Sights and Sounds of Easter

As much as I usually enjoy observing Lent with my family, this year we’ve barely done anything to set aside the season as special. Part of the issue is that both of my children’s birthdays are during Holy Week this year, which has left me feeling a little unmotivated towards all things Lenten. How do you do Lent when you know that Holy Week will be filled with cakes and gifts?

Despite this, I am planning for some grand Easter celebrating! A friend recently told me she’s noticed that liturgically-minded Christians seem to do better at planning for Advent and Lent than they do for Christmas and Easter, and I think she’s probably right. (At least, I think we often talk more about Advent and Lent. This might be simply because they are new observances to many of us.) So as I think about Easter this year, I’ve been trying to come up with ways to maintain a spirit of celebration past 11am on Easter morning. Sure, it would be impossible to keep up a party-like atmosphere in your home all day every day for the full 50 days of Easter, but I still think there’s a lot we can do to enrich our Resurrection feasting.

Last year I wrote a post about engaging the senses during Lent, and I use that same idea to organize my thoughts on Easter celebration. I want my children to grow up knowing in their bones what it feels like to rejoice at Jesus’ resurrection. I want the sights, sounds, and tastes in our home to be a signal that Easter truly is our greatest festival. We Christians are Easter people, after all. The empty tomb is the core of our faith, so let us use every creative fiber of our being as we plan for the great celebration! Please chime in with your own ideas in the comments so we can all learn from one another.

{Disclaimer: Of course I’m not doing every single one of these things. I’ll feel good if we hit one from each category!}

Things to See

Create an Easter garden with some pots, soil, stones, and stick crosses.
Hang up a “He Is Risen!” banner or a gold/white cross banner.
Print out and display this BCP quote: “Dying you destroyed our death, Rising you restored our life, Lord Jesus come in glory.”
As a table centerpiece, set out flowers, a cross, and a sign (even just handwriting on construction paper) saying “He is risen!”
Light candles all over your home. I’m itching to try my hand at making soy candles, which I hope to do sometime during Eastertide.
Make or buy ribbon streamers your kids can use in worship at home or church.
Beautifully, naturally dyed eggs can be a discussion starter about new life.

Things to Hear

Set out a basket of bells that your children can ring.
Put on the Hallelujah Chorus first thing on Easter morning and again frequently throughout Eastertide.
Create a celebratory Easter playlist to play for all 50 days.
Teach your kids the traditional proclamation, “The Lord is risen!” and its reply, “He is risen indeed!”
Read the end of a Gospel and then Acts together for family devotions.
Memorize an Easter-themed hymn or worshipful portion of Scripture together.
Choose books to read aloud that have redemptive themes or tell the lives of faithful believers. And don’t forget my favorite Easter book!

Things to Taste

If you attend an Easter Vigil and have fasted during Lent, bring some small pieces of chocolate to slip to your children right as the Resurrection is announced. (Many thanks to Molly R. for this idea and the following one.)
Similarly, have some champagne, fancy cheese, and crackers on hand when you get home from the Vigil – you’ll be too excited to sleep anyway!
Serve sparkling juice every morning for Easter week.
Enjoy hot cross buns for breakfast at least once during the 50 days.
Have a potluck feast with friends sometime during Eastertide.
Use the fancy china! Even at breakfast!
If you’ve given up sweets during Lent, be sure to make everyone’s favorite dessert in the weeks following Easter. We haven’t fasted this year, but I am going to make some chocolate dipped homemade marshmallows during Easter, which is something I’ve long wanted to do.
Candy is great fun, but remember that there are ways to celebrate besides overloading on sugar. Here’s a great list of things to put in Easter eggs in addition to candy.

Living in Light of the Cross

Invite neighbors who live alone to share a meal with you.
Consider buying only fair trade chocolate to place in Easter baskets. Natural Candy Store has the chocolate eggs I’m going to order and a variety of other kinds as well.
Encourage the spiritual growth of each person in your family in fresh ways: send your spouse on a retreat, give your child a new devotional, or buy a new CD (try Resurrection Letters Volume II, To Be Like Jesus, or one of the Seeds albums).
Find a local ministry to support with time, money, or prayer.
Write letters of gratitude to the people who introduced you to Jesus or who have spiritually mentored you or your children.