What if “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” came twice a year? And I don’t just mean “Christmas in July.” What if we could infuse our homes & traditions with the same anticipated joy that we have at Christmas time? Could the same impact of Christmas be duplicated in our hearts and homes at another time?

With intentionality, we prepare every aspect of our lives for Christmas. From transforming our environments with garlands, trees, and lights-a-glow to listening to that special music we fast from all year. We watch our favorite Christmas movies, and even edit what we eat – all because we associate it with the season of Christmas. Seriously, I can smell it just thinking about it!

When our sights, sounds, and environment change so uniquely we know immediately that something special is happening! With all the embellishments of the season my children’s curiosity was piqued! This, in fact, is no ordinary time.

As Christians, we know that Christmas is the celebration of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, coming in the form of a baby born of the virgin Mary. But, is Christmas the most important holiday for Christians? What if we are missing it altogether?

Jesus, fully God and fully man, came in the flesh and lived a sinless life.

“…Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”

Philippians 2:5-8

Christ came to us to defeat the power of sin. Through his obedience unto death on a cross we who believe can have eternal life.

Easter is the fulfillment of Christmas.

Which brought me to question, “Do I celebrate Easter with the same enthusiasm and effort that I do Christmas? Especially for a Holiday equally as important to my faith?” My initial answers to these questions were lackluster at best. This sparked a desire in my heart to ready our home with the same intentionality and anticipation. And my hope is that it will for you, too.

Our Christmas traditions are rich and deep and affect all of our five senses, which has inspired my approach to Easter.

Sight

Visual impact is the best place to start when creating an intentional celebration of Easter. However, when every store is full of rabbits and eggs, (rabbits don’t even lay eggs?) it becomes challenging to stay on topic – The resurrection of Jesus. So began my dive into scripture for Biblical Easter imagery.

I was inspired by Jesus, the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29) so I incorporated portraits of lambs along with a lamb’s ear garland draped on the fireplace mantle. I thought of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey as onlookers acted instinctively in obedience to the scriptures, laying their cloaks on the ground and waving palm branches while shouting “Hosanna in the Highest!” (Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 21:7-11). I thought of his grave clothes and his head cloth folded and set aside (John 20:7) as beautiful ribbon streamers – declaring in themselves that Christ has risen indeed.

So began my transformation of our Fireplace mantle with a lamb’s ear based garland, including olive leaves, mini ficus, eucalyptus, palm branches, and thistles (to represent the crown of thorns). Draped on the garland I placed the fabric ribbons to represent his grave clothes. To design a garland of your own, check out our post How-To Create a Resurrection Themed Easter Garland.

Sound

Just as I listen to Christmas music as we decorate the home I looked for Easter playlists and started compiling my own playlist of my favorite Easter songs. We listen to this in the weeks leading up to Easter Sunday. Here’s a link to The Resurrected Home Easter Spotify Playlist.

Touch

I purchased some stuffed animal lambs and donkeys and an interactive Easter Creche set for the kids. I collected children’s Easter books, as well! Additionally, we take time on the Thursday of Holy week (the week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday) to wash each other’s feet as Jesus did for his disciples (John 13:1-5). Check out our post Resurrection Book Recommendations for Kids.

Taste

Hot crossed buns are a classic Easter recipe, along with Homemade Pretzels, deviled eggs, lemon bars, and my favorite, Resurrection Rolls!

Smell

Delicious sweet treats offer wonderful smells that can start to become associated with Easter. As well as defusing fresh springtime scents such as Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint or finding a springtime candle such as freshly washed linen!

If approaching Easter in this way stirs your heart as it did mine. I would also encourage you to evaluate how long you leave your Christmas decorations up, and mimic that timeline in your observance of Easter. A helpful tool I have used is the Liturgical Church Calendar. Within the church calendar you will find Lent as the prequel to Eastertide.

Lent is the 40 days of preparation prior to Easter Sunday and the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Beginning Ash Wednesday and ending the Saturday before Easter. Lent is a set aside time within the Liturgical calendar with rich traditions of fasting, prayer, and giving. Our family uses the church season of Lent to decorate our home for Easter. We use a 40 day Lent paper chain countdown calendar to help build anticipation for Easter Sunday. 

Lent is often a time of fasting, which is why you might have heard the question posed, “What are you giving up for Lent?” The purpose of fasting during the season of Lent is to aid in the turning of our eyes and hearts to Jesus. The fun part of abstaining from whatever it might be, is that each Sunday of Lent is used as a “mini Easter,” where you are not obligated to hold to your fast. This is used as a reminder of our freedom from sin in Christ Jesus! (For more on this, check out Our Family’s Approach to Lent & Easter & Cultivating Lent & Holy Week Traditions).

Lent is to Easter what Advent is to Christmas. A time to reflect on our great need for a Savior to come. Not just to come, but to die in our place. We cannot fully celebrate the truth of Christmas without celebrating the Glory of Easter!