Family traditions can be the glue which holds a family together. This is particularly true when it comes to traditions concerning holidays. Many families wonder how to celebrate Easter more meaningfully as well as the other holidays throughout the year.

Rather than focusing on the Easter candy the children will receive and eat, focus more on spending time with family. This is one way to celebrate Easter more meaningfully. Visit family members you may not have seen lately, especially those who may be infirm, in a retirement home, or a nursing home. Pick up an elderly family member and take them with you to religious services.

Most people realize that Easter is a religious holiday. For Christians, this means they attend either a sunrise service which symbolizes when Jesus was thought to have risen from the grave, or they attend a religious service later on in the day. The point is that they gather together as a family to commemorate Jesus’ death and resurrection on their behalf.

After church services many families have Easter egg hunts for the children in the family. Of course, many communities and churches offer Easter egg hunts the Saturday before Easter, but that doesn’t preclude your family from having their own. Children will often prefer the egg hunts their own family puts together over community events.

While the women in the family are preparing the Easter meal, the men of the family could go outside and hide Easter eggs for the children. Don’t let them make all of the eggs too easy to find; have them place some in harder places for the older children. They may also want to add a few coins to some of the eggs to give the children an extra surprise.

Food is such an important part of most holidays, and this is true for Easter, too. Try to plan the meal around foods which are traditional to your own family. Perhaps there used to be a particular dish which everyone looked forward to each Easter. Find the recipe and make that dish. Not only will it provide nourishment for your family, you can also use it to recreate an old tradition.

Easter is often seen as a time of rebirth. What better time to celebrate the holiday and welcome spring by planting a few trees, flowers, or perennial plants in a part of your yard dedicated to Easter. Welcoming spring in this way, as well as recognizing the images of rebirth associated with the holiday, may become a treasured family tradition.

Families are often running in many directions during the week. It’s during holidays such as Easter that they are able to come back together. When deciding how to celebrate Easter more meaningfully, try to include all members of the family. Tradition may be important, but it’s the people we share our lives with that truly make celebrating the holiday meaningful.

Original post can be found here: How to Celebrate Easter More Meaningfully

Holidays can be expensive for families. It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter – they can cost a lot of money. Try using some of these tips for frugal and memorable Easter family fun rather than simply spending money on commercial items.

One thing your family might enjoy is taking a walk outdoors at a park or in your back yard. While you’re enjoying the outdoors, pick up sticks, rocks, or other objects which you can create three-dimensional nature art with. Children will enjoy using sticks to make a mouth or rocks for the eyes. The found objects can also be used in a nature display. Please note it’s important not to take bird nests out of the trees or take wild animals from their habitat.

Dye and decorate Easter eggs together. There are some parts of the process which will require adult supervision but the decorations themselves can be done by the children. See which child can come up with the most unusually decorated eggs.

Spend time together as a family to come up with the menu for a great Easter family meal. Ask everyone who is able to cook to prepare one dish. One person could prepare the meat course, someone else a vegetable dish, someone a salad, and someone else a dessert. Don’t forget to have someone prepare a special beverage for the meal.

Easter is considered a Christian holiday. You may want to attend a local religious observance or spend time as a family learning more about the holiday.

Share what you have with a family in need. This may mean opening your home to invite them to Easter dinner or making Easter baskets to take to the family’s children. If you help a family in need to make their day special, your entire family is more likely to remember the day.

Encourage the children of the family to help make decorations. Use the decorations for your home and if you have extras you can give some to grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other family. You may also want to share some with the family in need so they have something to decorate their home.

Has the family lost a loved one recently? Take a little bit of time out of your Easter Sunday to visit their graves. Specifically talk about your loved ones and remember the good times you had. Your family may decide to make this an annual part of their holiday.

Host a neighborhood Easter egg hunt rather than simply having one for your own family. Ask other families in the neighborhood to help by either purchasing the plastic eggs, providing candy, or providing refreshments for the event. The hunt may become a favorite part of the neighborhood’s celebration of Easter.

These tips for frugal and memorable Easter family fun are by no means the only things you can do. The easiest thing to do would be to ask your family what would make the holiday more memorable for them. Then take the time to make those activities happen.

Original post can be found here: Tips for Frugal and Memorable Easter Family Fun

Look around department stores and you’re bound to see expensive, pre-made Easter baskets filled with toys and candy. Some children beg their parents for the most expensive baskets and gifts. If you’re looking for frugal Easter gifts, however, try some of these ideas.

Who says an Easter basket has to be in an actual basket? Find a toy pail or box with a lid which will be usable after the holiday has passed. Using odd containers also makes filling them much more fun.

Chocolate bunnies are almost expected during Easter. You may choose to buy one bunny for each child in your family but there’s no reason you have to purchase a lot of candy to fill a basket. You can also make your own Easter food baskets for children to enjoy, including some of the following:

* Rice cereal treats made with marshmallows. Use colored marshmallows to change the taste. You may also want to dip them partially in chocolate as an added surprise

* Easter cookies in the shape of eggs, chicks, bunnies, or crosses. Decorate the cookies with icing, sprinkles, and candies

* Hard boiled eggs which have been dyed

Rather than putting toys into the basket, why not give the children something educational? When you find inexpensive books your children will enjoy throughout the year, store them in a closet. Then you’ll have them available for other gifts when needed as well.

Many small children enjoy coloring, so coloring books and crayons might be a good choice to place in their Easter basket. These can usually be purchased from discount or dollar stores for around a dollar.

Bubbles are also a good choice for children’s baskets. You can purchase bubbles for little money but you can also make your own with 1 cup dish soap (Dawn or Joy are most often used), 12 cups water, and 3/4 tablespoon glycerin which is available at most pharmacies.

Candles made from eggshells are popular with older children and teens. Poke a pin hole in the small end of an egg and then a larger hole in the larger end. Blow the egg out of the shell, clean it, and then let it dry. Put tape over the pin hole, pour melted wax into the larger hole, and then place a wick into the wax. When the candle has solidified, peel away the egg shell.

Write or find a beautiful poem to let your child know how much you love them. Print it onto springtime scrapbooking paper or use calligraphy to write it out on parchment paper. Place it into a handcrafted frame.

There are many ways you can find or make frugal Easter gifts for your children. It’s not necessary to buy the pre-made baskets which are so expensive if you use a little bit of creativity. You might be surprised to find your children actually prefer home-made baskets instead.

Original post can be found here: Frugal Easter Gifts

Coloring Easter eggs is one of the activities children enjoy most about the Easter holiday; that and eating the candy in their baskets. Some parents have problems coming up with Easter egg coloring and decoration ideas. You can try some of these ideas to get you started.

How to dye eggs

It’s not unusual for families to purchase the egg dye kits from the store. Did you know you can dye whole eggs or blow them out and dye them? Whole eggs are good for those that enjoy eating them, but if you want to make a decoration out of them and keep them, you’ll want to blow them out.

If you decide to blow out the eggs, you’ll want to put a pin in the small end of the egg and a little larger hole (about one-quarter inch) in the opposite end. Carefully blow the contents of the egg into a bowl. Rinse the empty shell with hot water to remove any residual egg.

Next, very carefully immerse the shell into very hot water for a minimum of ten seconds. This will strengthen the inner lining of the egg and sterilize the egg. You can place the blown-out egg into pre-made dye or paint them. Set them into an empty egg container to dry. Be careful, however, as they are delicate and may break easily.

For whole eggs, boil them to the hard boiled stage, about 15 minutes. Prepare the dye according to the package directions. If you’d like the white to show on part of the egg, draw on the egg with crayon such as writing a name on it. Then place the eggs into the dye and leave them to get the desired color. Dip them out and place them in an empty egg carton to dry.

How to decorate eggs

There are so many ways you can decorate eggs. Part of the decorating begins when you dye the eggs, particularly if you use the tie dye method of wrapping rubber bands around the egg before dying it. However, you can also add stickers, use colored markers, or glue on ribbon or other embellishments.

If you’re decorating blown-out eggs, for safety’s sake it is better if an adult uses a glue gun to glue on ribbon, beads, or sequins. Paint craft glue onto a blown-out egg and then place small pieces of torn tissue paper onto the egg. When it has dried properly, paint another layer over the top to protect the egg.

Whole eggs which are meant to be eaten can be decorated in a number of ways, too. You can dye them and then place stickers on them. You can also use markers which are made with edible food coloring. Remember, if you’re going to eat the eggs, you want to use things that are safe.

You may want to try some of these Easter egg coloring and decoration ideas this year when you dye eggs. Be sure to let your children help and you may be surprised by what they make. Don’t forget to take pictures to remember the day by, and so you can remember their wonderful creations.

