Resurrecting the real Easter story

It’s just a few more days until Easter Sunday and the much anticipated wait to tear the foil off your chocolate egg will be over. With the excitement over Easter eggs, it can be easy to forget the true meaning of Easter. Over the next few days, take your mind off the chocolate and turn it to the Easter story by making your own resurrection garden. This is a good activity to do on Good Friday. You can test your knowledge of Jesus’ crucifixion while you make this with your family.

For the resurrection garden you will need one wide flower pot, soil, moss, sticks, glue, string, spring blossoms, one small jam jar or miniature flower pot and pebbles.

To make the cross, lay a long stick down on your work surface and place a shorter one across it horizontally near the top. Glue it in place and wrap string around to bind the two twigs together. Tie the string in a knot at the back of the cross to secure the shape. Repeat with the remaining sticks so that you have three crosses in total. Leave aside for the glue to dry.

Compost

Meanwhile, fill the pot with soil or compost. Scatter the surface of the soil with some pebbles and greenery. Push the three crosses into the flower pot with the tallest one in the middle.

For the ‘tomb’, take the smallest flower pot or jam jar you can find and place it at the foot of the middle cross. Surround it with moss and place a stone in front of the opening.

When Easter Sunday arrives, you can move the stone aside to open the tomb. Pick some fresh blossoms and scatter them around the garden. Drape a small piece of white material or white ribbon around the arms of the middle cross. If you have a small statue or relic of Jesus, place this in the resurrection garden too. You can keep the garden on display until Easter time is over.

Easter is about rebirth and new life, so if you wish you can include a few tiny artificial eggs in the garden with some mascot chicks and lambs. Also, you can always fashion a ‘thorn crown’ out of the finest twigs you can find and place this over the top of the middle cross.