making traditions

i know that holidays don't have to be celebrated in an identical fashion year after year, but some of my best and warmest childhood memories come from the comfortable, loving predictable nature of a holiday celebration with family. for the last few years, but certainly not all consecutive years, we have hosted an easter gathering in our home for my parents and sister, and we attend our church en masse, and we hide easter eggs all over the yard, and the kids are coming to anticipate/love/count on these evens. i really like watching the kids develop recurrent activities and memories built around love and celebration and family...because you know what they're making? traditions. traditional practices, like a script, will anchor them when they think about holidays in the future. OR it will give them a framework for a thing that they wholly reject, and that's fine too. 

i just really like traditions and celebrations. 

they made eggs...

and we all had a wonderful sunny afternoon on the bus, wandering state street, and hanging out at the terrace...

and then we came home for the traditional making of the bunny bread.

later we had a family viewing of jesus christ superstar, the best holiday musical of all holiday musicals.

sunday morning, the grandparents, the dress clothes, the smiles...

and after church these eager little things got to find their baskets, hunt for eggs, and binge on candy.

and then we made lunch

and gathered together, and celebrated. like tradition tells us.