As a child, I dreaded Easter. Church attendance, the lingering chill of spring, and the disappointment of limited candy from my basket made it less than enjoyable. Plus, I had an aversion to ham, which was a staple on our family table.
When I became a parent, I decided to transform Easter into a holiday I could enjoy. My ex-husband introduced a delightful tradition: hiding jelly beans around the house for the kids to find first thing in the morning. We also permitted them to indulge in as much candy as they wanted, which certainly heightened the fun.
However, as is common with many holidays, the excitement of Easter tends to fade for teens, leaving me nostalgic for the days when my little ones eagerly rushed into my room at dawn to hunt for jelly beans. To revive that celebratory spirit and fill that empty space in my heart, I came up with a few ideas for making Easter special with my teens.
Hide Money in Easter Eggs
Here’s a fun twist: don’t reveal that there’s money hidden in the eggs. I tried this last year and initially, my kids were indifferent to the egg hunt. But once my daughter discovered cash in one, her brothers quickly changed their attitude, and let’s say the competition got intense! I mix in their favorite candies to keep the hunt exciting.
Order Takeout
Cooking an elaborate Easter dinner is not my idea of fun. Instead, we enjoy pizza or Chinese food—both are favorites in our house. I prefer to set a lovely table and enjoy a meal with my kids. We order early, ensuring we have plenty of leftovers for later snacking in front of the TV, allowing for two quality moments together.
Continue the Easter Basket Tradition
Even if they pretend not to care, I believe my teens still appreciate Easter baskets. I prepare one large basket for all of them, filled with their favorite treats and a small stuffed bunny each. While they may act indifferent, these little gifts remind them of their childhood, and I suspect they still cherish a few stuffed animals at night.
Easter is not an extravagant holiday for us—I don’t want to turn it into another Christmas. I keep it simple, adding small tokens like face masks since we all love a good charcoal mask. This little tradition has become something we all look forward to.
Revive Old Traditions
I still hide jelly beans, which is easier now that they sleep later. I continue to buy the same candies from their childhood and keep the stuffed animal tradition alive. I refuse to let Easter become a time for new clothes or gadgets. I never did that when they were young, so I won’t start now. A few small gifts and some cash make for a joyful celebration.
Keeping things simple and incorporating familiar traditions truly brings happiness to both me and my kids. Most importantly, we all enjoy the day, and I get to witness glimpses of their younger selves as they excitedly search for eggs and grab their stuffed toys. As any parent of teens can attest, these moments are what make it all worthwhile.
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In summary, revamping Easter celebrations can rekindle excitement for both parents and teens. Simple traditions like hiding money, ordering takeout, and continuing the Easter basket custom can help maintain the spirit of the holiday while creating cherished memories.