Easteris a festival of Christianity, which is not only the oldest but also the most important of all festivals, especially for the Catholic Church. It is celebrated not only by Catholics, but also by Protestant, Armenian, Coptic and Greek Orthodox Christians. The only difference is in the traditions and partly also in the date. Here you can find out exactly what the wonderful Easter is all about, what traditions and rituals are common today and how you can make the festival something special in terms of decoration, the feast and the preparation. This makes Easter the perfect family celebration that will bring great joy to children and adults and also correspond to traditions.
Easter – meaning of the festival
The festival is intended to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion. The festival has its roots in the Jewish Passover, during which the Jews celebrate their liberation from Egypt and slavery. Jesus is said to have been crucified on the evening before Passover. This is how the connection between the two festivals of these religions arises. Incidentally, Easter comes from the word “East”. The reason for this is the fact that the women who stood at the empty tomb of Jesus had their eyes directed towards the east. From where the sun rises, you expected Jesus to return to earth. For this reason all churches face east.
When is Easter celebrated?
Easter is a festival without a fixed date. This means that it falls on a different Sunday or Monday of the year every year. What is certain, however, is that the festival always takes place between March 22nd and April 25th. But when is Easter? So how is the date determined? The date of Easter Sunday is determined by the first full moon of spring. Here again there is a connection to Passover, because this too is based on the lunar calendar. To stay true to this, the church decided to use the full moon as a guide. The first Sunday after the first full moon in spring is always Easter Sunday. All other holidays before and after Easter are based on this full moon. This period is collectively known as the Easter festival circle and includes, among other things, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week and Pentecost. But why Sunday? In the New Testament it is mentioned several times that the resurrection of Jesus Christ took place on the first day of the week, which is considered Sunday.
Orthodox Easter
There are differences in the date of Orthodox Easter, although the date of the festival is also based on the first full moon of spring. This is because the church uses a different calendar to calculate. This is called the “Julian calendar”. This creates a difference of 13 days. There is also the rule that Orthodox Easter should not coincide with Passover. If this is the case, Easter will be postponed for another lunar month.
The custom of Easter eggs
The most well-known symbol of Easter today are the Easter eggs. This also includes looking for Easter eggs on Easter Sunday for everyone who is not a churchgoer. And although there is no exact explanation for the origin of this tradition, there is an interesting conjecture that the custom can be linked to. Accordingly, searching for eggs comes from paganism. When the Christian faith was imposed on the pagans, the custom of giving eggs to each other on the pagan festival “Ostara” was also forbidden. To get around this ban, the pagans no longer gave the eggs to each other personally, but instead hid them in the gardens and fieldsfamily and friends. In addition, in ancient Egypt and Greece the egg was considered a symbol of new life or even resurrection. Accordingly, the egg quickly became a perfect symbol for Christianity. The Christians took the pagan tradition and gave it new meaning, making it easier for the pagans to accept the new religion. Eggs were also forbidden during Lent. In order not to throw them away, they were cooked and kept for longer. After Lent, i.e. on Easter Sunday, believers could eat eggs again. This is another theory as to why Easter eggs are a special element at Easter.
Coloring Easter eggs – where does the custom come from?
Colorful Easter eggs – what would the festival be without them? But they also originally have nothing to do with Christianity. However, the Greek Orthodox Church offers an explanation for this Easter custom. After Jesus' resurrection, Mary Magdalene is said to have gone to the Roman emperor to tell him about it. His answer was that Christ could not have been resurrected any more than the freshly laid eggs before him had a red shell. The eggs then turned red before his eyes. Whatever the origin of this tradition, painting Easter eggs brings great joy to children and adults. And Easter egg ideas come in a variety of variations.
