Easter Traditions New and Old

There are millions of people in this world who celebrate Easter every year. This is actually one of the major Christian festivals in this world which is enthusiastically celebrated everywhere. The Easter celebrations include the Easter egg, the Easter basket, Personalized letter from the Easter Bunny and the Easter games. The basic idea of the Easter festival is to have fun with your loved ones and welcome the spring season after the cold winter. However, have you ever wondered why these traditions associated with the Easter are and exactly is the connection of eggs, Bunny and the basket with Jesus? Also, have you ever wondered why exactly the date of this festival tends to vary widely? Well, for finding answers to these questions please do keep reading.

Before 325 A.D, people celebrated Easter on different days in a year. However, Emperor Constantine put forth different Christian issues in front of Council of Nicaea and one of those issues was to fix a date for the Easter celebrations. Therefore, it was decided that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after first full moon which falls after spring equinox. This is the reason why Easter falls in between March 22 and the April 25. Easter was first known as Eastre which was basically celebrated by Germans. It was celebrated for the goddess of springtime and fertility known as Oestre or Eostre. Among many Christian denominations like Catholics, Easter is considered as the last day of the festival of Lent. Christians are supposed to fast and make other kind of sacrifices during the 46 days of Lent. The day before the fasting period is called as Mardi gras and also as fat Tuesday.

The Easter Bunny is one of the oldest traditions of Easter which was followed since the ancient pagan religions. Easter is the time when winter comes to an end and the spring season begins. Therefore, it is a time when new plants grow from the mother earth and therefore symbolizes fresh and new life. Therefore, this day was an occasion to pay tribute to the fertility goddesses and that the rabbit or hare is thought as the manifestation of fertility. The tradition of the Easter Bunny was brought by the Germans to America but it was not incorporated in the Easter traditions until the Civil War. Nowadays most people put the chocolate bunny into the Easter baskets along with the Letters from the Easter Bunny himself - especially for children. The reality is that the Easter Bunny has become almost as popular as Santa Claus – thus, letters from the Easter Bunny are treasured keepsakes for kids.

The Easter egg symbolizes rebirth all through the history of mankind and also in the mythological traditions. Even in the ancient cultures people exchanged colored eggs a long time before this practice was employed in the modern celebrations of this festival. In the olden times and nests were used instead of Easter baskets and the Dutch children especially for this tradition of filling the bonnets and caps with grass and placing them out overnight. If the offerings were good enough, brightly colored eggs were left in the nest by the fertility goddess. This tradition was adopted and changed into the Easter basket filled with the fake grass later on. I hope you have understood the Easter traditions old and new and their origins.

Tips and Ideas for Easter Basket Goodies

Easter is one of the most enthusiastically celebrated festivals across the world. The celebrations include Easter eggs, Easter baskets along with Letters to the Easter Bunny. Most of us especially children are pretty excited about the Easter basket goodies and the dainty things in them. However, parents are most of the time faced with a difficult job of filling their Easter baskets with goodies. The reason for this is that you are supposed to do this basket with sweet stuff like chocolate, candy and even the traditional chocolate Easter bunny. However, there are some non-sugary alternatives available soon at you don't have to worry about the health of your children.

Consider the Easter basket as a kind of Easter stocking just like the Christmas stocking. Toys are one of the safest bets when it comes to gifting children. From slinkies and yo-yo’s to popular toys like the power rangers and Barbie dolls can make the Easter basket a delight to your child. You can also choose the toys such as fuzzy Easter chicks or the cuddly and soft Easter bunnies. You can also include the Letters from the Easter Bunny in the Easter basket goodies which will be a special treat for your child.

Of course some parents prefer to have their kids receive personalized letters from the Easter Bunny the moment they are delivered. Either way, it’s a delight to watch the expressions on kids’ faces when they see a real letter from The Easter Bunny. You should come to keep your child's gender and age in mind when you are choosing toys for him or her. Another amazing idea is including a storybook with Easter theme. It is not only enjoyable for your child but also they enhance his reading skills and knowledge. You may also get to spend some time with your kid as you sit down and read a story.

CDs and DVDs are also one of the best gifts you can include in the Easter basket goodies. Imagine your kid’s excitement when they will find the DVD of the popular cartoon character in the Easter basket. CD is also a good option as they can enjoy their favorite songs while enjoying Easter celebrations. Another timeless but popular choice for a gift is a new crayon box along with a new Easter coloring book. You can never go wrong on this one and any and every child will like it. The sweet snacks are an integral part of the Easter basket treats. You can include in the basket of fruit roll ups which are much healthier if also decent brand candy. Raisins are also a good choice especially better than candy which is sugar loaded. You can even make the Easter cookies at home and they are always the best as they are devoid of the dyes and preservatives which the store cookies are full off.

It should be noted that the children just love opening the Easter baskets and are excited about anything that they find them. Therefore, it is your job to provide them with proper gifts and not overdo the same and buy any useless thing for them. So, now you understood how you will surprise you children by providing them with beneficial gifts in the Easter basket goodies.