As a child Easter was not a Christian holiday in our home. There was no going to church or reading the story about Good Friday or the Resurrection. It was all about the basket and the egg hunt. The main event was the dinner. The same eggs were hunted over and over again until the eggs were inedible. I learned nothing about Palm Sunday, Good Friday, or Resurrection Sunday. The adults usually played games while the kids enjoyed the goodies from the basket.
After I became saved and began to learn about all of this, I began to think that the eggs weren’t such a big deal. I wanted to teach my boys what was really important about the Passion of Christ. I wanted them to celebrate Easter for the goodness of knowing their Savior and not finding the most eggs. It was hard to change up traditions. Some said I had become too religious. But I thought there had to be more than just chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks.
Over the years, we stopped buying the baskets and we began to enjoy the things that were important. Jesus, family, and the sacrifice. I
Now that our home is without kids, we find other ways to enjoy and celebrate Easter.
Here are 5 ways you and your family can celebrate Good Friday.
1. Make a Batch of Hot Cross Buns
If you love baking and want to enjoy a traditional snack for the weekend make a batch of hot cross buns and enjoy them while watching a story about the resurrection of Jesus. These tasty treats have been around for decades. They are representative of the cross and the burial of Jesus. The cross on the bun is made with a flour paste and the spices are said to be representative of the spices that were used in the burial of Christ.
These tasty treats are said to have been created by a monk in order to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. It is a sweet pastry or bun that is laden with raisins or currants and topped with a cross that is made with a flour paste or icing. These are normally enjoyed with tea or coffee.
You can find a vast amount of recipes for hot cross buns on Pinterest, the internet, and Instagram. It just depends on what your family would enjoy.
2. Make a Good Friday Meal
Some people choose to fast on Good Friday, but if you choose to incorporate your kids into the celebration, you could prepare a meal without meat and observe Good Friday as a family. After preparing a meal you could gather around and discuss what the death of Christ means to each of you.
Most traditional meals for Good Friday revolve around some type of fish.
Some meal ideas with fish/seafood include:
Other meal ideas include:
3. Plant a Tree
Another great idea for a family activity this weekend is to plant a tree. When you plant a tree you are remembering the rebirth of Christ and how there is hope for eternal life. As you plant the tree, you can explain to your children the death, resurrection, and how we now have hope for eternal life because of Christ’s sacrifice.
4. Pack a Picnic
If the weather is nice, you can pack a picnic and have a family day at the park. Choose healthy snacks and drinks to enjoy while you read, color, and put puzzles together. This is a way to enjoy family time without the interruptions of social media. While you are gathered and enjoying the time, you can share the story of Holy Week.
5. Have a Last Supper Style Dinner
If you have older kids, you could take time to create the Last Supper and enjoy a time of communion as a family. Having communion not only provides time to reflect on the love of Christ, but also it can be a time of connection as a family. As an added experience, place a blanket on the floor and set the food in the middle. This would give it more of an authentic feel since there were no chairs during the time of the Last Supper.
Here are some food ideas for your Last Supper meal:
- lentil stew
- lamb steaks or kabobs
- olives
- hummus
- unleavened bread or pita bread
- sparkling cider
- dried fruit
- dates, pomegranates, grapes, oranges
Easter is a day of remembering that we have a Redeemer who lives. It is a time to focus on how we can love better and forgive more. I hope that you take time to create a special memory with your loved ones this year as we sing praises for a risen Savior.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.