One of the holidays that marks a major moment for Christians, Easter, is around the corner, and it's an opportunity for families to come together and make special memories.
The day celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion, and Britannica reports that Christians have been marking it since the 2nd century.
"In the Christian calendar, Easter follows Lent, the period of 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter, which traditionally is observed by acts of penance and fasting" Britannica notes, adding, "Easter is immediately preceded by Holy Week, which includes Holy Thursday, the commemoration of Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples; Good Friday, the day of his Crucifixion; and Holy Saturday, the transition between Crucifixion and Resurrection."
How can families make this a memorable Easter?
Make a special meal together
Cooking meals together fosters moments of closeness with the family and comes with multiple benefits.
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It is an opportunity to teach your children to cook, create new traditions and bond.
"Children learn healthy habits from time spent cooking together. Many children enjoy activities such as measuring, stirring, adding foods, colouring, kneading, frosting, and smelling things you cook together," medical website Dr Lam Coaching reports on its blog.
"These activities improve motor skills, math, sensory awareness, and creativity. They also reduce picky eating tendencies and teach lifetime healthy eating habits."
Easter meal traditions vary across the world, and The Pioneer Woman, a lifestyle website, reports that it goes from lam to biscuits and cakes.
"Ukrainian Easter is usually a spread of the foods given up during lent, including butter and cheese. These two symbolically connect the people and Jesus Christ: just as a child receives strength from their mother's milk, so too are Christians enriched by their connection to Christ," The Pioneer Woman reports, adding that homemade cookies and rakes of lamb are beloved in the US and Europe.
Pray and read the scripture together, or go to church
If you are looking to instil Christian values in the children, or just to remind yourself what the Easter holiday is truly about, connecting with your faith is a good way to go about it.
"Attending church on Easter can be a meaningful and valuable experience. It is a time for family to come together and reflect on the holiday's true purpose - the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It provides an opportunity for people to humble themselves and grow spiritually and a chance to hear a hopeful message in a world often filled with negativity," Miss Millennia, a lifestyle magazine reports on its blog.
Go on a road trip
If everyone is getting a few days off from their work or school schedule, a fun idea for the whole family would be to hop in the car for a road trip full of interesting stops and things to see along the way.
One World 365, a travel blog, points out the many benefits of going on a family trip, including making memories and taking children out of their comfort zone.
"Sitting at the beach and running into the water isn't the most educational thing in the world. A normal holiday might teach your kid a few basic skills, but at the end of the day it's mostly about having lots of fun," the blog reports.
It adds: "A family road trip is a combination of the two. Your child will definitely have lots of fun, but they'll learn a huge amount of things too. You'll get to decide how much they actually learn depending on what you teach them."
Throw an Easter party
You can get close family friends together for a day or evening of merrymaking and games.
Sharing a meal and tasty treats will mark the holiday, and party games will help create long-lasting memories for both the adults and children.
"Everyone loves a good charcuterie board. For Easter, though, why not hit pause on the classic meat and cheese combo and bring in the bunnies (and marshmallow chicks, chocolate eggs and more)," Taste of home, a lifestyle blog reports on some snack ideas for a memorable party.
"To create an Easter nibble board, lay a base of paper Easter grass (skip the plastic stuff). Then add in plenty of your favourite store-bought candies as well as homemade treats like pinwheel mints, cut-out cookies and candy bunny tails."
For the fun and games, you can consider bringing everyone's minds together for some board games, or you could get everyone involved for a scavenger hunt.