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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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