Easter Egg The custom
of the Easter egg originated before Christianity in the ancient
Egyptian celebration of Shemu ; It is a day that follows Easter Sunday)
which is the season of harvest and rebirth, where they wrote their
wishes on painted eggs and put them on windows and trees to receive the
blessings of the first rays of the morning light produced by sun god Ra.
For Christians, the Easter egg is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Painting Easter eggs is an especially
beloved
tradition in the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches where the eggs
dyed red to represent the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the
cross. Easter eggs are blessed by the priest at the end of the Paschal
vigil and distributed to the congregants. The hard shell of the egg
represents the sealed Tomb of Christ, and cracking the shell represents
Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Moreover, historically Christians
would abstain from eating eggs and meat during Lent, and Easter was the
first chance to eat eggs after a long period of abstinence. (Orthodox
Christians continue to abstain from eggs during Lent.)
The
Christian Church officially adopted the custom, regarding the eggs as a
symbol of the resurrection; in 1610 A.D., Pope Paul V proclaimed the
following prayer:
Bless,
O Lord! we beseech thee, this thy creature of eggs, that it may become a
wholesome sustenance to thy faithful servants, eating it in
thankfulness to thee on account of the resurrection of the Lord.
Easter Egg Hunt. Our Easter Egg Hunt marks the start of spring and it's always held outside if possible; this 
means
the grass is greening, azaleas are blooming and the spring flowers
brighten the back yard. Each child has their own Easter basket that has
been theirs for years. The grandchildren and their parents go first
and we all gather on the patio to see what treasures have been left by
the Easter Bunny. Then it's time for the grandchildren to hide the
plastic eggs for their parents to find. Each plastic egg has money in
it, ganging from $1.00 to $100.00 the parents have 10 minutes to find
the eggs. What they find they keep. What they don't find the
grand-kids share. The competition is keen and suspense mounts as the
time runs down.
Visiting the graves of family members. Visiting graves is a tradition dating back centuries in the US, a custom allowing families not only to grieve but to honor and celebrate the lives of
those
that have passed. Many families pay respects at cemeteries on Easter
as well as on Memorial Day. I think it's important to maintain a
connection with those who came before us and blazed the path that we
currently walk on. This is a message that can be delivered to children
with a morning visit to decorate the graves of our relatives and
friends. Easter is the perfect time to do this and create a family
tradition.
Other Easter traditions include:
- Rolling Easter eggs down a hill, symbolizing the removal of the stone that blocked Jesus' tomb.
- Enjoying
the Passover service together, including prayers, scripture readings,
songs, hand washing, a meal (including the eating of hard-boiled eggs
as a symbol of the renewal of springtime), eating of green and bitter
herbs, unleavened bread, and wine (fruit of the vine).
Saturday mornings in bed. Choose a morning on the weekend to spend in bed with
h your family.
You don’t need to spend hours laying around, but 15 to 30 minutes is a
nice length of time. Try having coffee, tea, or milk with a couple of
cookies. Relaxing and taking a few minutes to connect with your family
can be a great way to kick off a weekend.
Potluck. This
is a great way for extended family members to showcase their culinary
talents. If you decide to do this monthly or bi-monthly, consider
themes – make one night Mexican, and the next time Thai, followed by
Italian. Theme nights can introduce you to a whole new world of
cooking. Bring print-outs of the recipe so people can take it home with
them.
Family Olympics. We've
hosted our Family Olympics several times as a part of our Thanksgiving
at the Beach Tradition. It's a team activity that the whole family can
participate in and it can take place over several days. I modeled our
Family Olympics after an article that I read on RealSinple.com by Valerie Rains. A recent addition was a boccie-ball tournament that has become a must event in the future.
The Annual Fishing Trip. Our annual fishing trip started in the 1970's when my dad traveled through
Minnesota with
my uncles on their way to Canada and I asked, "Why aren't my brothers
and I going fishing with you Dad?" From that year on until Dad died in
2002 we had an annual fishing trip that lasted for 35 years. It really
wasn't about the fishing, it was about brothers and dad getting
together drinking some beer, smoking cigars (I hate cigars), reflecting
on the past and staying connected. One year the Indianapolis Star did a
feature story on our annual fishing trip. We had an annual award of a
"Yellow Sweater" to the Fisherman of the Year. It was last awarded to
Dad; we placed it in his coffin when he died.
