5 Ways To Celebrate The Meaning of Easter

For this post, I'm teaming up with a couple of lovely ladies... Jen from Forever For Always No Matter What and Laurie from Keeping It Simple and Catholic Baby Steps.  We are all sharing ways that we celebrate Easter in our homes. The links to their Easter posts are listed at the bottom.

For our family, we decided many years ago, when our oldest children were small, that we would try to make Easter a solidly faith-filled celebration.  Taking out the secular emptiness, we have done our best to fill it up with the sacred.  Drawing closer to Christ through His Passion during Lent, we rejoice in new life, on Easter. With the glory of Christ's Resurrection, the hope of eternal life is the true reason to celebrate!

Here are 5 ways to embrace the real reason for Easter...

1.  Don't put up "Easter" decorations until after Easter Sunday...
We decorate with the violet penitential colors of Lent until Easter. Then the colors of white come out!  The color white represents light, joy, and triumph. 

There are 50 days from Easter to Pentecost so plenty of time to enjoy!  For more ideas, see Liturgical Decorating~Easter White.

The beauty of being Catholic is that the children will see the same thing going on at church.  Bringing this into the home carries our beautiful faith into the world, filling the family with the life of the church, aka Domestic Church:)  

2. Stick with a holy Easter theme for Easter baskets.  These are a few photos from our years past....

This year, I'm so excited to add a very special addition...Pope Francis Holy Cards:)!!!

I like to use the symbols of Easter as much of possible, when planning for Easter baskets.  Charlotte from Waltzing Mathilda graciously compiled them (for free printing)in this beautiful Easter Symbols Booklet.  Each year, we spend time talking about the different symbols and their meanings.  This year, I'm thinking of putting together a family Easter symbol basket.  I love this idea from Jessica at Shower of Roses.  There is also a pretty (and free) Easter symbol printable over at Sanctus Simplicitus.

I have found that faith-based t-shirts are a fun Easter basket stuffer for all genders and ages...I'm doing it again this year!  I guess I'm kind of a Catholic nerd because I just love having the matching family tees:)  Got Mary was my pick last year! I have another idea brewing this year from Totally Catholic. This is my Pinterest board with other Easter basket ideas and links.  

3.  Continue the use of Easter symbols to plan your Easter food menu.  ie) Eggs for "new life" and the lamb for Christ's paschal sacrifice.  One of our family traditions is an Empty Tomb Cake...Alleluia, He is Risen! (I shared the recipe over at Catholic Cuisine:)

There are so many great ways to tie in the meaning of Easter to your meals.  Our family always seems to be traveling to the home of a grandparent or close relative.  In the past, we have made simple things that are easily transportable, like the Empty Tomb Cake or Alleluia Eggs:)

These colorful toppers are created and generously gifted to all of us by Jennifer over at Catholic Inspired.

I am always inspired by so many other amazing ideas over at Catholic Cuisine!

4.  Keep the meaning of Easter by planning a meaningful project or 2, during the 50 days of Easter.  Include some Easter reading in your plans.  

• One year, we did an 8 week Easter theme study.
• There are so many great Easter books to read during the Easter season.  One of my (personal) favorites is the Legend of the Dogwood.  I just love this book for the rich illustrations (above) and the story of the Resurrection.  Jessica also has a fabulous list at Shower of Roses.  
• This Easter Resurrection Terrarium is a project idea we shared this year.
• Other years we keep things to simple Easter Rejoicing...We can't forget to do that!

5.  Choose a special feast day that you haven't celebrated and make it a new tradition! There are many meaningful feasts to celebrate during the liturgical season of Easter.   I've linked ideas (to each of these) that have become our family traditions. 
 Divine Mercy Sunday, 
Good Shepherd Sunday, 
The Ascension of The Lord 
Pentecost. 

My hope and prayer is that this helps with some meaningful "Easter planning" out there!  Until then, Holy Week is up next.  Looking for ideas?  This post shares some fond Holy Week blessings.

Be sure to visit Jen and Laurie to check out their Easter posts!
(Jen) Forever For Always No Matter What
(Laurie)  Catholic Baby Steps