Question:  Greg,

            I have read through most of the information you have regarding Easter and some of the practices associated with it (bunny and eggs).  This is an issue I have struggled with but feel I have arrived at a fairly balanced view of it (with your help).  BUT…the church we began attending 6 months ago is having an Easter egg hunt after a sunrise service and brunch and I am not comfortable with this.  I am not against an egg hunt in general and we have always done one for our children but not on Easter, and I feel it gets in the way of what the focus of the celebration should be.  If we choose not to participate, we would not come across as haughty or better…but are we being too rigid?

            Jody

Answer:  Dear Jody,

            There are several issues here:

1.      Children and Christian customs/celebrations.  Explaining the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus to small children is difficult, and is usually best handled with symbols and ideas that differ from the way one would teach teens and adults.  Take, for example, the movie, “The Passion”.  Much has been said (rightly so) about the violence in the movie, about the “R” rating as a result, and about the preparation that even teens may need before seeing the movie (if their parents feel it to be appropriate).  Most certainly there needs to be discussion and debriefing afterwards.  This is a pattern that really needs to start with children at a young age—so that they have some initial grounding in the why of traditions and customs.

2.      The significance or importance of customs in relation to the event (i.e., Christmas and Easter).  There are many Christian families who do not involve Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny in their Christian celebrations—and at an early age teach their children why they do not “believe” in either.  It is important for families and parents to decide how to teach their children, what implements and symbols to accept and which ones to reject.  There are lessons, of course, even in the rejection of certain symbols and customs that “everyone else does”—how to be understanding of others without condemning them, while at the same time differing with them and their ideas of customs and celebrations.

            Some families celebrate Jesus’ birth without a Christmas tree, and/or by refusing to give gifts to each other, but instead giving gifts to the poor and those in need.  Some families do not do the chocolate-egg-coming-from-the-Easter bunny idea, while others make a family tradition of painting eggs in preparation, hiding them and finding them.  They put all of that together with new life, being found by Christ, and Jesus’ resurrection from the dead being like the baby chick that comes out of an egg, etc.

            If you decide to do something as a family, or not do something, of course you don’t want to teach your children to be vain or proud or “better”.  You want them to know that Jesus alone is “better”—and that’s why we worship him and focus all of our attention on him.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht