Easter Celebration Ideas

Have your Easter celebrations gotten a little bit...predictable? Sure, it's fun to stick to the traditional symbols at Easter time, but giving (or getting) the same old Easter basket with the chocolate bunny every year can get a tad stale. If you need some creative ideas to help liven up your Easter fun, look no further.

Living Easter Basket
Instead of filling your Easter basket with artificial grass, honor the season by planting real grass in your basket. Start about four weeks before Easter with grass seed (rye grass works well). Line the basket with a plastic bag or other liner, then plant the seed, water it regularly, and make sure it gets some sunlight in a window or on a porch. By the time Easter arrives, you'll have a beautiful grass filling for your basket. Try "planting" gifts of flower seed packets in the basket to make it a gift that will last well past Easter. After the holiday, you can transplant the grass outdoors.

The Thrill of the Hunt
Easter egg hunts are fun for everyone, kids and adults. You may have already tried color-coding the eggs that you hide, letting each child search for just one color of egg to simplify the hunt. This year, try taking that idea one step farther by personalizing the items you hide. Buy a selection of Easter cards and hide them instead of eggs, making sure that each envelope is marked with the recipient's name. Include a special quote, Bible verse, or thought for each egg-hunter. Or use color-coded plastic eggs and fill them with small age-appropriate gifts for each child — stickers, small toys, and candy for the young ones, gift certificates or cash for the older kids.

I Love a Parade
Celebrate Easter with your neighbors by holding a mini-parade on your block. Dress up in your Easter best and march up and down the street. (You may need to designate some neighbors as spectators, so there will be someone to watch the parade go by.) Ask all your neighbors to participate in an Easter bonnet contest and award small prizes — such as a gift certificate to a favorite store or restaurant — for the funniest, prettiest, and most inventive Easter hat. It's a fun way to get to know your neighbors and celebrate at the same time.

Easter Eats
For a family dinner, expand your menu beyond the usual ham and bunny-shaped cookies. Make it an international Easter feast. Ask your guests to each bring an Easter specialty from another country or culture. There are dozens to choose from — just check any Easter cookbook at your local library or do an Internet search. Some possibilities to consider:

Russian kulich with paskha (sweet bread baked in an empty coffee can, served with sweetened farmer's cheese)

British hot cross buns

Greek magiritsa (soup with lamb stock and sweetbreads)

Italian agnellino with carciofi arrosti (roast baby lamb with roasted artichokes)

Slovenian potica (sweet pastry in thin layers with walnut filling)

Courtesy of Hallmark.

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