Spring is my favorite time of year! Throw in a few birthdays, an anniversary and warmer weather and I’m like a kid on Christmas morning – in April.
Speaking of Christmas, let’s talk about Easter. There is a common thread here with yet another Christian holiday that has strayed away from the “reason for the season.” I want my kids to have a better understanding of what the holiday means than I did when I was a kid. Because, let’s face it, all I wanted was chocolate and presents. Who am I kidding? That’s all they want, too. So, maybe I’ll oblige, but they’ll at least have a good understanding of why we celebrate Easter.
Many of the things that I talked about in my Christmas post, Bah Humbug – Can We Skip the Stress and Mess? apply to Easter (and other holidays and birthdays, too), but specific to Easter, here is my list of tips and tricks to make the holiday fun, stress and mess-free and intentional:
Resurrection Eggs
This is our absolute favorite Easter tradition! The eggs we hide on Easter morning are numbered 1-12. The eggs have a symbol inside and a corresponding Bible verse in a rolled up slip of paper. The kids collect the eggs and as a family we sit down to open them one at a time. The kids each take turns reading a verse, pass the symbol around and place it in a line. Spoiler alert: the last egg is empty just like Jesus’ tomb!
Symbols – Verses:
- Tiny cup – Jesus prays, “May this cup be taken from me.” Matthew 26:39 (We use the clear plastic cover from kid’s squirt-top drinks)
- Three dimes – Jesus is sold for 30 pieces of silver. Matthew 26:14-15
- Rope/Twine – Jesus is arrested and bound. Matthew 27:1-2
- Soap shaving – Pilate washed his hands clean and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.” Matthew 27:24-25
- Red cloth – They dressed Jesus in a scarlet robe and crown of thorns and mocked Him. Matthew 27:28-30
- Nail – Jesus is nailed to the cross. Matthew 27:31
- Die/Dice – The Roman soldiers cast lots to see who would get Jesus’ clothes. Matthew 27:35
- Crushed rock – Jesus gave up His spirit, the curtain was torn, the earth trembled and rocks split. Matthew 27:50-51, 54
- Strip of White Cloth – Joseph wrapped Jesus in white cloth and buried Him in the tomb. Matthew 27:57-60
- Stone – Joseph rolled a stone in front of the tomb. It was then sealed and a guard was placed outside of it. Matthew 27:60, 65-66
- Bay Leaf/Spice – Three women arrived with spices to anoint Jesus’ body but instead an angel of the Lord appeared and rolled the stone away. Mark 16:1, Matthew 28:2-5
- (Empty) – The tomb was empty. Jesus is risen! Matthew 28:6
Here is a printable version of the verses to cut out and put inside the eggs.
To Each His Own – Eggs
I have three kids and it took one year of “he has more eggs than me” to realize each kid needs his/her own dozen eggs to search for on Easter morning. We number them 1-12 and alternate between who has the scripture verse, who has a symbol and who has candy in each of their eggs. We all come together and open the eggs one at a time starting with number 1, read the verse, discuss how the symbol relates to it, and put the candy aside for later.
Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt
When the kids were younger we had an annual glow-in-the-dark egg hunt at our house for all of our friends. Each family brought a dozen eggs and glow-in-the-dark bracelets (necklaces are too big to fit). While the dads were
0utside stuffing eggs with the bracelets, the ladies were inside having story time with the kids. The Jesus Storybook Bible has an age-appropriate and beautifully worded and illustrated version of Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection. We also talked about how Jesus is the light of the world and with Him we will never walk in darkness (John 8:12).
When the dads had sealed all the eggs (some needed tape to keep shut), it was then time to release the kids! Just as in any egg hunt, it’s over in .3 seconds; so we always collected the eggs from all the kids and hid them 3 to 4 more times for extended fun. At the end we gave each of the kids glow necklaces and dessert!
Egg Dying Mom Hack: Spoon Tongs 
Here’s where we baptize our eggs. JOKING! Maybe that’s a stretch for intentionality. But SRSLY, those little wire scoops and toddler hands never work. Just use two spoons and a rubber band to save your fingers from being dyed and smelling like vinegar.
Easter Baskets
I don’t know when Easter baskets got as big as Christmas morning, but for many this has become the expectation. Instead of spending the money on toys and candy, we use this time in our budget to buy new swimsuits, towels and/or goggles for the kids (if needed) because here in South Louisiana, summer weather is just days away!
Egg Pacque-ing
Lafayette Moms Blog contributor, Sarah, wrote this awesome post on our favorite Cajun Easter tradition! Growing up in New Orleans, I had never heard of the sport of pâcque-ing eggs until I moved here 8 1/2 years ago. My son has already been talking trash for weeks since he has been our previous years’ champion for some time now.
Go to Church on Easter – and the Weeks Following
Churches will be overflowing on Easter Sunday because it is the one time of the year when many people prioritize church attendance. Growing up, we were that family, too, but I wish we had gone more. I encourage you to make it a weekly tradition, not just on Easter. I know getting all the kids dressed and out of the house regularly on Sunday mornings is a struggle (ask the greeters at our church how often I arrive at church frazzled and with half-a-face of makeup on). But I guarantee, your love tank will be overflowing if you make this a weekly commitment.
