Easter Family Traditions

Early in our marriage, Jamie and I recognized the importance of having special family traditions that we could enjoy together with our children as we forged an eternal legacy with them.  Of family traditions, Elder Perry has said "the practice of having traditions to keep us close to the great heritage which is ours to enjoy should be something every family should try to keep alive."  In striving to fortify our family bonds, we have tried to develop both meaningful and fun family traditions.  Several of those traditions are centered around Easter and the time we take to remember the Resurrection of the Savior.

 

Each year we spend time together as a family preparing a traditional Easter Eve picnic.  We have enjoyed this traditional picnic in parks all over the country from Central Park in New York, to Oklahoma, Florida, Saint Louis, and Minnesota.  In fact- in the past 7 years we have had our picnic in 5 different states.  This year, in Minnesota, was considerably colder than last year in Florida.  It was so cold that we ended up packing up soon after the picture and finishing our lunch in the car.  I am guessing that next year when we add another new state and location after we move to North Dakota won't be much warmer.  No matter the temperature, or location, the menu and activities are always the same.  Fried chicken, potato salad, pasta salad, and jello jigglers.  The kids favorite part is always eating the jello jiggler Easter eggs which always seem to wiggle right out of your hands.   

 

 

Even though we have been house "hopping," the Easter Bunny was still able to find us living in the Wooten's house.  He left a doll house for the girls and plan city toys for the boys.

Another tradition is our Easter pavlova.  Pavlova is a favorite dessert of mine that I discovered on my mission.  It is a traditional Australian dessert that is basically a sweetened meringue topped with fruit.  While I was on my mission my mom sent a story about the final hours of Christs' mortal life as each of the ingredients are added to make the pavlova.  Salt is added for the tears, vinegar for when he begged for a drink, sugar for the sweetness of his sacrifice for us, and egg white for his sinless life.  All the ingredients are beat together, just as Christ was beaten and mocked.  As the dessert is put in the tomb--or oven--overnight, we all go to bed and wait for the morning.  In the morning the tomb opened to reveal the hollowed and empty pavlova.

 

Aussies would always give us Americans such a hard time about our sweet breakfasts.  I guess it doesn't help the argument when we have dessert for breakfast! 



A bunch of good looking kids-- on our way to church.

 



 

Part of the Easter tradition has always included the annual Easter Egg Roll.  We each dye two eggs and then race them down a hill.  Several awards are annually awarded- including the most beautiful, the egg with the longest endurance (IE doesn't explode into a million pieces on the first roll), and of course the fastest.  The later generally is awarded to the Mom Bomb.

 

This year we were excited to have the Curries join us for our egg rolling activities.  We also added a new event this year- egg spoon races.  It was a huge success and surely will be added to the list of events in future years. 

After freezing our buns off during the egg races, we decided to warm up at Caribou Coffee with hot caramel apple cider for all.

 



 

Our Easter traditions, as well as our other family traditions continue to be the foundation of some of my fondest memories of my children and the most enjoyable times we spend together as a family.  We will continue to form new traditions, as well as strengthen old ones, as we continue to follow the council of the brethren to "create meaningful family bonds that give your children an identity stronger than what they can find with their peer group or at school or anyplace else."