Celebrate Easter Week!

A few years ago I discovered a way to celebrate Easter that I love.  I shared it on my blog and you can read about it here.  The thing that I have liked about this Easter idea of celebrating Easter Week is that it is flexible and it can change to whatever you think will work well for your family.

The first couple of years that we did it we would read a scripture about what was happening on the real Easter week, then we would add something to a table display.  This no longer worked when we didn't have room for that table anymore.  Then we changed it to an Easter picture.  We read the same scriptures, but we did a huge picture on butcher paper.  This year we are changing it again.  I wanted to find things that we could do each day that would hopefully add meaning for the children, or at least help them remember it better.

As I was thinking about it I did a little looking on lds.org and discovered that other people had written about their own Easter week ideas.  So here are some ideas that you can use if you want, or you can come up with your own ideas.  I love celebrating Easter all week.  It helps me think about Jesus more and what He did for me, and when the week is through I feel that I really have celebrated.

The Sunday before Easter is the triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  One family would get a donkey pinata and break it open to celebrate.  We are going to go around the table at dinner time (much like we would at Thanksgiving) and say what we are thankful for.  What would we be praising the Lord for if we were welcoming Him into our town or our home?

Monday some people talk about the cleansing of the temple.  We are blessed to live close enough to a temple that we are going to go there and talk about some of the things that Jesus taught.

Tuesday Jesus also taught at the temple, and Luke said that at night he "abode" in the Mount of Olives.  We are going to cook outside on a fire.  Jesus may have eaten in town, or He may have been fasting, but I imagine He had a fire for warmth.  We can talk about what it would be like to teach all day knowing that many would not listen, and then to go not to a house, but out onto the Mount of Olives to sleep.

Wednesday we have always talked about Judas and how he was willing to give up his association with the Creator and Redeemer of the world for 30 pieces of silver.  This is in contrast to a King in the Book of Mormon who was willing to give up his kingdom, all he possessed, and all of his sins to know the Lord.  We will be talking about what sin or bad habit we want to give up.  Perhaps we will bury them like the people of Ammon buried their swords.

Thursday is the day that Jesus atoned for us in Gethsemane.  We will sing a song about Gethsemane and have a special family prayer giving thanks for that incomprehensible gift.

Friday Jesus suffered on the cross, died, and was laid in the sepulchre.  It would have been a dark day.  We thought about going to the cemetery to visit the graves of those that have already passed on, but it is Tia's birthday on Friday and so we are going to have a candlelight dinner.  We'll have to close the blinds to make it even close to dark, but that works for us.

Saturday some people talk about missionary work.  We have talked about it having been the Sabbath, and how His followers would be resting.  This is the day we take a break and celebrate with the Easter bunny. 

Sunday is Easter.  We listen to He is Risen.  We are also going to sing Families Can Be Together Forever and remember that those loved ones that have died will rise again, as will we.  It is also because of Jesus that we can be with those that we love forever.

I love celebrating Easter Week and I hope that you will too.
Happy early Easter!