Start a new Easter tradition with this list of fun things to do for Easter. (This article also includes the historical origins of Easter traditions and symbols commonly associated with Easter, such as Easter Eggs, Easter Baskets, and the Easter Bunny.)
Meaningful Easter traditions create memories that last a lifetime. Here’s a list of fun Easter traditions and celebration ideas you can do with your kids, close family, and other relatives to add to your holiday festivities. Our fondest memories typically include our traditions and celebrations with our closest family and friends. Families that share special moments and cherished traditions report a stronger connection and bond than families without establishing these seasonal holiday rhythms and routines. Start a new family Easter tradition with this list of fun things to do on Easter. You might also enjoy this list of Christmas Traditions.
There are several fun things to do for Easter and many ways to celebrate in the days leading up to it. Choose a new family tradition from the fun Easter traditions and celebration ideas below. If you’ve ever wondered what the symbols commonly associated with this holiday have to do with Easter, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this article to learn about the history and origins of some Easter traditions and symbols, such as Easter Eggs, Easter Baskets, and the Easter Bunny. First published in February of 2016; this Easter tradition post is regularly updated and republished to improve the content.
Related: Spring Bucket List Seasonal Activity Guide
Easter Traditions and Fun Things to Do on (or Before) Easter
Here’s a list of fun things to do for Easter that make trying a new Easter tradition easy. Choose your favorite Easter celebration ideas from the fun family Easter traditions below. After you look through the list of Easter Tradition ideas of modern and traditional Easter traditions celebrated around the world. We included a section on the history and origins of common Easter symbols filled with some information that might surprise you.
So, if you have ever wondered what rabbits have to do with Easter, why there is an Easter Bunny and Eggs, or why we have baskets on Easter, read to the bottom of this post to find the answers to your most frequently asked questions. We have uncovered some interesting information about Easter traditions to share with you that might surprise you. Scroll past the list of fun family Easter traditions and fun things to do on Easter directly below to learn more. You might also enjoy these May Day traditions.
Related: Thanksgiving Traditions and Fun Things to Do on Thanksgiving
20 Fun Family Easter Traditions and Celebration Ideas from Around the World
Discover fun things to do for Easter and creative ways to celebrate the beginning of spring. Here’s a list of Easter traditions from around the world, along with some fun activities associated with Easter:
1. Make and Decorate an Easter Tree
Easter Egg trees, Ostereierbaum, are a traditional Easter ritual believed to have originated in Germany. In the past, Easter egg trees were outdoor trees decorated with hollowed-out eggs. But today, Easter trees are decorated inside and outside the home with eggs and many other Easter ornaments.
Our Easter Tree becomes a centerpiece on our spring nature table in the weeks before Easter. An Easter egg tree also makes a sweet decoration for Easter that the whole family can enjoy and looks lovely on the dining table for Easter brunch or dinner. In our home, decorating an Easter tree each year is a cherished household rhythm.
Learn more about the Easter Egg Tree tradition, including how to make and decorate one, HERE–>How to Make an Easter Tree.
We love to decorate seasonal trees on our nature table. Once Easter is over, we love to turn our Easter Tree into a butterfly tree that we decorate with various ornaments, nature finds, and crafts made throughout the summer. Next, we love to decorate a Thankful Tree in the fall, and finally, we are big fans of decorating a Christmas Tree in the wintertime.
2. Get Creative with DIY Easter Ornaments
Here’s a fantastic list of Easter Ornaments, including instructions for making toilet paper roll birdhouses and other easy Easter decorations for Easter trees, wreaths, and garlands. Making homemade Easter ornaments to decorate your home is a fun Easter tradition for kids. Toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, grade-schoolers, and teens will all enjoy making these fun Easter crafts.
3. Read Children’s Easter Books with the Kids
Reading kids’ Easter books with children is an Easter tradition many parents, caregivers, and educators enjoy. A few of our favorite Easter books for kids are on the list below. You might also enjoy this list of magical spring books for kids.