State Line - "so" When I was a young boy traveling with my older brothers and parents we
were
challenged to be to see the state line sign on the road. I took the
challenge very seriously, while my older brothers not so much. I
spotted the Ohio state line sign and with great pride shouted "Ohio
state line!" My brothers responded with "so?". I was crushed,
rejected, and hurt. Later in the afternoon we passed into Kentucky and
my brothers shouted, "so". To this day when any of us cross a state
line we announce to anyone in the car "so". I created a family
tradition that lives on and is growing as our family grows. Steve Grinkmeyer
Other General Traditions
- For
birthdays, each family member chooses his or her favorite menu, then
everyone except the birthday person helps prepare the meal.
- No one can go to bed until they've told each member of the family "I love you."
- For religious milestones such as baptism or confirmation, a child is given a book of scripture.
- For religious or historical figures the family especially admires, celebrate that person's birthday.
- Saturdays are Dad's day to make breakfast with the kids.
- Take turns choosing a topic of discussion at the dinner table.
- Have a special dinner plate to be used by a family member who has a reason to celebrate.
- Tell a story every night before bed. Keep a family journal, letting everyone write in it.
- Establish your own holidays, such as an "Unbirthday Party."
- Watch movies that explore the value of traditions, such as "Fiddler on the Roof."
Saint Patrick's Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick is a cultural and religious holiday that is celebrated on March 17.
The holiday dates back to the early seventeenth century. Originally, the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the color green and its association with Saint Patrick's Day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century. Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the ubiquitous wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs has become a feature of the day. In the 1798 rebellion, to make a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching public attention. The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on ones clothing, derives from a song of the same name.
The Leprechaun Legend. In
our house on March 1, our children are served green eggs and ham for
breakfast, and a Leprechaun appears in the house usually on the top of a
kitchen cabinet far out of reach. Each
day,
until Saint Patrick's Day, the children are challenged to perform a
Random Act of Kindness. The following morning as they report their
Random Act of Kindness they are rewarded with a gold coin. The
Leprechaun observes and listens. Each day the Leprechaun plays tricks
on the children to test their commitment to being kind and forgiving.
On the Eve of Saint Patrick's Day the children build a trap to catch the
Leprechaun and the put their gold coins in the trap as bait. On the
morning of Saint Patrick's Day if they've caught the Leprechaun they rub
his nose and make a wish. That evening if they've preformed the Random
Acts of Kindness and showed their ability to be kind and forgiving the
Leprechaun grants their wish. Kerry
Wearing of the Green.
Going to school on Saint Patricks day wearing something green was
always a must as I was growing up and I still do it today. This was a
tradition that we carried on to our kids and grand-kids. It helps to
introduce them to different cultures if you discuss the origins of Saint
Partricks Day.
Go to a parade.
While we were living in Minnesota we would try to make it to the Saint
Paul Saint Patricks Day Parade. It was full of floats, bands, Irish
dancing, and people in green. I always felt an identify with the Irish
culture.
Valentine's Day, also known as Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on February 
14
each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world. St.
Valentine's Day began as a celebration of one or more early Christian
saints named Valentinus. The most popular story associated with Saint
Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for
soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians
who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. During his imprisonment, he
is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. Legend
states that before his execution he wrote her a letter "from your
Valentine" as a farewell.
The
day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Georrrey
Chaucer in the high middle ages , when the tradition of love flourished.
In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which
lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, and
sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").
Valentine Greeting Exchange: As a second grader Valentines Day was my first introduction to romance.
I
was able to express my innermost feelings for Betty, a girl in my
class. It was a special feeling and I was only able to achieve it with
the encouragement of my Mom. I was also able to express my feelings for
my good friends. I remember running from house to house, slipping the
Valentine Card under the door, ringing the door bell and running and
hiding behind a bush so that I might be able to see my Valentine find my
card. Kerry
Other Valentine’s Day Traditions
- Draw names for secret pals the week before Valentine's Day.
- Perform
small acts of service and kindness for that person, and then reveal
your identities on Valentine’s Day. Make heart-shaped cookies and give
them to those in your neighborhood or congregation who are alone.
- Have a red dinner with red jello, red mashed potatoes, beets, cherry cake, etc.
- Call relatives and tell them you love them.
