Easter Celebrations

I plan on coming back in here (eventually) and making these more detailed and informative but this is all just taken from notes I used in a class taught to 4th graders last year. This might help you explain to younger ones all the wonderful days of reflection and celebration the Easter season has in it. May God be glorified in this season by us all!

Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is the 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays. It is the first day of Lent and is always on a Wednesday (duh). It was a biblical tradition to throw ash over your head to show repentance and at a lot of church services on this day the pastor will use their finger to put an ash cross on our heads while saying something like "repent and hear the good news".

Lent
Lent is the 40 days, leading to Easter, not counting Sundays (didn't I just say that above?). The Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday. It symbolizes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert. Lent is a time for people to reflect and prepare for Holy week (the week we celebrate the events leading up to Christs' death and resurrection).

Easter is the celebration of a wonderful gift from God. His love for us should be our ultimate source of joy and contentment. During Lent it is a common practice for us to fast from one of the things in our lives that we think brings us joy. Missing out on that food, activity or thing can be a constant reminder to us that indeed our Joy is in the Lord (or at least it should be!).

Palm Sunday
The Sunday before Easter is Palm Sunday. It is the first day of Holy week, a day when we celebrate Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of donkey. Crowd of people lined the streets waving palm branches and shouting "Hosanna" to Jesus. Sadly later the same crowds shouted "crucify him".

Maundy Thursday
This is the day we celebrate the Lord's Supper where Jesus introduced the breaking of bread and drinking of wine in remembrance of what He was about to do for us. The word Maundy comes from the latin word mandatum meaning commandment. It was on this day that Jesus said "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you".

Holy Thursday, as this day is also known, is also a time to reflect on Jesus washing the disciples feet ( a humble act of service), Jesus suffering in Gethsemane, and also the betrayal of Judas.

Good Friday
This is the day we reflect on Jesus' crucifixion. Although that is a very sad thing to think about, because it is our sins that put Him on the cross, there is also such joy in knowing that he was willing to do that for you and I and most importantly there is hope for us all because he conquered death and is truly a king of kings!