When holidays don’t feel like holy Days

I made a quick stop at Tarjay yesterday where red baskets filled with Easter baskets reminded me that Easter is not only about Jesus. Do you agree it can be hard to balance your desire to enjoy holiday traditions without feeling spiritually bankrupt?

You know. You go into the Easter season wanting Jesus to be central in the minds of your children, but somehow he ends up taking second place to plastic eggs.

And then there are the pagan ties to so many holiday rituals. No mom wants to feel she is teaching her children to worship the sun or a bunny.

Is there any way to salvage this celebration, especially if you already have cellophane-wrapped baskets waiting for your child’s squeals?

First, move forward with your plans. If you think your family is out of balance in the ways you celebrate Easter, you have a year to figure out how to do it better next time.

Second, infuse the day with reminders of Christ by sharing Bible reading as a family or watching a movie that depicts the Easter story or the life of Christ.

Third, realize it’s okay if you do nothing special tomorrow. You don’t have to bake a ham, or color eggs, or go to the sunrise service. Teach your children that the best way to celebrate Christ is to worship him every day of the year.

Christ died for everyone so that we would live for him. We should not live to please ourselves but for Christ who died on a cross and was raised from the dead for us.

2 Corinthians 5.15