On Easter Morning

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Tomorrow morning my little bunnies will awaken earlier than they do most days and pad around the house in their pajamas on a hunt not only for their one-of-a-kind dyed eggs, but also for their hidden baskets. Who would have thought that watching my little loves squeal in excitement over uncovering each treasure would be just as meaningful to me as an adult onlooker as it was as a little girl? There is something to be said for holiday traditions passed down through the years from parent to child.

On Easter Morning

My family has many wonderful traditions in our house at Easter time, beginning with our Lenten calendar and ending with  a special egg hunt at my parent’s house. In between, there are the various egg hunts around town, the special Good Friday breakfast and craft at church, the dying of eggs, and of course, the reading of The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by DuBose Heward. I love this story. The child in me still believes that the Easter Bunny is in fact several bunnies that earned the title, including an amazing mama bunny!

But as my children get older I am looking for ways to celebrate the true meaning of Easter amongst all the other fun activities on Easter morning. I’d like to spotlight the significance of this special day that goes beyond jelly beans, silly putty, and Peeps. Easter is a more weighted holiday to explain to young ones than Christmas. In searching for ways to add elements of its meaning, I found a few neat ideas that incorporate the symbols of  Easter with elements of the Easter story.

One idea is to place special bible verses into the plastic eggs you hide instead of just candy or trinkets. I like this idea because it places value on these special teachings and hopefully my children learn to value these words just as much as they do a free Hershey Kiss. Another idea is to add a special gift to their baskets that symbolizes rebirth and newness. This year, perhaps, I will ask the Easter Bunny to bring some seeds or bulbs for the kiddos to plant. Lastly, this inspiring article “Finding Meaning in Baskets and Bunnies” describes recreating the Easter Bunny by characterizing it with traits found in the bible. Here is an example: “Real Easter Bunnies . . . have big eyes to look carefully and choose what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).”  Click here to read more about this idea!

What are some traditions in your family that incorporate the true meaning of Easter? Happy Easter!

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Shannon
Shannon has lived in Fairfield County, CT for most of her life and currently lives in Monroe. She has a daughter L (September, 2008) and a son B (May, 2012). Shannon balances being a wife and mom with working 186 days out of the year as a special education teacher. Thank goodness for vacations, summer break, and snow days! You can be sure that she fills those days with as many amazing activities and outings that she can think of to make up for the time that she is at work. In a distant life, way before babies, Shannon was an aspiring actress and musician. You can sometimes still find her leading sing-a-longs with her guitar at the kids’ playgroups or at her daughter’s school.

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