- The Easter Egg by Jan Brett
- The Story of Easter (Little Golden Book)
- Pete the Cat and the Easter Basket Bandit by James Dean
- How to Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace
- Marshmallow: An Easter and Springtime Book for Kids
- Llama Llama Easter Egg by Anna Dewdney
4. Make Easter Crafts and Create Easter Art
Creating holiday arts and crafts was one of my favorite Easter traditions as a child–and it still is. Making Easter-themed crafts such as paper baskets, bunny ears, and greeting cards is a lovely way to spend time with your children over the holiday break. Learn how to make several fun Easter arts and crafts, with some of the fun ideas on the list of Easter crafts below:
- Easy Bunny Craft
- Pom-Pom Baby Chick Craft
- Watercolor Surprise Easter Egg Art
- Easter Art Projects for Kids and Adults
- Homemade Easter ornaments
- Decorated Wooden Easter Eggs
- Easter Chicks Egg Decorating Ideas (photo below in upper right corner)
- Wooden Easter Egg Decorating Ideas
- Baby Chick Craft Ideas (photo below)
5. Decorate Easter Eggs
Easter egg decorating is a favorite Easter tradition and activity. Painting and decorating Easter eggs is so popular that it’s one of the most common Easter traditions worldwide. Families decorate hard-boiled eggs with dyes, paints, stickers, and other embellishments, creating beautiful and colorful designs.
There are so many fun ways to decorate Easter eggs. Decorate hard-boiled Easter eggs, faux white plastic Easter eggs, or wooden Easter eggs with children. Then, hide them for Easter Egg Hunts and put them in children’s Easter Baskets. Children love to decorate eggs as much as they love to hunt for them.
Decorated Wooden Easter eggs have the advantage of being stored away in the easter box and used year after year. You can even make keepsake heirlooms to pass down from generation to generation. For example, we put our Easter Chicks in Easter baskets and hide them for Easter egg hunts every year, and they are still as wonderful as the day we made them.
My daughter loves finding them in the backyard. Their cute little faces peek at her when she sees them, making her squeal joyfully! We have found a fun and easy way to color natural brown eggs for Easter. Click the link to learn how we did it! For more creative ideas, check out these Easter egg decorating ideas.
6. Make DIY Easter Baskets
Turn trash into a treasure that the kids will LOVE with upcycled Easter Baskets! Making Easter baskets from recycled materials is a fun and eco-friendly Easter tradition for kids and families. Use recycled materials such as paper, fabric, sweaters, milk jugs, juice cartons, cans, bottles, plastic bags, and even stuffed animals to make recycled Easter baskets.
7. Do Some Easter Baking
Another Easter tradition the entire family can enjoy involves baking Easter-themed treats such as cookies, cakes, bread, and other traditional confections for Easter. For example, Simnel cake, a fruitcake topped with marzipan balls to represent the apostles, is a traditional Easter dessert in some countries. Its religious roots reflect the holiday’s festivity. Learn more about this traditional Easter dessert and get an excellent recipe with a step-by-step tutorial to bake one–> HERE.
Decorating other baked goods, such as sugar cookies in the shape of an egg or bunny or carrot cake cupcakes, with Easter or spring symbols, such as crosses, chicks, carrots, eggs, and rabbits, is also a fun way to celebrate Easter. A faith-based bread recipe you can make with the kids called “Resurrection Rolls” is included in the Christ-centered Easter celebration ideas below.
Often families have Easter recipes such as these or others passed down from generation to generation. Or a favorite Easter treat or recipe that they make every year for children on Easter, such as bunny pancakes on Easter morning. Get out your recipe box, do a Google search, ask grandma for her favorite recipe, or come up with your own creative Easter confection or baking idea!
