You Say Pascha and I Say Easter

Sometimes life is about compromise, so this Easter, try a little give and take! Maybe you have a new love who has opened your world up to fresh and interesting customs, or it could be that your Aunt Joan is bringing her Jewish boyfriend to your family’s Christian Easter celebration. Perhaps you’re a kindergarten teacher who wants to take the opportunity to teach the class about the diverse backgrounds and faiths in your classroom.

Either way, lots of different cultures celebrate this wonderful springtime festivity so there are many different ways to observe it! With the global village we are now part of, more and more families and groups are finding reasons to blend their different customs—and the celebration can be all the richer for it! Here are a few tips on how to celebrate your different Easter traditions together:

Have a discussion

Step one in blending any custom is to find out what can’t be left out. Invite discussion between you and your loved one, or the parents of the class, so you can find out the most integral and interesting parts of each celebration. Here are some questions to get the discussion started:

• What exactly do you celebrate? When it comes to the celebration most commonly known as Easter, you could be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, the rites of spring or the evasion of the wrath of God (as in Passover). It is important to understand what is being celebrated and to honor and respect each member’s belief system.
• Why do you celebrate? This seems like the same question as above, but it will garner much different answers. Some people may only celebrate because it’s what their parents do. Some may celebrate for a deeply devout reason. Again, everyone’s reasons are valid and deserve respect; but the answers to this question might give you some insight as to whether the celebration should be solemn or festive.
• What kind of foods do you eat? Because Easter is celebrated in the spring and many traditions involve fasting before Easter, foods are very important to this holiday. Blending several different customs may make for the most interesting meal you’ve had in some time. And the Easter mélange that has shown up in your basket in years gone by will pale in comparison to the variety you’ll see with a blended celebration!