Easter day runs for eight days. Are you familiar with this? As Catholics, we have a strange and wonderful warping of time. We start celebrating Easter at the Vigil and we celebrate it right through until the end of the next Sunday. Each day is as if that day was Easter Sunday. Proof for this lies in both the prayers at Mass:
We spend so much time preparing our hearts in Lent -- attention to detail, changing daily routines, restricting ourselves. Prayer, fasting, and charity/almsgiving. My question is this: Now that we celebrate anew the bridegroom resurrected, how are we feasting? What are our Easter priorities? If you have few, fear not! I have five ways you can incorporate to make sure you celebrate this eight day feast regally. Dive into the deep end, my friends; this is the only time in the year we have such an Octave!
1. Plan a feast
Plan a feast for the remainder of dinners for the Octave. One of my favorite years, we had an eight-day Mexican food fiesta. All our favorites jazzed up a notch (nachos with bacon and caramelized onions? Yes, please!) Jazz up the table with candles or sparklers!2. Easter-cize your Grace
Sing an Easter song as part of grace before meals. Our typical song choice has been Jesus Christ is Risen Today. Find something fun and upbeat. Even singing an Alleluia! Gorge on alleluias! We’re been fasting from them -- include them before your meals!3. Celebrate with Community
Invite another family over to join in your feast. Every year I discover one of our friends who has never had the joy of trying lamb (which is always our Easter Monday dinner.) We receive the joy of their company as well as celebrating this feast with them -- inviting friends over is always a win!4. Change Your Music to Easter
If you haven’t already, change your music selections to Christian songs for the week. You can find Easter playlists on Spotify (you can sign up for a free account) and also on youtube!5. Write Love Notes
Write short love notes to each family member every day or do a specific and intentional action of love to each member each day. Jesus publicly declared his love for us on the cross; let’s make sure that love continues to be publicly given to our family too. Our words and actions have lasting affect, and help make present in a tangible way that love that has saved us.
We celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord in no other way throughout the year. Share the wonder and awe of this time with your family! The joy and wonder that the tomb is empty - he is not there. Christ is risen!
What do you do to celebrate Easter this week?
Copyright 2018 Jane Korvemaker
Photo courtesy of Fr. Darryl Millette, All rights reserved.
About the Author
.png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)"){kind=logo}
Comments