Now that Christmas season is in full blast, I think it's important to compare Christmas and Easter.
Keep in mind that Christmas hasn't always been a huge religious holiday in Europe or the US. Easter, however, has always been the central Christian holiday.
I think it's also important to remember that the changing of the seasons is a reason to celebrate. Every 3 months or so, make up an excuse to get together with friends and family and have a feast.
The winter holiday is Christmas in the US. Celebrating Christmas involves decorations, trees, holiday snacks and gift-giving. We also say "Merry Christmas" to each other and remember classic Christmas stories and traditions, even if we don't celebrate them all.
I think the tradition of the tree is a nice one. We used to get live trees up where we used to live, but here in Texas, it's hard to find trees. So we bought a plastic Christmas tree and we set it up every year. We also put out a nativity set. Our family puts up Christmas stockings and we sing carols and hymns throughout the season.
One tradition I want to keep is the tradition of caroling. It takes some planning and friends but once you get going it can be a lot of fun. Be sure to keep some Christmas cookies or fudge on hand, preferrably home-made, so that you can reward carolers. It's also tradition to join the carolers as they go from house to house.
The central part of our Christmas celebration is the Christmas morning. We gather around and we read from Luke about the shepherds and the manger. Sometimes we read the Three Wise Men from Matthew. We sing a Christmas carol or hymn (not Jingle Bells, something like Silent Night) and then we open presents. Our tradition is that we go around the room, someone chooses a present for someone else, and then we watch as they open the present.
We also have a Christmas feast like Thanksgiving. Usually this is when we buy a prime rib roast. We have pies and sometimes a Christmas cake.
Also part of Christmas is attending church together. The church always puts on a short Christmas program with religious music and readings and commentary surrounding the Christmas season, especially focused on who Christ was and why it was so important that he was born on earth.
I'll touch on Easter here. I think traditionally most of the Easter celebration has been at church. We got rid of decorating eggs and doing easter egg hunts very early on in our family. We also don't hand out candy to the kids on easter. I just don't think the easter bunny or anything like that has much to do with easter. Easter is a more solemn celebration but we still have an easter feast, generally a ham. This nest year I'm thinking of harvesting one of our sheep and maybe either roasting the whole thing or just part of it. We'll see how that turns out.
I think with Easter I can involve my family with reading some of the resurrection accounts as a family as well. Maybe sing an easter hymn or two.
Part of me feels like Christmas is more special not because it's a better holiday but because people have more free time. It's also better supported by churches and community than Easter. I don't know how to change that other than to make it a point to bring my family to church at that time. Maybe we need special Easter concerts or Easter plays or programs? I don't know yet what to do.
Anyway, just a few thoughts on the subject. We get to write the traditions for the next generation. I want my kids and grandkids to see Christmas as just another holiday, while the central focus is always Easter.
Keep in mind that Christmas hasn't always been a huge religious holiday in Europe or the US. Easter, however, has always been the central Christian holiday.
I think it's also important to remember that the changing of the seasons is a reason to celebrate. Every 3 months or so, make up an excuse to get together with friends and family and have a feast.
The winter holiday is Christmas in the US. Celebrating Christmas involves decorations, trees, holiday snacks and gift-giving. We also say "Merry Christmas" to each other and remember classic Christmas stories and traditions, even if we don't celebrate them all.
I think the tradition of the tree is a nice one. We used to get live trees up where we used to live, but here in Texas, it's hard to find trees. So we bought a plastic Christmas tree and we set it up every year. We also put out a nativity set. Our family puts up Christmas stockings and we sing carols and hymns throughout the season.
One tradition I want to keep is the tradition of caroling. It takes some planning and friends but once you get going it can be a lot of fun. Be sure to keep some Christmas cookies or fudge on hand, preferrably home-made, so that you can reward carolers. It's also tradition to join the carolers as they go from house to house.
The central part of our Christmas celebration is the Christmas morning. We gather around and we read from Luke about the shepherds and the manger. Sometimes we read the Three Wise Men from Matthew. We sing a Christmas carol or hymn (not Jingle Bells, something like Silent Night) and then we open presents. Our tradition is that we go around the room, someone chooses a present for someone else, and then we watch as they open the present.
We also have a Christmas feast like Thanksgiving. Usually this is when we buy a prime rib roast. We have pies and sometimes a Christmas cake.
Also part of Christmas is attending church together. The church always puts on a short Christmas program with religious music and readings and commentary surrounding the Christmas season, especially focused on who Christ was and why it was so important that he was born on earth.
I'll touch on Easter here. I think traditionally most of the Easter celebration has been at church. We got rid of decorating eggs and doing easter egg hunts very early on in our family. We also don't hand out candy to the kids on easter. I just don't think the easter bunny or anything like that has much to do with easter. Easter is a more solemn celebration but we still have an easter feast, generally a ham. This nest year I'm thinking of harvesting one of our sheep and maybe either roasting the whole thing or just part of it. We'll see how that turns out.
I think with Easter I can involve my family with reading some of the resurrection accounts as a family as well. Maybe sing an easter hymn or two.
Part of me feels like Christmas is more special not because it's a better holiday but because people have more free time. It's also better supported by churches and community than Easter. I don't know how to change that other than to make it a point to bring my family to church at that time. Maybe we need special Easter concerts or Easter plays or programs? I don't know yet what to do.
Anyway, just a few thoughts on the subject. We get to write the traditions for the next generation. I want my kids and grandkids to see Christmas as just another holiday, while the central focus is always Easter.