Christian Easter Traditions: 7 Ideas For Families

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Easter is always a special time for Christian families because of what the holiday means for us and our future resurrection. Jesus Christ won victory over the grave with His resurrection and He provided for our resurrection. There are many different Easter traditions your family can enjoy in the days leading up to Easter.

Some of the following traditions have their roots in the Jewish festival of Passover. They are still great traditions for those of us who celebrate a risen Savior since He was the one all Passover celebrations pointed to.

New Clothes

One of the fond memories of Easter that you may remember from your childhood is getting new clothes. This signifies new life in the resurrection of Jesus.

It is always fun to get new clothes and show them off, but help your children to remember that the reason for the new clothes is not to brag to the other kids, but to remember that Christ has given us new life.

Read the Crucifixion and Resurrection Stories

In the days preceding Easter Sunday you can read the crucifixion and resurrection accounts in the various Gospels. These are found in Matthew 26-28, Mark 15, 16, Luke 22-24 and John 18-20. This will help build anticipation and understanding of the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Check here for Easter Bible Verses)

Easter Hymns

There are many great hymns you can learn together which speak of the power of Christ over death. One of my favorite Easter hymns is One Day! The culmination of that song is with the soon return of our Lord as King, however it focuses on the life, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Other great hymns to learn with your family are He Lives, Christ Arose and Christ the Lord is Risen Today.

Housecleaning on Wednesday

A Jewish tradition that many mothers may like is to spend the Wednesday before Easter giving the house a good spring cleaning. Because of the need to rid a house of any leaven during the Passover celebration, Jews will clean their houses from top to bottom. This is often a family event and represents eliminating all sin from the house and life in anticipation of the Passover sacrifice.

Palm Sunday

The Sunday before Easter is called Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday. It is called this because of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem the week before He was crucified and rose again. This account is found in Matthew 21:1-11. Some churches celebrate Palm Sunday by distributing palm fronds during the church service. While some people seem to worship these branches (making crosses out of them and burning them if they touch the ground), these should be used as a reminder throughout the week of the blessedness of the resurrection of our Lord.

Planting Seeds

In celebration of the death, burial and resurrection some families may enjoy planting seeds either for a garden, or just for some pretty flowers. Jesus talked about a seed needing to be planted and die so that it can rise again with multiplied life (John 12:24). This is a good object lesson you can use to teach your children about Easter.

Sunrise Service

Getting your children up early on Easter Sunday and attending a sunrise service can create great memories. Many Christian churches will have an early morning service outside so that you can reflect on the events of that glorious day. Mary Magdalene and “the other” Mary came to the tomb of Jesus before it was daylight. They found the tomb empty and went to tell the disciples. The risen Jesus revealed Himself to them at various times.

An early morning sunrise service will help your family remember the beauty of that special day. You will have an opportunity to sing Easter hymns and fellowship with other believers.

What are Your Traditions?

Do you have a favorite Easter song or tradition in your family? Please leave a comment and share it with all the readers.

Resources:

www.youtube.com- “Sunday’s Coming” S.M. Lockridge Video by CityWestChurch

Tagged as: Christian Easter Traditions, Easter Family Traditions, Traditions for Families on Easter