Easter

With Easter creeping up on us it is time to sit back and take stock of exactly what Easter is and means to us. Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. It is a celebration of Life. Eternal Life!

John 3:16 “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Questions to think about: What does Easter mean to you?

Do you attend church either on a regular basis or on special occasion?

Do you lavish your children or spouse with tons of candy and junk just because it is expected of you?

Do you have a family tradition you follow?

Our family (3 brothers and sisters) tradition was a new Easter outfit.

We would attend church service on Good Friday and if you did not go you were made to sit quietly in a chair with your hands folded in your lap. From 12 noon till 3pm. Which I did not understand at a very young age until the True Reason for Easter Celebration was Explained and learned by me.

Do you teach your children the real reason for Easter?

On Easter Sunday we got to wear our new outfit to attend church. After church we would go home, get changed, and my dad started the in house Easter Egg hunt (which he would have hidden the eggs the night before). We usually had a lot of fun. As we got older we used to let the younger 2 do more of the finding, giving hints like to cold meaning not even close or hot for near.

Easter in our family was celebrated like Christmas. Our family would get together, Great grandmother, Grandparents, kids, and grandkids, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins for a Large Dinner. We usually had ham or pork with a whole lot of extras, Pickles, olive, salads hot and cold. We did not have Easter Baskets. Usually there were 3 or 4 kinds of Easter Candy in large candy bowls set out. My grandfather’s favorites were Jelly Beans. Grandfather usually got each of kids a toy item he knew we would like and that would keep us busy for a few hours or more. He was smart he would take us to the local 5 & 10 cent store and just watch us and then buy us a piece of bubble gum. He would ask us questions about what we saw and what we would do with the item mentioned is we had it.( Of course it was not till I was older and went through it with the younger 2 did I realize his method.) If he approved he would buy us the toy for Easter, if he did not he would pick what he felt we should have.

Do you remember playing with Silly Putty, Jacks, Marbles, or doing Puzzles, paint by number, color by number?? Or maybe word puzzles?

All the children were put in one level of the house to play games and have fun and the adults were together on the main floor. The ladies in would be in the kitchen doing stitchery, catching up and the cooking. The men would be sitting around the TV or play card games.

I can still remember my great grandmother sitting in a rocking chair going 90 mph and stitching embroidery. What really amazed me was she never missed a stitch or stuck herself.

What memories do you have? What traditions do you have? Is it time to start your own?