8. Take a Picture with the Easter Bunny
Another common Easter tradition is to take a picture with the Easter bunny. Many families head out to stores, malls, and Easter Parties in search of the Easter Bunny to check this fun family Easter tradition off the list. So, find the Easter Bunny at a local church Easter hunt or event near you. Or, convince someone in your family to dress up this Easter in a bunny costume!
9. Host or Attend a Spring or Easter Bonfire
In some European contries, such as Germany and Sweden, Easter fires, sometimes called Paschal fires, are bonfires lit on Easter Eve, the night before Easter. Many view these Easter fires as a symbolic ritual to welcome spring and ward off evil spirits. So, build a bonfire to welcome the spring and the new life and growth it brings as nature awakens.
Some scholars believe this Easter tradition originated in pre-Christian times when people symbolically burned away the darkness of winter after Imbolc, the spring equinox, or Eostre. However, there is much debate about the origins of these Easter bonfires. Enjoy a community Easter bonfire the night before Easter, or host your own. Please follow city and county ordinances if you choose to do so, and if you light a campfire, be prepared to fight it. Learn how to build a campfire and keep everyone safe HERE–> How to build a campfire.
10. Leave a Carrot out for the Easter Bunny
Another Family tradition and fun way to celebrate Easter that children enjoy is leaving a carrot out for the Easter bunny the night before Easter. Children often burst into fits and giggles when they wake up to a half-eaten carrot and Easter Baskets on the table. So, remind your children to have your kids leave a carrot out before bed the night before Easter.
Or, make bunny food with this fun new treat idea for the Easter Bunny. The kids can make it and leave it out instead of a carrot the night before Easter. You can find a recipe for magical homemade Easter bunny food HERE!
11. Make Easter Bunny Footprints to Surprise Young Children
Here’s a fun Easter tradition that toddlers and preschoolers love. The Easter Bunny footprint tradition is a charming way to spark children’s imaginations and add to the magic of Easter morning. It involves creating tracks to look like the Easter Bunny left them when it delivered Easter baskets and hid eggs around the house or yard. To try this fun Easter tradition. First, invest in bunny footprint stencils. Then wait until the kids go to bed the night before Easter.
Once children are safely asleep, sprinkle flour, baking powder, powdered sugar, or baby powder over the bunny paw stencils multiple times to make them look like bunny tracks coming into and out of the house through a door or window. Make the bunny footprint tracks through your backyard or out the front door and down the block. Repeat the process, alternating the footprints slightly left and right to mimic a bunny’s hopping path. Space the footprints in a way that looks like a rabbit might have made them, leading to where the Easter treats are hidden.
12. Surprise Children with Easter Baskets
Another family favorite Easter tradition is giving and enjoying Easter baskets on Easter morning. Easter baskets and the toys and gifts commonly placed inside have become an Easter tradition many families worldwide enjoy. In our home, it’s traditional to include a solid milk chocolate bunny rabbit, chocolate eggs wrapped in foil, candy-coated eggs, or a peanut butter-filled chocolate egg in our Easter baskets from the local candy store down the street because my husband loves peanut butter candy.
In addition to chocolate bunnies and cream-filled eggs with various delicious fillings, gourmet jelly beans and marshmallow candies such as Peeps are a few more favorite traditional candies to put in a child’s Easter basket. I remember a childhood friend who dreamed aloud about the marshmallow treats in her basket on Easter morning in the weeks leading up to it, anticipating their sure arrival. Other items you can include in an Easter basket are; a book about Easter or spring, high-quality art materials, and natural Easter toys. Or, look at this list of Easter basket toys and gift ideas children are sure to love!
13. Go on an Easter Egg Hunt
An Easter egg hunt is another popular Easter Tradition for children of all ages in many countries. Children search for hidden eggs, sometimes filled with candies or small toys. Other times they search for hard-boiled decorated eggs or a combination of both.
