One Easter morning when I was about seven years old, I was the first one to get up. I excitedly rushed to our family room to see what the “Easter Bunny” had brought me.
Nothing.
To say I was alarmed when I did not see an Easter basket would be an understatement. What had I done wrong to be crossed off the Bunny’s list??? Jesus must have told the Easter Bunny that I had been a bad girl, just like He tells Santa Claus who is good and bad (which is how I thought this worked). I had received Christmas gifts from Santa, so what terrible thing had I done to cause myself to be crossed off the Bunny’s list since Christmas? I couldn’t think of anything. So, maybe he forgot me!!!
Frantically, I ran to my parent’s room crying that the Easter Bunny had not brought me anything!!! My mother hopped right out of bed, and led me to our dining room where my Easter basket was sitting on our dining room table (my mother had forgot to move it to the family room). What a relief!!!
Maybe you have experienced something like this, from either the mom’s or child’s perspective.
As a mom, I decided not to celebrate Santa, Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny. I did not want my children to have any confusion about who was what and then wonder how Jesus fit into all of these Holy Days, as I did. As far as my girls were concerned these figures were merely “fairy-tales”. I did not demonize them, but simply dismissed them nicely as fairy-tales. I did not withhold the gifts from my daughters, but kept the focus off of them, and tried to accentuate the meaning of the Holy Day.
I used to give a gift basket to my girls on the Saturday before Resurrection Sunday. But, now my girls are grown and we will celebrate the holidays with their kids their way. Thankfully, today, there are so many fun Resurrection Sunday kid’s activities to incorporate into this special Holy Day.
Please share some of your ideas for celebrating Resurrection Sunday with your family.
The girls in our family always dress up (usually old fashioned) and we spend most of the day at church (there is a dinner after the service) and the kids will play games, so nothing really fancy but it is fun and there is a special church service. Great post! <3
Thanks for sharing Julia! Sounds like a great day at church. Nothing like the fellowship of God’s people on Holy Days! God Bless.
Gina, it is always a tough challenge when raising young children to balance the Easter Bunny and the Resurrection, Santa Claus and Jesus…. Sounds like you’ve been intentional about it and your kids are blessed. (Visiting from SDG link up; we’re ‘neighbors.’
Jody, thanks for popping over neighbor! It is a difficult thing, but well worth the effort. Happy Good Friday! Jesus be praised!!!