As Easter Sunday approaches on April 5, why not start putting your kids to bed with stories that tell them a little more about the holiday?
Although some families choose the secular route of celebrating with the Easter Bunny and chocolate, Easter is of course the most important holiday in the Christian calendar, and there are plenty of books to reflect that.
It starts with Lent, which consists of the 40 days before Easter Sunday, and leads into the Holy Week, the week prior to the holiday, reports History.com. Within the Holy Week is Palm Sunday, for Jesus' ride into Jerusalem, Maundy Thursday, to honour the Last Supper, Good Friday, the day of Jesus' crucifixion, Holy Saturday, the period of transition, and culminating in Easter Sunday, the day he rose.
For some people, Easter means attending church services for each of these holy days, with the specific services, while for others, just gathering the family together for a meal is a way to honour their tradition.
Easter also coincides with the start of spring, which is where the concept of the Easter bunny originates, according to the Christian Post. The eggs are symbolic of new life.
"The use of eggs in particular has been used to identify the essence of life and the resurrection of Christ," Dr. Quentin P Kinnison, assistant professor of Contemporary Christian Ministries at Fresno Pacific University, is quoted as saying in the piece.
Young children, who may not yet be aware of the significance of the holiday, can find plenty of books to help explain the themes, no matter which element of the holiday. Take a look at these options for Easter books for kids:
