“Maybe we could not allow anyone in the family to shower, wash dishes, or clean ANYTHING from Good Friday to Easter Sunday to illustrate that without Christ’s forgiveness we are tainted by sin!”
My kind and gracious husband simply replied, “No.” That was his response to my many other *more extreme* suggestions like keeping and slaughtering a lamb for our family’s Easter tradition.
Just being frank, Easter is a difficult holiday for me. Traditions, crafts, activities and fun exist for the whole Christmas season and many are even Christ-centered. In a way, it is almost easy to celebrate the joyous coming of Christ! But Easter is different. Although just as great a cause for joy and rich with theological and practical significance to the Christian, Easter is challenging to celebrate. Its somber: Death, suffering, sin. What are we suppose to do with these things? It seems that the Protestant Evangelical tradition is lacking in resources and traditions that promote reflection, understanding and appropriate celebration of this event. Granted, we celebrate the truths of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection daily as believers, but doesn’t such a significant event warrant a special time of celebration like Christmas? Something more than just a “Good” Friday that most of us still work on followed by a Sunday feast with new dress clothes?
I’ve been struggling with what to do about Easter for some time. My first attempt and tradition is a personal one that my husband is not able to take advantage of with me because he has to work. It is keeping a “Sabbath” of rest on Good Friday. You can read about my first attempt here.
This lack of Christ-centered Easter traditions and my years of struggling to decide how to celebrate this as a family is why I am so eager to use our new Easter Banner in our home and to share it with you all here through Heart FELT Truths. I am excited to use this tool to draw our focus to the cross during Holy Week and teach my children about the work of Christ! I will have more information and photos up in about two weeks!
I hope you’ll respond to this post with your own thoughts and maybe some Christ-Centered Easter Traditions of your own.