Dyeing Easter eggs – techniques
There are many Easter egg techniques. One option is to create colorful Easter eggs in one or different colors. In the past there were no special colors for designing eggs at Easter. Therefore, the eggs had to be colored naturally using various plants and fruits found in nature. Onion peels, beetroot, spinach, carrots, elderberries and blueberries and many other products are suitable for dyeing Easter eggs with natural dyes. The wax technique, in which the eggs are painted with wax, is also very well known. Finally, this is scraped off again to reveal the color underneath. You can marble Easter eggs or create a mosaic look for Easter eggs. For the latter, the eggshells of another egg are glued onto the egg to be designed, creating an interesting look. When designing Easter eggs, you can use the napkin technique yourself. Easter eggs can be designed with watercolors, but Easter eggs with acrylic paints, for example for painting faces, also look wonderful.
Decorate Easter eggs
But it's not just the colors themselves that are a wonderful option with which you can decorate Easter eggs. Other decorative elements also make a great impression. Easter eggs with pearls look elegant, Easter eggs with lace are romantic and radiate vintage flair and dried flowers symbolize spring, in which Easter takes place. Glitter, stickers, rhinestones or fabric are also very popular for decorating. No matter which technique and which variant you choose for decorating, one thing is the same for all of them: first, of course, you have to cook the Easter eggs. However, if you want these to serve as pendants for the Easter bouquet, you must blow out the Easter eggs before designing them. Because in order to be able to use Easter eggs for hanging, they have to be lighter. You can easily blow out Easter eggs by making a small hole at the top and bottom of the egg. Then blow vigorously through the upper one, allowing the egg yolk and protein to run out through the lower one.
The bunny at Easter
Nowadays, Easter eggs are associated with the Easter bunny. The children are told that this is the person who hides the Easter eggs in the garden. So he can definitely be compared to Santa Claus. It can be traced back to the time of the Germanic peoples. In their belief, the hare was a symbol of fertility and was the companion of the fertility goddess Ostara. Every year strange things happened in the fields. And always at Easter time. Bunnies danced with each other and after they disappeared, only colorful eggs remained. As with the pagans, the Christians partially adapted to the beliefs of the Germanic peoples by placing the festival of Christ's resurrection on the same day. The hare was also adopted as a symbol. Originally, other animals also brought eggs at Easter. However, over time these were pushed out of the stories. And so today only the Easter Bunny brings us the colorfully painted and decorated eggs.
When should I put up Easter decorations?
In order to create the perfect atmosphere for Easter, the Easter decorations should not be underestimated or even forgotten. There are no rules for the right time. Some choose to celebrate the first spring flowers, others prefer to decorate a week or two before the actual celebration. The style of decoration should also be chosen according to your taste. Traditional Easter decoration ideas with Easter bouquets, eggs and Easter figures are typical, but are increasingly being replaced by new styles. The Easter decoration in shabby chic style is one of them. But there are also minimalist versions or romantic ones in a vintage and rustic style. For the latter, the wooden Easter decorations are a special feature. Ultimately, it is important that you feel comfortable in your home and that the decoration fits in with the rest of the furnishings.
Decorate the garden
An important decorative element that should not be missing is, among other things, the door wreath for Easter. It is part of the Easter decorations in the garden and warmly welcomes guests. In general, Easter decorations for outside are a great idea. The spring flowers already provide a good basis. But a few suitable garden figures such as a rabbit, a hen or artificial eggs can make the outdoor area even more festive. Don’t forget the terrace or balcony! After all, the weather is now getting nicer and you will be spending more time outdoors. A beautiful variant that brings joy both indoors and outdoors is the window decoration for Easter. Various pendants, stickers or homemade window pictures for Easter are just a small selection of ideas. The window sill can also be decorated with various things.
The table decoration for Easter
The dining table is a place where the family gathers at least once a day. Accordingly, you should also ensure that you have the right Easter decorations. The dining table is perfect for the Easter basket with Easter eggs. In addition to figures, an Easter decoration from floristry is also great. Decorate with twigs and pussy willows to create the traditional Easter bouquet. Create arrangements and bouquets with typical spring flowers. Decorating the house with flowers gives it a fresh atmosphere that is perfect for this time of year. So when you celebrate Easter, you should also welcome spring. Another option is to decorate with cress or other edible sprouts. This means you can have them to hand at breakfast.
