Spring is always a busy time for our family. The Hughes family celebrates both Passover and Easter. Although, it is great to be with family for the holidays, our extended family is 3-4 hours away. It is wonderful when we can celebrate the holidays with them, but we have made our own wonderful holidays and traditions surrounding each of them.
In preparation for this year’s Passover, Jacob and Elle, decorated an Afikoman cover. Afikoman is a piece of broken matzo that is eaten at the end of the Passover Seder meal as a dessert. This week, when we have off from school, we will make other desserts like Passover cocoa meringues. They will also make origami figures signifying the ten Plagues.
On the first two nights of Passover, Jewish families hold a Seder which is a special dinner. For dinner, we usually cook a brisket and say prayers praising and thanking G-d for the health of our ancestors and ourselves. At the start of the Seder, a piece of Matzah is broken and placed in the Afikoman cover. Adults hide it and at the conclusion of the Seder, children search to find the Afikoman. The child that finds the Afikoman gets rewarded with money or a prize/gift. Elle says this is her favorite holiday because she loves finding the Afikoman. Since it is only our children searching for the Afikomen, we have chosen to give each child a small gift. However, the child that finds the Afikomen, gets to choose from 2 gifts.
Mommy plans the Passover Seder meal menu, but Daddy does most of the cooking for both Passover and Easter. Jacob and Elle help in the kitchen and set the family table in preparation for the meal. I love the holidays traditions that create memories for a lifetime. Jacob and Elle (twins in the 4’s class) have come to love the traditions and will one day share these same traditions with families of their own.
In the weeks leading up to Easter we have a blast dying and decorating Easter eggs. Annually, we attend an Easter Egg hunt hosted by the Mt. Airy Lion’s Club. We also decorate and eat Peeps. Mommy loves her Peeps! On Easter morning, Jacob and Elle search for plastic Easter eggs that are hidden around their toys in their playroom. Each egg contains jellybeans or chocolate eggs. In Elle and Jacob’s Easter baskets the Easter Bunny has left arts and crafts and projects to do with Mommy and Daddy. Last year, Daddy worked with Elle and Jacob to build and paint race cars! Elle and Jacob loved it! The family attends Easter mass and has a big Easter dinner celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.
This year, Daddy is celebrating his birthday on the same weekend as Passover and Easter. He is looking forward to lots of presents and a birthday dinner at a Japanese hibachi restaurant!