Original post can be found here: Easter Egg Coloring and Decoration Ideas

Easter is traditionally a holiday which brings families together. Some even consider it to be on par with Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can use these Easter table decorations ideas to help make your dinner table beautiful.

Center pieces

Center pieces can be as simple or as elaborate as you want them to be. A simple center piece might be a decorated Easter basket, a single flowering potted plant, or a bowl with pastel colored candies. Add some plastic eggs, colored ribbon, or Easter grass and you’ve created a simple center piece.

For a more elaborate center piece, place upturned bowls, bricks or other items to the center of the table to give it different heights. Place a table cloth over these items and then place several flowering potted plants on top of them. Spread colored glass and Easter grass around the plants to add even more interest. If you have small ceramic or toy bunnies, you may want to add those, as well.

Home-made place cards

Ask your children to make place cards which have each guest’s name on them. They can also use plastic eggs with names painted on them. For fun, help the children make cookies of typical Easter shapes. Decorate the cookie with the guest’s name. Not only will they know where to sit, they can enjoy the cookie later.

Flower arrangements

Easter lilies, hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips are common flowers in early spring. Many Easter lilies have a strong smell so you may not want to place them in the dining room as they may be overpowering. Vases of flowers spread throughout the home may be nice and will bring the beauty of springtime indoors.

One flower arrangement you may want to try is to place several daffodils and crocuses in a large pot. Stick a small tree limb with several branches into the center of the daffodils and then hang tiny Easter eggs on strings on them.

Table settings

If you’re not accustomed to using your good dishes very often, Easter is a perfect time to bring them out. In fact, why not go all out when it comes to your table setting? Use the good china and silver wear; your family will enjoy seeing them being used.

You may want to invest in some chargers to place under your plates. This will dress up your table settings. They can be used any time you want to dress up your table, whether you bring out your good dishes or not.

If you’ve never decorated much at Easter, you might want to use these Easter table decorations ideas or come up with some of your own. With the variety of flowers and traditional symbols available there are so many options you can come up with. Have fun decorating and celebrating the holiday!

Original post can be found here: Easter Table Decorations Ideas

Many families either get up early to make it to sunrise services for Easter or choose to sleep in this morning. If your family is one of them, you may decide to have a brunch rather than fixing breakfast or lunch. Here are some Easter Sunday brunch ideas to continue with celebrating the day in a special way.

Go all out when planning your Easter Sunday brunch. Rather than using only the everyday dishes, create an elaborate tablescape with multiple levels, decorations, and place cards for each person. Light tea light candles even though it’s daylight to add to the ambiance. Vases with fresh flowers (daffodils, crocus, and tulips) would also be nice.

For an Easter Sunday brunch, you might want to offer some of the following to eat:

* Fresh fruit platter with either melted chocolate or cream cheese dip
* Fresh squeezed orange juice, apple juice, or juice cocktails made with sparkling cider or grape juice
* Strawberry and Banana Stuffed French Toast (see below)
* Spinach quiche
* Sausage balls (If someone in your family doesn’t eat pork, you can always use turkey sausage)
* Baked omelet roll or other omelets
* Home-made muffins, biscuits, rolls, or banana nut bread

Strawberry and Banana Stuffed French Toast

1 loaf French bread (cut into 1 1/2 inch slices)
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
4 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped strawberries
1/4 cup chopped banana
6 lightly beaten eggs
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 10-ounce package of frozen strawberries in heavy syrup, thawed

Combine the jam, cream cheese, and fruit in a small bowl to make the filling. Then, after you’ve cut your bread into 1 1/2 inch slices, make a pocket in each one by cutting a slit into the bread from almost the top to the bottom on one side. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling into the pocket and then close the pocket by pressing the sides together.

Beat together the eggs and the milk. Use this to soak the bread, being sure to coat both sides.

In a large skillet, heat three tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Place one to two pieces of coated bread into the pan and cook until it is golden brown. Flip the bread and cook the other side. You may want to heat your oven to 150 degrees for the cooked French toast if you have quite a bit to make. This will help keep it warm until all of it is cooked.

Perhaps you’ve never made stuffed French toast and don’t know if it’s something you want to tackle. The recipe really is simple; in fact, it’s so simple you may want to have this delicious French toast for breakfast on normal weekend mornings. This recipe makes about eight servings, so if you’re planning on more for your brunch, you can easily increase the recipe to have enough for everyone.

When you plan your Easter Sunday brunch, use these ideas as a springboard. You’re likely to come up with many more menu ideas or ways to decorate to make this year’s Easter brunch a huge success!

