Easter is quickly coming up, a week away. So the thought on most parents’ minds are Easter Baskets and what to put in them. I have heard many a parent most recently say, how Easter has become like Christmas another commercial holiday. It is like Halloween where the kids mow down on unhealthy treats, but this time instead of late at night it is early in the morning! Now that we are coming around to being health conscious and environment conscious the question is what to put it in the Easter Basket or should we even bother do this silly tradition. Most Christians do not even know where this tradition started. Some even feel we should do away with it. So sad that people are being overwhelmed by something that not only can be a wonderful family tradition but a meaningful lesson that the children could carry with them as they grow old.
A bit of History behind the Easter Basket is helpful when trying to figure out what to do. Like most traditions the do go back a long time ago even before the Christian religion came about. In the Middle East Hebrew, Arabs, Babylonias, and Assyrians use to bring their first seedling for the new crops to the temple to be blessed, and how were they brought by basket, of course. Later on the early Christians would and still do have the season of lent where they would give something up, at the end of this they would bring big baskets full of delicious food to the temple where they would be blessed and have a huge feast to celebrate. The Easter basket is a symbol of new life.
On a side note did you know that the Easter bunny was in fact called the Easter Hare and was brought over by the German colonist? True enough, our country is truly a melting pot with a ton of lovely wonderful traditions from all over.
With this in mind let’s teach our children by way of an Easter Basket, and using other symbols about Easter. Suggested items are as followed:
- A plant or packet of seeds, which could mean to grow and is a representation new life.
- One plastic Easter egg that has the word Love in it- the story of the tomb.
- The Story of Easter or even a copy of the bible, we learn through stories so why not give one as a gift.
- A cross (this could be a necklace, a picture, made from a palm, a sticker), he died yes but this symbol is not on of death any long it is a symbol of Hope, Life after Death, just as the tomb.
- A Surprise Muffin, although plain and quite ordinary on the outside like us this muffin has something special on the inside.
- Hidden under if you so wish a bit of candy or other plastic eggs filled with jelly beans, animal crackers, sunflower seeds, or anything you like. You can always add to this a kite, a net, garden tools, chalk, anything that would be a symbol of spring and new life.
The last important piece, do this as a family. This will give many beautiful memories to share.
