My Family Easter Tradition

I remember this day (in the photo above) very clearly, my son is to the right and my nephew to the left, when they were young children in the early 1980's. I treasure this memory, it was fun for all of us adults and children. On Easter Sunday both boys often dressed in the same outfits bought by my sister, she always enjoyed buying their outfits to dress them the same. They are over a year apart in age.

After church we would usually go to one of our family members homes to gather for our annual Easter tradition. Then we would hide colored eggs, the kids would win prizes, etc. Once all of the kids had a chance to find their eggs we would then have a big feast in celebration of the true meaning of Easter, which is Jesus Christ death and resurrection!

There would be a variety of food, from different pastas to mexican food (extremely popular in Colorado - though we are of Spanish origin) such as green chili, tamales, etc. We also had many other desserts and treats, it was overall a great time visiting and catching up with family members and friends. At my eldest sisters home we would sometimes play volleyball, and generally just spend the entire day in fellowship together.

Just like with Christmas in recent years, Jesus seems to be taken out of the Holiday. When in fact Jesus is the reason for the Holiday. It is good to have fun and decorate eggs for Easter, and tell cute tales of the Easter Bunny but when Jesus isn't the main focus, then this is not a way of acknowledging our Lord and Savior.

When I was a practicing Catholic it was our religious belief and practice to give up something for Lent ( Lent is a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday), as a way of respect and memory to what Easter is all about. Today I believe that this is a fine observance but we should always respect the Lord for what He has done, not only during this time of the year.

This is an important time to reflect on our salvation, and what Christ did for the sake of mankind. He suffered a horrific death and had to endure torture and ridicule beyond belief. In the end he wasn't even recognized as a human being because of what they did to Him during this terrible and tragic event in history. In His death He took the keys from Satan, and because of this he gave us the right to go to the Father directly through Him. He then arose from the dead on the third day. Because of what He did we now have the right as His children to salvation, eternal life, never ending. To me this is greater than colored boiled eggs and an Easter bunny,

I am not trying to discount anyone for having fun on Easter, but I do feel sad if they don't acknowledge the true meaning of this day. As parents we are responsible to teach our kids what Easter is really about, and what our Lord and Savior did on this most sacred day for us, out of pure love for His people.

I for one as a parent could not sacrifice any of my children for the sake of another. But our Father loves us that much that He was willing to sacrifice His own Son so that we can have everlasting life in His kingdom. What love my Father and Jesus has for us undeserving people, it goes beyond our comprehension that His love is actually that big and unconditional.

So next time you start your activities of coloring eggs, preparing food, and inviting people over for the occasion - Truly try to remember what Easter is really about.

In pagan times the groups of people would gather together and celebrate Easter by putting on Spring Festivals. Easter eggs to them were a symbol of the birth of young animals, the rebirth of nature and fertility. The idea of rebirth as we (Christians) know it is in the resurrection of Christ, while the Pagans joined their beliefs with rebirth.

Shopping for an Easter basket is a lot of fun to do. You can choose an already made gift basket, or decide to buy an empty basket and put in all the things that you desire for a boy or girl, or even a sweetheart :) I personally feel the latter is more personal.

You can also find many bargains on gifts for your Easter basket, here are some affordable ideas to put into an Easter basket:

1. Coloring books with crayons

2. Stuffed animals

3. Jumprope

4. Puzzles

5. Dolls

6. Toy cars

7. Bathtub toys

8. Easter egg candy (chocolates)

9. Silly putty

10. Stickers

The list goes on and on...

I do think that we should put something about Jesus in our baskets, since that is what Easter is all about in the first place. A small reminder to our loved ones that Easter isn't just about bunnies and eggs, although that can be special and fun. It should always be known that Jesus is the reason for Easter. Perhaps a coloring book or a storybook that tells about the true meaning of Easter? This would be idea to add to your basket, and there are several ways to keep it fun but not to lose sight of what the true meaning really is.

There are many ways to come up with a 'Love basket' for your partner. It really depends where you are in your relationship, but if you want to be romantic here are some ideas to romance her or him.

1. How about a bottle of red wine or Spring chardonnay?

2. Chocolates for the chocolate lover.

3. Cheese, crackers, sausage, etc.

4. Love notes, coupons, gift cards, etc.

5. Cards, cute games, etc.

The list goes on and on you get to decide. Make it fun! Don't be stingy now. ; )