Original post can be found here: Easter Sunday Brunch Ideas

Children love Easter egg hunts and look forward to them each year. When putting together your family’s Easter activities, you might want to try something different. These creative Easter egg hunt ideas may provide you with that inspiration you’re looking for.

It’s not uncommon for parents to hide plastic and boiled Easter eggs. The problem with using boiled eggs is the stray egg which isn’t found but makes its presence known with a funky smell a couple of days to a week after Easter. For this reason, many parents choose to hide only plastic filled eggs.

* Scavenger Easter egg hunts are one option you might like to try. Instead of simply hiding the eggs and having the children look through the yard to find them, hide them in specific places throughout the house. Include a clue to start them on their egg-hunting journey. If you have more than one child, you may want to designate a specific color egg for each child. For their final clue, have them find their filled Easter basket or another special gift.

* Give coupons rather than candy. This is particularly good for teenagers as you can give them a coupon for a movie rental, special privileges, a date with Mom or Dad, or a new CD from their favorite singer. Hide the coupons in the eggs and they may actually choose to go searching. For families with children of varying ages, you may want to hide the teenager’s eggs in a specific area or in the house.

* Put money in a couple of the eggs. You can use loose change, but put a few dollars into the mix for even more fun. When a child finds the eggs with money in them, they get to keep that money.

* Prize eggs are good for those planning an Easter egg hunt for children other than family. This might be a neighborhood activity or one for a civic or religious organization. Along with candy, you may want to place coupons to redeem for prizes. Be sure to purchase one prize for each prize coupon or you might have upset children on your hands!

* Hide mainly plastic eggs filled with candy and little toys, stickers, or temporary tattoos. Then hide two or three other real eggs which have a number painted on them. When someone finds the real egg, they can exchange it for a prize which corresponds to that number.

* Wait until dark to have your egg hunt! This is particularly fun for older children who can wait a while. Hand everyone who is searching a flashlight so they can go hunting. You may also be able to find glow-in-the-dark eggs or paint the plastic eggs with glow-in-the-dark paint.

* Have a reverse egg hunt. Instead of the children doing the hunting, have each child hide up to four of their eggs in the house. After they’re hidden, the adults in the family get to see how many of the eggs they can find. You may discover how smart your children are when you can’t find them all.

It’s sometimes hard coming up with creative Easter egg hunt ideas, but these ideas may give you the spark of creativity you need. Use one of these ideas if you’re having problems thinking of something different, and then start thinking about how you can make next year’s egg hunt even better.

Original post can be found here: Creative Easter Egg Hunt Ideas

Easter is a great holiday celebrated by all the Christians in the world. Ash Wednesday and the Lent period are terms significant during the time of Easter. Ash Wednesday basically calls for the ending of all frivolity in many countries around the world while all the austerity ends on Easter Sunday. On this day you will see many people enjoying in parades, eating sweets and other feasts. It is a time enjoyed by both young and old. Easter traditions, although the basics remain the same, change from country to country. Let’s take a closer look at how some of the countries celebrate these Easter traditions.

Easter traditions in Latin American countries such as Brazil, the carnivals and parties are known to be quite famous with preparation for it going on for months and months. These parties end on Ash Wednesday. Consumption of meat is also halted during the lent season.

Easter traditions in Germany are a bit different than the Brazilians. They have passion plays, theatrical plays that portray the last days of Jesus Christ. All Easter traditions cease on Easter Sunday. Most parts of the world have parades during this holy week.

When talking about the Easter traditions of the Ethiopians, they do not consume any animal products during lent. It is not only meat, but they also refrain from consuming dairy products such as milk, butter, cheese, etc. All countries including Germany and Ethiopia, the Easter traditions on Easter Sunday means that there are religious services carried out as well as family feasts. European children love to have sweets during this time. The Easter bunny is one such specialty.

Many countries have their own set of Easter traditions. Although the Easter bunny is a universal symbol, different countries have different ways when it comes to the appearance of the bunny and the way the sweets are delivered. For example, the American children expect the Easter bunny to work the same way as Santa Claus; to creep inside the home and leave their sweets. Easter traditions when it comes to the Easter bunny differs with the German and French children where they make the bunny a nest made out of twigs and leaves taken from their garden.

The Easter traditions in Europe are mostly linked to the pre-Christian traditions. Some of the Germans celebrate their Easter traditions by having an Easter fire. This is done by burning Christmas trees. It is quite similar to a bonfire.

