Maria Byrne
A Parent’s Perspective
Easter is such a lovely time of year. With the darker evenings behind us and the daffodils heralding the new growth, there’s a great feeling of hope and joy.
For many families, the lead up to Easter is a bit similar to the pre-Christmas period with concerns about catering for family and friends and the fulfilling of expectations that there’ll be chocolate galore. When I was young, you were very fortunate to get one Easter egg; now the bounty is piled high. Children are on a sugar-fuelled high with all the Easter treats and there’s a large measure of competition involved as little ones compare notes on what goodies the Easter bunny delivered.
Easter decor seems to be the in thing too with wreaths and delicately painted egg mobiles tastefully placed here and there. It’s an important and exciting time in the Catholic Church year that we want to make memorable for ourselves and our families.
Most children whose parents are Christian would be pretty well versed on the details of the birth of Jesus, but many would be less knowledgeable on the details of the Easter story. I was chatting to one little seven-year-old recently who asked me where Jesus was buried although, when reminded, he was familiar with all the facts of the Resurrection.
With children, it often takes several retellings of a tale before they remember it completely. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it’s explained that through the yearly cycle of the liturgical year “the various aspects of the one paschal mystery unfold”.
The Easter Triduum refers to the three days of preparation that lead up to the great feast of Easter. It starts with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday and reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil.
It’s very clear in the Church celebrations that we are people of the Resurrection whose hearts should be glad, but how do we get that across in our family experience of Easter and in our interactions and experiences with our children? Leading up to Easter Sunday, there are lots of ways to include everyone in the preparations. Without being obsessive, involving children in a bit of spring cleaning can help to focus minds on the importance of Easter and the fact that it’s worthwhile preparing well. It can be followed by a visit to a local church so the family can take part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
I always remember my mother and father gathering up the troops and ushering us all to Confession on Good Friday. We were imbued with a sense of the importance of renewal and repentance. Easter was a time for casting off the hardships of the Lenten sacrifices and immersing ourselves in the light. As my father loved to say, being an excellent Latin student in his day “Deo gratias, alleluia” which summed up his sense of Easter as a great time of year for Christians everywhere.
When I was young, I loved the idea of a shiny, clean soul; the spring cleaning can link in with Confession symbolising the casting off of the old and welcoming the new; the triumph of light over darkness, life over death. Younger children can do some small tasks that are connected to new life like planting bulbs or beginning a vegetable garden, putting out seeds for the birds who will soon be busy feeding their chicks, or buying little gifts for new babies.
Some families will be privileged to have their own baby baptised during the Easter Vigil and it’s lovely for children to witness this and even nicer if the baby is their own sibling or cousin. Older and younger children will enjoy painting pictures to decorate the home and even sophisticated teenagers can’t resist a bit of egg painting. Decorating eggs can be a subtle way to do some Easter evangelisation by explaining to people that in olden times they were a symbol of the joy of Easter as they weren’t eaten during Lent.
Designs
As well as the usual designs, there is plenty of scope for adding little messages from the Gospel or the Psalms or even something as simple as a painted “He is Risen”. They make lovely gifts for relations, friends and grandparents.
Sourcing lovely Easter music is another way to involve children in the celebration. Teenagers can use their expertise to create some inspiring and entertaining playlists.
The online musical options are endless and it would be nice to have a good mix of old and new. Another nice custom is to buy a new item of clothing for Easter even if it’s only a cheap, cheery scarf or brightly coloured shirt or tie.
New converts were often baptised at Easter wearing new white clothes to symbolise their new life so the new items tie in with that sense of celebrating the good news of the Resurrection. I came across a suggestion about visiting an art gallery to view great paintings of the risen Christ which I thought was another novel idea.
Whatever a family does and whatever their budget, there are numerous ways to make Easter extra special. Whether it’s a plate of hot cross buns or a three-course meal on Easter Sunday, keep the true message of Easter at the heart of all the celebration and extend the fun into the days and weeks that follow.
For Catholics, we can be full of the joy of knowing that for us Easter never really ends.