The banquet table
Of course, you can also use all of these table decorations for the party itself. You can also decorate the table with self-folded napkins to match the feast. You can fold napkins for Easter according to your taste and with both cloth napkins and those made of paper. There are a variety of instructions. Folding is a great way to make preparations together as a family. Children in particular will definitely be happy to help. You can also make pretty napkin rings in advance using various natural materials or decorations.
Craft for Easter
And while we're on the topic of "crafting": How about you make some of the decorations yourself or with the whole family? Your child will probably make things that match the theme at primary school at Easter and bring them home. But why not? There are a variety of craft ideas for Easter. With Easter craft instructions you can, among other things, make an Easter basket by displaying the Easter eggs you have designed yourself. You can make egg cups, create an Easter basket or sew egg warmers and other decorations for Easter.
Crafting with children at Easter
You can also make beautiful things with the children at Easter. The great thing is that you can use a variety of materials to adapt the craft ideas to the age of your children. This means you can use natural materials such as twigs or you can make crafts with toilet paper rolls. There are also many different suggestions for crafting with paper and if you have children you usually always have craft paper in the house. How about making Easter cards with the children at Easter? This is a great way to please friends and family members while also teaching kids how to work with the mail. Crafting can also teach. Look for Easter craft tips that could be useful to you and then Easter crafts are guaranteed to be a lot of fun. However, if you need a little peace and quiet at a certain point in time to make certain preparations, you can also keep the children busy by providing them with great Easter coloring pages for children.
Easter gift ideas
Easter gifts can also be homemade. If you have the time to make something yourself, homemade ideas can be a really great Easter surprise. Make something beautiful out of flowers or other natural materials. Arrangements and wreaths are a great option. You can also give away gifts from the kitchen for Easter. This refers to lovingly baked cookies, cakes or tea mixtures. Ready-made baking or cocoa mixes that you can prepare yourself are also very popular at the moment. Think of something original. It doesn't always have to be something bought. If you finally don't have the time left to prepare or make something yourself, find the perfect gift and just buy it. Then you should put some effort into the packaging. Choose bright and friendly colors for paper, bows and other decorative elements.
The meal on Easter Sunday
After Lent and only fish is allowed on Good Friday, meat is of course a must on the table on Easter Sunday. Lamb is a traditional meat. But some also prefer rabbits. Ultimately, in many families these days people no longer pay such close attention to traditions and what they like is served on the table. A fresh salad and spring soup make a wonderful Easter appetizer. There is no need to skimp on meat. You decide for yourself how many courses you want to have for dinner. But you should finish everything off with a delicious dessert. An Easter brunch is a great way to celebrate Easter Monday properly. You can prepare various appetizers from the Easter eggs or serve filled eggs.
Bake cookies for Easter
Whether for the entire Easter season or as a dessert for Easter Sunday dinner, cookies are always a welcome item. If you want to bake cookies and biscuits for Easter, it is best to use suitable cookie cutters. Just as Christmas should be Christmassy, for Easter you naturally want cookies in shapes that fit the theme. Fortunately, such cookie cutters are easy to find at Easter. Baking and cutting cookies is also a lot of fun for children. For this reason, you can have a fun afternoon by baking Easter cookies with the children.
Bake cakes for Easter
A great idea is to serve a cake or tart with coffee or as a dessert after dinner. There are tons of suitable recipes, but everyday cake recipes are also suitable. But cakes that have a suitable shape make a particularly interesting impression. In addition to oval cakes designed like Easter eggs with icing, you can also bake a cake in the shape of an Easter bunny. Not to be forgotten are the popular muffins and cupcakes, which can be displayed under a glass dome and used as decoration while remaining fresh for a long time. This Easter, try out recipes that the whole family will enjoy and try something new!
The outfit and styling for Easter
Everyone loves an occasion where they can really dress up. Easter is such an appropriate occasion. Put on a pretty dress or choose a nice blouse. Put on some festive makeup and create a pretty updo or curls. A themed nail design is very popular for Easter. This is designed with cheerful spring colors and funny motifs such as Easter eggs, bunnies, chicks or flowers. Paint your nails yourself or let a manicurist pamper you for the occasion.
