One of the most important things that my husband and I are passing along to our children is our faith. We go to church every Sunday and holy days, they attend a private religious school, and we incorporate prayers into our daily routines. And for the past several weeks, we have been observing Lent – a time of fasting, sacrifice, and prayer in preparation for Easter and the resurrection of Jesus.
Starting today with Palm Sunday, we are entering the final and holiest week of the Lenten season. This year, we are adding a new tradition to our celebration of Holy Week – The Easter Story Egg from Star Kids Company. The set comes with The Easter Story Egg book (written and illustrated by Natalie Ard) and seven wooden nesting eggs, one for each day of the week.
This morning before church, we got out The Easter Story Egg set and first read an explanation of why we celebrate Easter and what it means. My daughter then read the story in the book for Palm Sunday – when Jesus traveled to Jerusalem and the people covered the road with palm branches. Tomorrow, we will open the Palm Sunday egg to reveal the next egg and read the story for House of Prayer Monday. We will continue to open the egg and read a story each morning this week (for Teacher of Love Tuesday, Give and Take Wednesday, Last Supper Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday). The final reading in the book is for Easter Sunday and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection!
I am really excited to have The Easter Story Egg and to read through the stories with my children. Like other religious holidays, Easter has become somewhat secularized and the focus is on the Easter bunny and egg hunts and eating chocolate and jelly beans. However, with The Easter Story Egg, I can teach my children the true meaning of Easter and help them continue to grow in their faith. I also anticipate that they will be talking about Holy Week in school and it would be great if they could pass on what they learn from The Easter Story Egg to their classmates!
You can learn more about The Easter Story Egg and purchase it online from Star Kids Company. It sells for $34.99 and there is free shipping on all orders. I highly recommend including The Easter Story Egg with your Easter traditions!
Dana Rodriguez
I just love this. You are so right about the true meaning of religious holidays being over commercialized.