April 8th Is Easter
According to the Canonical gospels, on the third day after Jesus’ crucifixion, the son of God rose from the dead. This resurrection is celebrated by Christians on Easter Sunday (also referred to as Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday). The Easter holiday is a central part of the Christian religion.
Much of the Christian faith is based on the resurrection of Jesus, which established him as the Son of God and was used as proof that God will judge the world in righteousness; giving Christians “a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
A moveable feast holiday – meaning it does not fall on the same day each year – Easter is the first Sunday after the full moon closest to March 21st (the Paschal Full Moon), and marks the end the forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance known as Lent. Rounding out the end of the last week of Lent, Easter is part of the Holy Week, which also includes Good Friday two days before.
Fact: Church services held on Easter Sunday has higher attendance than any other Christian church service throughout the year.
Closely related to the Jewish Passover observance in much of its symbolism, as well as its calendar placement, Easter bounces around between March 22nd and April 25th. In many languages, the words for ‘Easter’ and ‘Passover’ are etymologically related or homonymous.
The fifty days following Easter is called Eastertide, or the Easter Season, and ends with Pentecost Sunday.
Be creative but reverent this Easter Sunday with your own Stained Glass Cross in 10 easy steps!
What You’ll Need
Brown Construction Paper
Contact Paper, approximately 13” x 16”
A Variety of Brightly Colored Tissue Paper
Scissors
Directions
1. Fold the construction paper in half like a greeting card.
2. Cut out a cross from the construction paper. Carefully cut out the centers of the cross according to the pattern.
3. Carefully peel backing off of the contact paper and place it on the work surface, sticky side up.
4. Open the construction paper cross like a greeting card, there should still be one connecting side.
5. Place the right side of the cross carefully onto the left side of the contact paper and press down to adhere. The left side of the cross should be laying open like a greeting card, the right side of the contact paper will be needed later.
6. Tear or cut tissue paper and place all over the cross. Overlap colors as you go so that you do not have any empty spaces.
7. When all spaces are covered, carefully close the cross like a greeting card, lining up so that it matches up.
8. Fold the right side of the contact paper onto the cross and press down. Press out any air bubbles.
9. Use scissors to cut the cross out of the contact paper, trimming close to the edges.
10. Hang in a window and watch the sun shine through!
While Easter is historically a religious holiday, over the centuries it has also become a day about the rebirth of spring time, with Easter baskets and decorated eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny. And more recently, the advertising and holiday greeting industry has turned Easter into a day about chocolate and jelly beans.
I took one look at these Easter Basket Cupcakes and knew I had to make them for Easter Sunday dinner this year. I hope the ones I make will look as good as the ones in the picture below!
Ingredients
1 dozen cupcakes
1 bag jelly beans
2 cups white icing
Sweetened coconut, colored with green food coloring
Directions
1. Frost the cupcakes with white icing. Bend a pipe cleaner or a piece of red licorice into an arch and push the ends into the sides of each cupcake.
2. Shake the shredded coconut in a stainless steel bowl. Sprinkle on food coloring bit by bit, mixing vigorously to distribute the color
3. Place a pinch of shredded coconut on each iced cupcake. Now place three jelly beans on the “nest” of coconut.
4. Tie a small ribbon bow on the pipe cleaner or licorice handle at a jaunty angle.