Ask anyone what they think of when they think of Easter, and you’ll probably get answers like, “Easter bunny”, “Easter basket”, “bonnets”, “eggs”, and “candy”. …but did you ever wonder how (or when) these symbols became the top-of-mind answer for so many people, both Christian and non-Christian alike? …and where do things like: “empty tomb“, “resurrection”, and “died for our…
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Making pretzels is a great way to celebrate Lent – did you know they were a traditional food many years ago often prepared during the Lenten season? Learn how to make your own – and other activities – in our Family Activities for Lent and Easter book!
Holy Thursday, commonly known as Maundy Thursday, is the start to the Triduum leading up to Easter Sunday. While not a Holy Day of Obligation, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper is a beautiful mass celebrating the last meal Christ had with his disciples before he was arrested and crucified. The solemn feel to the mass is in a stark…
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A wonderful Easter tradition – most commonly found in Eastern European families – is the addition of a butter lamb to the Easter table. These lambs are so fun, and so adorable, and make a great conversation (and education!) piece. Lambs are also a great symbol of Easter, and will help to balance out all the bunnies and eggs. The…
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Clearly I was in a baking mood today – not only did we take these adorable Saint Patrick’s Day shamrock cupcakes to the Fish Fry at church, but we also brought a rainbow Saint Patrick’s Day cake – complete with pots of gold! – that I made. The spirit of Saint Patrick was definitely filling the kitchen today…and so was the sweet…
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Yes, this cake is a bit more on the commercial side than the Catholic side, but what’s not to love about edible rainbows that end in pots of gold? (For more faith-filled activities, check out all the Saints Activities for Saint Patrick.) This was such a fun cake to design and create, and it was super easy. Super yummy, too!…
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Easter week – or Triduum – is always so busy for everyone. These next few projects we’ll be doing together are to help prepare for that amazing week both mentally (as we study the readings on why we do these projects) and physically (as we make some great crafts that can be brought out to celebrate during Triduum and on Easter Sunday)….
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Ok, so this handprint leprechaun is not *technically* representative of Saint Patrick, but it’s an adorable activity none-the-less. You can still turn this into a teaching activity by talking about leprechauns as you make your hand prints…which lead to a discussion on shamrocks, the Holy Trinity, and how “luck” is really just God’s way of answering our unvoiced prayers. Ha!…
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In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, a fun activity to do with kids – in my opinion – is anything that involves handprints or footprints! I think they’re a great way to capture the tiny little size of those adorable babies…and a way to get them to make handprints you actually *want* as opposed to the jelly handprints on the…
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When it comes to a celebration, the details are what help make it a success. We recently talked about what to serve at a Last Supper meal on Holy Thursday as part of our Triduum activities, so now we’re going to look at a way to add both decoration *and* education to your dinner. Two key components of the…
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A great way to recognize our Catholic heritage is to celebrate Jesus and *his* heritage – being Jewish. On Holy Thursday, recreate (as close as we can) the Last Supper meal – or Seder for Passover – that Jesus and his disciples shared. While none of us were there, and there’s not a perfect menu for us to refer to, there…
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One of the beautiful traditions our parish has is to come together each Friday of Lent for a (baked) fish fry and then go into the church to pray the Stations of the Cross together. For this week’s Lent activity, test your knowledge of the Stations – and Jesus’s path down Via Dolorosa – with some trivia cards. Twenty cards,…
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The two projects we’ve done so far (magnets and trivia cards) this Lenten season related to the Stations of the Cross have been great. I’ve learned a ton in creating both, but there was one thing that has really weighed heavily on my mind. I am a mother to the most perfect little toddler in the world. No, he doesn’t…
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Bible Study: Job Chapters 24-28 Still reading Job, but wanted to focus this on the first chapter of today’s reading – chapter 24. As a person who believes in a Higher Power – and it could be any power, for purposes of this discussion – this chapter was definitely one that posed questions that I’ve asked myself…and had others ask as…
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I know, I know…it’s barely been the First Sunday of Lent and I already have a project for the Second Sunday of Lent. I was just too excited about this to not share!!! So, consider this a bonus in that you now have an entire week to pick up the supplies. I promise, there aren’t many. So, without further adieu, I…
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