Easter morning and following the trail the rabbit has left for them...usually some eggs and confetti lead the way to their baskets.
We got the Story Keepers Easter video from the library yesterday. I thnk that's one of the best. In case anyone is unfamiliar with them, the Story Keepers are about a bunch of orphans in Rome during the time of Nero. They live with Ben the Baker and his wife. Ben's "mission" is to "keep the stories of Jesus" alive. I think the Easter one is their best.
Hey, Jackie. That is the only episode I have seen...and we own it. I used it for my Awana group (T&T) and made a quiz for afterward. It is a great way to show young kids about persecution, too, without getting gory.
You should see the Christmas one. You know the hot-headed teen? Well, they're traveling with some old guy that the teen (Zach?) doesn't trust. Throughout the whole adventure, Ben is telling tales about the birth of Christ. Then at the end, Zach has to apologize to the old guy for his attitude. As the guy's going off, you hear him mumbling to his donkey, "Egypt? Remember when we took that couple to Egypt so long ago? They were in some kind of trouble with the king. They had a little baby. What was their names? Miriam? No.........MARY!!! That was it! Mary and Joseph!!!" My MIL bought the whole series for the grandkids to watch at her place.
We have done Ressurection Eggs, the cookies, etc. This year we are doing the crescent rolls. We try to make it different each year but still tell about the Ressurection of Christ. We also do "the bunny". He brings things like a chocolate cross instead of a bunny, Goldfish crackers instead of jellybeans, and other things that we come up with to represent Christian symbols and the ressurection. We also use Lambs instead of bunnies. We focus on Christ not on the bunny. The bunny is a very minor part of the week. As a matter of fact my kids really never talk about him when you talk to them about Easter. To them he is just the delivery bunny. I imagine this may be the last year for him though. My youngest is getting pretty smart. LOL
Has anyone seen a poem about putting "meanings" to the colors of the Jelly Beans? My kids got a bag once in Sunday School, one of each color, with the poem. I thought I filed it, but of course I can't find it now!
I did a search on-line and found it right away!!! Jelly Bean Poem (Jelly Bean Prayer) written by Charlene Dickerson Red is for the blood He gave. Green is for the grass He made. Yellow is for the sun so bright. Orange is for the edge of night. Black is for the sins we made. White is for the grace He gave. Purple is for His hour of sorrow. Pink is for our new tomorrow. An egg full of jelly beans, Colorful and Sweet Is a prayer, a promise, A loved one's treat!! Charlene Dickensen, 1997 We then put a jelly bean of each of the above colors in a plastic egg to take home and tell of Jesus' love! (From Jackie again: If you want to see a colored version of it, go to: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/easter/jellybean.htm
