Easter Traditions 2012

Easter

What is Easter Day 2012, and what and why are we celebrating on this easter day holiday? Is there anything imperatively wrong with painting easter eggs, easter egg hunts, easter bunnies, and lilies or easter chocolate? Certainly not! However, much like the majority of holidays, it is certainly easy to get caught up in symbolism of the easter celebration and forget why, what, and who the easter symbols were originally associated with to represent.

Should Easter be fun activity? Of course! Should we color easter eggs, hide candy, and eat a great deal of easter chocolate? Absolutely we should! But should we not also make sure that it is a Holy day where we think of, learn about, and aspire to follow the very easter symbol of this Holy day - the Savior. He is the purpose of the holiday, hence it should also be considered as a Holy day. The Mexican Easter Traditions are a bit different than that of rest of the countries. The celebration begins on Ash Wednesday, when number of communities gathers at the parish church to acknowledge their trust and repent of their sins.

When we think of Religious Easter Traditions, Easter eggs, Easter bunnies, hot cross buns are the very first thought that struck the mind. All these have become part of Catholic Easter Tradition without analyzing their significance. Have you ever asked this question "what bunnies have to do with eggs and Easter.” Let’s try to find out the answers to it!

The Easter Bunny

Since years the rabbit has been a symbol of fertility. The Goddess Eostre (popularly known as Eastre also) was the Mother Goddess of the Anglo-Saxons. The Saxons worshiped her through her earthly symbol of the rabbit.

Having started as a pagan festival Christianity the bunny tradition was carried to America by the German immigrants in the year 1500 and 1600. The immigrants would tell stories to their children of the Easter Hare who had laid eggs for children to find. Easter cakes were also baked in the shape of rabbits.

The Easter Eggs

As with the Easter bunny the Easter egg also predates Easter Day. In many cultures the egg is associated with rebirth, new life and fertility and is basically used in Spring festivals.

Many traditions have developed around the Easter egg viz. coloring of eggs becoming an established art - the most elaborate and finest decorations coming from Eastern Europe.

There are many chocolate eggs with colored foil to symbolize the painted egg. Eggs are considered as a part of holiday games such as the Easter egg hunt and the egg roll. The most famous of these is the egg roll that usually takes place on the White House lawn every year.

The Hot Cross Buns for Easter

Hot Cross Buns may come as a surprise that once again the sweet fruit yeast bun carrying a cross is thought to predate Christianity. The cross is thought to symbolize the four quarters of the moon.

The term "Hot Cross Bun" was first taken into consideration in 1733. Today the hot cross buns have become a part and parcel of Easter Family Tradition with the cross representing as a symbol of the crucifixion. It has a tradition to serve them on Good Friday. Perhaps you have had some surprises while accepting the traditions that are associated with Easter.

Apart from its traditional history there are a few fun and meaningful activities for families and individuals everywhere that make easter fun, easter memorable, and easter holy.

Transform it into Holy-day on easter : Invest at least some time learning more about, and expressing gratitude for the very reason and Person we celebrate on this Holy-day.
Worship Service and Scriptural Readings for Easter : Attend a religious service participate in the Passover traditions, and read scriptural passages from the Bible, etc.
Symbol of Easter: Invest a few minutes each year learning about the symbolic nature of the dying eggs, rolling eggs, colors, traditions, Easter bunny, etc.
Give Easter to a Family in Need: Find a family who may be struggling or who has very little, and change this day for them a memorable and special day.
Dying Easter Eggs: Hard boil some eggs, get some coloring, and color Easter eggs together like a family.
Meaningful Easter Egg Hunt: In addition to hiding candies in the Eggs, hide scriptural passages inside some eggs. Then, as the kids eat candies, read some of the scriptural passages and remember the significance of the day and holiday.
Visit Graves on Easter Day : Go to the graves of family members or friends and talk about death, as well as the Resurrection.
Easter Egg Hunt: What would Easter be without one?
Easter Decorations: Like any holiday, embellish the house with Easter decorations.
Easter Family Day: Just spend time with your family. Share a meal, play games together, and enjoy as a family.