Different Ways of Celebrating Easter

Easter is celebrated in so many ways. For some, it means a family gathering with a ham and other family-favorite foods. For others it means a new dress and a trip to church. And for some it means nothing more than a day off of work.

For all of us though, it means celebrating the fact that Jesus died for our sins and rose again on the third day.

In other words, it means EVERYTHING.

Even though we are united in that thought, we still have different ways of celebrating.

When my kids were young, we attended a small, traditional church. The sermons were always quiet and rather solemn and traditional Hymns were sung. There was a lot of standing up and sitting down and recitations that had remained unchanged for hundreds of years. Easter there was serious and yet rather peaceful.

Years later, we went to a larger church. The church put on an amazing reenactment of Christ’s crucifixion every year. As manufactured lightening flashed and thunder crashed around our ears, Jesus was raised up on his cross in a balcony above the stage. It was dramatic and impossible to hold back the tears as Jesus’ story was made real for each of us.

One year, we visited a new church in our area. As we sat quietly waiting for the sermon to begin, men marched down the aisle carrying a casket. They set it on the small stage and out popped the Pastor, wired for sound and ready to deliver his sermon. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that one.

Another church sent us an invitation to attend their Easter service one year. The picture on the front of the card was of an unshaven man in a pink bunny suit smoking a cigarette. The title said, “Easter for the rest of us.” Again, I was not sure how to feel.

We took my sister-in-law to church one Easter at our kids’ church. The music was loud, with lots of drums and bass. I felt the joy in my bones and I loved it. My sis-in-law did not. She missed her church and the quiet, traditional sermons and hymns. That, to her, meant Easter.

For a lot of moms Easter also means planning, cooking, and entertaining. Plus, filling Easter baskets and hiding plastic eggs. Easter can be a lot of work when you’re the one hosting. It’s hard to remember what we’re celebrating when we have a to-do list a mile long.

Other moms find it easier to fight the restaurant crowds and eat Easter dinner out instead. There is still stress from getting everyone dressed up, finding a place to eat and soothing hungry kids while waiting for a table. But it’s a different kind of stress.

I think we all have the goal of focusing on the true “reason for the season” but sometimes life gets in the way. I remember the years when I worked retail. I could hardly move after hours spent on my feet helping Holiday crowds. And I still had to fill baskets, cook, and dye eggs (I thought). I wanted nothing more than to sleep by the time Easter arrived.

Some traditions have been so ingrained in us for so long that we forget that they can be changed. One year, I moaned to my family that we were just going to order pizza and watch Christian movies all day. I was surprised when they all yelled, “Fun!” Apparently I was the only one holding on to traditions.

This year I just returned from a fun but exhausting trip to the ocean. My Easter decorations are in a tote in the garage where they will stay until next year. I have no menu planned and no hosting plans either. Easter day will be quiet, and I feel happy and at peace with that.

So, as we head into this blessed time, what can moms let go of? How can we slow down and focus on our savior and what He did for us? Are some of the “musts” on our lists from our own making?

No matter how you celebrate, the fact that Jesus died so that we might be saved is a mighty reason to do it.

Happy Easter to you all!

“And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.” Mark 16:6