A brief overview of Easter
Easter is a holiday which Christians observe. During this period, they commemorate the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ as told in the New Testament of the Bible.
This occasion was said to have taken place exactly three days after the Romans crucified Jesus, around 30 A.D.
The Easter Holiday wraps up the “Passion of Christ”, which happens to be a series of holidays and events which commences with Lent- a phase of fasting, prayer and sacrifice, which lasts for 40 days, and concludes with Holy Week which comprises Holy Thursday which is the commemoration of the Last Supper that Jesus had with his apostles, then Ash Wednesday which serves as the day when Jesus was crucified, and lastly, Easter Sunday.
Irrespective of the fact that the Easter holiday is one which has a great religious significance in Christianity, a good number of traditions which are linked with Easter, go as far back as pre-Christian pagan periods.
Easter activities and traditions in ancient times
In ancient periods, Easter activities and traditions were somewhat different. Even though some of them were Easter outdoor activities which still occur today, they have been modernized to some extent.
First off, in Western Christianity, there is a tradition which is a period of repentance and fasting which is known as Lent.
It commences on a Wednesday which is commonly known as “Ash Wednesday”, and it takes place for a period of 40 days, which does not include Sundays.
The Sunday before Easter is known as Palm Sunday, and it marks Jesus’ grand entry into Jerusalem when his followers arranged palm leaves on the road in a bid to show their reverence and acceptance of his status as king.
However, in Orthodox Eastern Christianity, the tradition is quite different. The Easter tradition commences with Great Lent which commences on Clean Monday, instead of Ash Wednesday.
This period of fasting is also for 40 days before Easter, which excludes Sundays.
Easter activities in modern times
These days, Easter periods are times when all public activities are brought to a halt. Schools, for instance, would be closed down, transportation would be limited, banks would be closed. Although, places like the hospitals would still be in operation.
Considering the fact that there are different age groups, it is slightly difficult to bring all age groups to a consensus where they would be able to carry out the same Palm Sunday.
For instance, Easter activities for kids and Easter activities for adults would be totally different.
Easter activities for babies and pre-schoolers
During the Easter period, everyone has one thing or the other to do, and even babies should not be left out. While meal and parade preparations are ongoing, you would not want your baby to disrupt arrangements.
There are some Easter games and activities which can keep your baby busy, while you attend to other things during Easter. Some of the interesting Easter activities for babies and pre-schoolers are:
- Eggs Exploration: Allow them to explore the eggs. Start by ensuring the eggs are well-taped, then you can fix many items inside. You can carry out this for a good number of eggs, then allow your baby to explore. This activity can take place within any timeframe, it depends on how long you want it to.
- Eggs Hunt: This is one of the most interesting Easter games and activities. All you have to do is, place the eggs at different corners of the room, without your baby knowing, then have him or her search for them.
- Easter Bunny Visit: Asides the fact that babies can participate in this, this is one of the ideal Easter activities for pre-schoolers too. All you need do is to take them to visit the Easter Bunny at your mall, they can even ride the Easter Bunny train and enjoy themselves.
Easter activities for Youths
This is another age group which would undergo activities that are totally different from what kids would partake in, and also adults.
Easter periods affords Youths to meet and take part in activities which would keep them occupied all through the holiday.
Below are two popular interesting Easter activities for youths:
- Map Hunt: This is a fun activity which Youths can partake in. What it basically involves, is to map out the location of treasures on the map. There should be a leader of the team, who would be responsible for placing the treasure at hidden points at any chosen location. Map Hunt is also one of the Easter games and activities.
- Historical Hunt: This is another activity which is quite similar to map hunt. What this involves, is to use an egg hunt to discover certain monuments which are present in the area. There would be clues which would help the participants to explore various spaces and statues. The clues should advisably be written in a way which would assist the youth in participating.
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