Original post can be found here: Easter Traditions Around The World

Christians celebrate Easter holidays each year all over the world. This celebration dates back to the beginning of Christianity and represents the new life and rebirth of Jesus Christ. This resurrection took place exactly three days after he was crucified and is still largely celebrated every year. When talking about Easter symbols, there are several that are associated with Easter. What exactly are these Easter symbols? Let’s take a closer look.

The most commonly used Easter symbols are the eggs and rabbits. Individuals from various other religions also recognize these Easter symbols and therefore quite famous with everyone around. Eggs symbolizes rebirth. To further explain this as part of Easter symbols, eggs are known to symbolize the tomb from which Jesus Christ emerged. The hatching of the chick symbolizes a newborn life.

You may wonder why rabbits are a part of Easter symbols. The hare actually represents fertility and again symbolizes rebirth and a new life.

The cross is another one of the Easter symbols. In the past it was seen as a symbol of Jesus who died by being crucified, and also a reminder of the cruelty of the Roman Empire. Today, Christians worldwide see it as a symbol of courage and salvation.

The lilies represent and symbolize the purity of Jesus Christ and are one of the Easter symbols that people will never forget. It is said that when Jesus Christ went to a certain place, all the flowers and animals bowed in respect, except for the lilies that were too proud. But when they saw Jesus Christ on the cross, their heads immediately bent and from that day on their heads remain bent as a mark of respect.

The butterfly is also a part of the Easter symbols simply because it has a unique life cycle. The beginning of the life cycle, which is the caterpillar, represents the time Jesus Christ spent in this world. The second stage, which has the cocoon, represents the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his burial. The resurrection of Jesus is symbolized by the emergence of a beautiful butterfly from its cocoon.

One of the Easter symbols that we don’t see today is the Easter water. In the past, our ancestors received this water from the church on Easter Sunday. This water was then used to bless the homes and also some drank it to cure diseases. With time, this has changed and today many of us don’t know about the truth behind this.

Original post can be found here: Easter Symbols

When springtime comes, most people think about Easter and what it means to them. There is another day celebrated during the spring, often before or after, sometimes even falling on the same day as Easter. This is the Jewish holy day Passover, celebrated on the 15th of Nissan. If you’re not aware of this holy day, here is an explanation: the story of Passover.

The Bible records the story of Passover in the book of Exodus. The Israelites had moved to Egypt to be with Joseph when there was a great famine in Egypt and the surrounding countries. After Joseph died and the famine was over, the Bible says the Israelites were enslaved by Pharaoh Ramses II who had not known Joseph.

A man named Moses, an Israelite who had been raised in Pharaoh’s household, was called by God to lead his people out of slavery and into the Promised Land. Several times he went to Pharaoh and told him God said, “Let my people go.” However, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he refused to let the Israelites leave.

Each time Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites, God sent a plague against the people of Egypt. Those plagues were:

1. Changing the water to blood
2. Frogs covered the land
3. Lice covered the people of the land
4. Flies or wild animals covered the land and destroyed everything in their path
5. Disease, or blight, on the cattle of the land
6. Boils on the skin of people
7. Hail which destroyed the crops and killed anyone who was outside
8. Locusts which came and ate what the hail didn’t destroy
9. Darkness which could almost be felt
10. Slaying of the first-born male of both man and beast

In Hebrew the holy day’s name is Pesach, which means passing over. To avoid this final plague, the Israelites sacrificed a lamb, placed the blood on the lintels and door posts of their home, and then roasted the lamb. As the Death Angel traveled throughout Egypt, He would enter the homes where the blood was not and slay the first-born. For those homes where the blood was found, He passed over that house to go to the next.

Because Pharaoh lost his own son, he finally relented and let the Israelites leave Egypt. They left so quickly they didn’t have time to bake bread, so to this day they have unleavened bread called matzoh during Passover and the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread. Passover is also considered to be the birth of the Jewish people as a nation.

Each year Jewish and some non-Jewish people celebrate Passover. They recount the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the birth of the Jewish nation. They celebrate by having a Passover Seder and remember what God had done for them as a people.

Now that you know the story of Passover, you may be interested in attending a Seder. You may be able to find them listed in the newspaper as being offered by some Christian churches, but more than likely you can find them advertised by a Jewish synagogue. Call them up and ask if you can attend so you can learn more about the Passover story.

Original post can be found here: The Story of Passover – An Explanation