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A Recipe for Easter Family Traditions

Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The story starts on Palm Sunday with the Triumphant entrance of Jesus in Jerusalem and follows events leading to His crucifixion and burial on Good Friday. On Easter Sunday (the third day after his death), Jesus rose from the dead as He prophesied.This celebration helps Christians remember that we have eternal life with God because Jesus paid the price of our sins.

Family traditions help a family grow stronger together and Easter is no exception to building on these traditions. Here are a few things you can do as a family to remember what Jesus did.

Do a Craft Together - Check out this fun craft to tell the Easter story to do with the kids this Easter. Simply print, cut and put together and take turns telling the story.

Read the Bible Story - Time for family read aloud! Chose one or all of these selections from the Gospels to read on Easter week together as a family:
1. Matthew 26-28
2. Mark 15-16
3. Luke 22-24
4. John 17-20
The best part of reading together is to have the opportunity to talk about your faith with your children. Let them ask the questions, have them take turns reading the Word and then pray together and thank God for His gift.

Go to Church - Matthew 18:20 (KJV) says “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”. At Easter time, it is a common practice for many Christians to come together to praise God in celebration for what He’s done.

Get Easter Lilies - White Easter lilies symbolize the purity of Christ to Christians and are commonly seen in churches and homes around the Easter holiday. The dormant bulbs in the ground that come alive in the spring season represent the rebirth and hope of Christ’s resurrection. Native to Japan, lilies were brought to England in 1777 and eventually found their way to the U.S. after World War I. They are now the unofficial flower at Easter time. So pick up some lilies or make some with the kids to decorate your home.

Make Hot Cross Buns - Another tradition is having Hot Cross Buns on the table for Easter. These round buns are made with currants and spices. Originally, they were baked with a cross mark as a symbol of Christ. Today, icing is piped on top to make the cross symbol. The custom of eating these spiced buns happened during the spring festival, which could be rooted in Greek customs. However, the English custom of eating them on Good Friday happened as a result of a bylaw during the Tudor period in London which prohibited the sale of these buns except for Good Friday, Christmas, or at funerals.

Here’s a recipe for Hot Cross Buns:

Yield: Makes 2 ½ dozen buns

Hot Cross Buns

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
2 cups warm whole milk (110° to 115°)
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup raisins
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons water

For Icing

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 to 6 teaspoons whole milk

Instructions

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk to make a yeast mixture.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter, sugar, salt, spices, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth.
Stir in currants, raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft, sticky dough.
On a floured surface, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic (about 6-8 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled for about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough. On a lightly floured surface, divide and shape the dough into 30 balls. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until doubled for about 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°.
Using a knife, carefully cut a cross on top of each bun.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and water together and brush over the tops of the buns. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool slightly.
For icing, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Pipe a cross on top of each bun. Serve warm.

This article has been written by homeschooling staff writers of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our themes page that has a new theme topic added every month!