If you know me, you know that I like traditions. Traditions are just another way for my OCD mind to have predictable routine.
I've been trying to decide on things I want to become our family traditions, especially now that Nolan is here. He's still quite young to understand any of this, but as I'm always saying someday he will.
Just like with Christmas, I've decided to take this pagan holiday and really shape it into what it was designed to be: a spiritual celebration of Christ's sacrifice.
On Good Friday, I got some hot crossed buns. Someday, Nolan will be old enough to help make them. When that day comes, I'll take the time to let him help squirt icing crosses on them and explain it was on a cross our Savior suffered and died for our sins.
Though I loved the idea of a Good Friday dinner consisting of lamb, the hubs and I do not eat mammals. If you do eat red meat, it'd be a nice chance to read scriptures of Jesus being the Lamb of God, and relating your meal to Christ being the lamb sacrificed for us.
This year, I did not find a cross that I was looking for. In the future, I want to display a cross on our table and pin red rose petals to it on Good Friday, to symbolize Jesus' blood. On Easter morning, we'll remove the petals to signify His resurrection.
We did light three candles (one for each of us) and placed them on our table while we ate.
After we'd eaten, we blew them out to represent the Light of the World's death.
Eggs have been a symbol of new life for generations. Much of the 'Easter Egg' meaning has been covered up by a Bunny instead of a Savior, but in our home I want them to be a representation of Christ giving new life to His people through His death.
The first thing we did was dye them, of course. It's a fun activity for kids (and myself). I made sure to dye some of the eggs red. I talked with Nolan about dipping this perfectly white egg into a bloody, red liquid and how causing it to stain that way should help us focus our hearts on our Savior. We're stained by sin. Jesus shed blood for our sins. Yet, he died so that we could be free of those sins through repentance. When we seek forgiveness, we continually regain our lives in Christ.
The hunt. We did partake in a somewhat traditional Easter Egg hunt. Though, it was a little different. We laid out some plastic eggs for Nolan to 'hunt.' It was largely me and C doing it, but fun nonetheless.
Each of our plastic eggs contained a bible scripture, and an object to represent it. Below is what we used:
- Matthew 26:29 - He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."
Inside of this egg: a small paper cup.
- Matthew 26:14-15 - Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, "How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?" and they gave him thirty pieces of silver.
Inside of this egg: three dimes.
- Matthew 27:1-2 - Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. Then they bound him, lead him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
Inside of this egg: a small piece of rope/twine.
- Matthew 27:28-29 - They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, "Hail! King of the Jews!"
Inside of this egg: a small piece of red cloth and a thorn.
- Matthew 27:31 - When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
Inside of this egg: three small nails.
- Matthew 27:35 - After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his his clothes by throwing dice.
Inside of this egg: a pair of dice.
- Matthew 27:59-60 - Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left.
Inside of this egg: small white strip of cloth and a rock.
- Matthew 28:5-6 - Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.
This egg was empty! (except for the scripture piece)
- Psalms 119:103 - How sweet are the Lord's words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Inside of this egg: candy!
- Psalms 119:103 - How sweet are the Lord's words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Inside of this egg: candy! - Psalms 119:103 - How sweet are the Lord's words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Inside of this egg: candy! - Psalms 119:103 - How sweet are the Lord's words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Inside of this egg: candy!
He actually picked them up and put them in the basket!!
Of course, most of the time he had to pick the basket all the way up first
We would clap when he put them in the basket, so he started clapping for himself when he did it too
After he'd found all the eggs, we opened them up and looked/talked about what was in them
He loved putting them back together
His first ever bites of candy happened this weekend ;)
New clothes! I guess it's somewhat common for people to go purchase new clothes to wear on Easter Sunday. We are no exception. I want this to be a simple reminder to N that Christ clothes us in His righteousness and gives us a new image.
Colossians 3:10 - Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Lastly, on Sunday we made resurrection buns. It was simply a crescent roll that wrapped around a marshmallow that had been dipped in butter and cinnamon/sugar. As the rolls bake, the marshmallows 'disappear' into the bread. Creating a nice 'empty tomb' symbolism and a yummy sweet bread!
I think these things that we've chosen will take on so much more maturity and meaning and fun as N grows to an age of being able to better understand their representations.
Hope you all had a blessed holiday weekend recognizing the sacrifice of our Savior!
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