Why We Celebrate

The Resurrection (Easter) season is a great holiday to cultivate a natural rhythm of reflecting on Christ’s work and the importance of this time. We want to build sacred rhythms into our family life so they will be the natural habits our children will re-create with their families. Our rituals can build into the holiday times of reflection.

For those that come from a more liturgical background, they have these rituals and reflections. But others of us don’t. It takes more intentionality.

Our family celebrations can and will become part of our DNA, part of us. What is the most meaningful and Christ-centered way we can teach, celebrate and just be in these special seasons? If we are intentional to choose meaningful ways, our children may approach these seasons as times of spiritual growth. If we choose what may be frivolous, they may carry it on but it won’t have much meaning. They may not even know why they do it or why you did. We can choose traditions that foster bearing fruit in their lives. That is worth sharing.  

Our goal this season is teaching them how to seek Jesus. Really, in anything that we do all year, that is the ultimate goal for us. We just love these holidays as a concentrated time to help us to focus in on this goal with teaching and special time together. So, on Palm Sunday we join with many around the world, reading about Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.

How We Celebrate

Like Christmas Advent, we wanted to create a tradition of countdown and remembrance. Unique from Christmas, (which is a celebration each night with a little surprise or candy), this week is more somber until the end. We are still trying to figure out a new and unique rhythm but we will begin the week on Palm Sunday reviewing the Christmas Advent ornaments and the events they represent. I am always surprised at how much they remember! Christmas is significant in that the Jews had waited thousands of years for a Messiah to come. Those that greeted Him celebrated and we celebrate. We will detail during this week why the Resurrection is significant. Christmas Advent is typically done in the evenings at our house, but Resurrection Advent we will read together in the mornings so that our reflection on Jesus’ life can continue throughout our day more easily.

 

For this season I created a Resurrection Advent map out of one of my favorite materials- felt, with a Reading guide and activities. This is something you are welcome to cut out or adapt yourself or I have some kits ready-made in my Etsy shop. Basically, you begin with a long road up to the hill of Calvary, adding a piece to go with a story picked out for each day of the week. I have written a reading guide either from the Bible or my Bible in Stories with instructions and a discussion or activity to do with your children. This is very low-key and perfect for pre-school or school-age children!

Stories included:

• The Triumphal Entry
• The Temple Cleansing
• Jesus’ final lessons to the Disciples
• The Last Supper
• Jesus’ Arrest and Trial
• The Crucifixion
• Jesus’ Burial
• The Resurrection
• Jesus Appears to Disciples for 40 days
• The Ascension

 

This set covers 10 days of teaching including the time Jesus spent with the Disciples after the Resurrection and His Ascending into heaven before them, because I thought it important not to end at the Resurrection. Adding these 2 stories will help to lead into conversations about Jesus’ work and role after the Resurrection and to our future. I’m excited to see how these elements fit in with our seeking Jesus together as a family this week!

On Day 1 of 10 we talk about what it means to truly believe in Jesus or praise Him, read the story from our Bible in Stories and decorated our felt wall hanging “map”, sang and prayed together. At Christmas we wanted to make sure that we taught Christmas hymns and for Resurrection we wanted to teach related songs known by most, so for Day 1 we sing “Amazing Grace.” It is amazing that we sing so many great songs with our Church body but often classics are not repeated enough to be learned.

How does your family celebrate intentionally for Easter or Resurrection Sunday? Have you considered extending this time of teaching? 

Children are capable of understanding so much! What do you do to teach during this special season?

Resources Mentioned

Advent to Resurrection Felt set with Reading & Activity guide found in our Etsy shop

400 Story Illustrated set of Bible in Stories by Jennifer Miller Love