When you ask kids what they love most about Easter, Easter egg hunts, Easter Baskets, and all the sweet treats they typically include consistently rank the highest in popularity. So if you plan to celebrate Easter with kids, include an egg hunt. Learn how to host an Easter egg hunt with the simple instructions below:
How to Have an Easter Egg Hunt:
- Choose a location to have an Easter Egg hunt from any of the following ideas:
- Front or backyard
- A block in your neighborhood (make sure you notify or get permission from neighbors)
- A local park
- Schoolyard or playground
- In nature (make sure it’s for public use before conducting an egg hunt.)
- Hide one or all of the following in the backyard, at a local park, or out in the wild:
- Invite children to go on an Easter egg hunt to find the hidden eggs. Encourage them to take their Easter baskets into the area with hidden eggs to look for them and gather any they see.
My daughter goes on egg hunts most of the year, and they never get old. Need a minute to get dinner done? Hide some decorated wooden eggs in the backyard to give yourself some time. My daughter LOVES this traditional Easter activity all spring and summer long! Looking for an exciting new Easter egg hunt idea? Play Party Plan has several fun Easter egg hunt ideas you can try–> HERE.
14. Enjoy a Friendly Easter Egg Rolling Competition
People roll decorated eggs down a hill in many countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. The winner is the egg that rolls the farthest down the hill without breaking. Often, these community events include an egg decorating contest and are loads of fun for kids and adults of all ages. Plan to attend an Easter egg rolling event near you. Churches often host one or plan your own and invite friends and relatives to join the fun.
The White House Egg Roll is a race on the White House lawn on Monday after Easter. The South Lawn of the White House has activities the whole family can enjoy, including storytime, games, live entertainment, and of course, the traditional Easter Egg Roll! Join the lottery to get tickets HERE. Learn more about the history of this egg-citing event HERE–> White House Easter Egg Roll. Or, join hundreds of participants gathering for the annual egg-rolling competition at Devil’s Dyke as shown in the video below.
Related: Roll Down a Hill For Fun and Good Health
15. Play Easter Games
Organizing various games, such as egg and spoon races, sack races, and pin the tail on the bunny, especially for children’s entertainment, is fun on Easter. Often, churches and community centers offer several Easter games at Easter fairs and other events. Ask your local church, check your local listings for details, or organize a fun day of Easter games and events in your backyard or at a local park with friends and relatives.
16. Share traditional Easter Candies
Easter is a time as rich in tradition as chocolate eggs themselves. As mentioned above, and as is familiar with many holidays, several candies and sweet treats are traditional for Easter. Today, many candies and sweet treats seem to have become synonymous with the holiday itself. Central to these confections is the Easter egg, symbolizing new life and resurrection. Egg candies are made in many shapes and sizes. Chocolate eggs are made of solid milk or dark chocolate and are sometimes candy-coated, intricately decorated, or filled with sweets such as peanut butter or creme.
Another iconic Easter treat is the chocolate bunny, which comes in hollow or solid forms, sometimes with intricate designs or decorations. Some artisan candy makers also offer gourmet flavors of Jelly beans in a spring mix of flavors, with vibrant colors and flavors to please young and old alike. Another candy people love for Easter is marshmallow chicks and bunnies, such as those made by Peeps. These modern traditional Easter candies offer a soft, sugary treat that has charmed generations. Together, these sweets add to Easter’s festivity and serve as a conduit for cultural and familial traditions, bridging generations with joy and celebration.
17. Watch an Easter Parade
Many towns and cities host an Easter Parade to celebrate Easter. People in cities like New York City often watch or participate in Easter parades. Check your local listings to see if an Easter parade is coming to a town near you.
18. Attend an Easter Procession
Some countries, primarily Europe and Latin America, hold religious processions featuring floats and statues for Easter.
19. Host or Attend a Traditional Easter Brunch or Dinner
Enjoy a traditional Easter Dinner with your family as part of your spring celebrations. An Easter feast filled with traditional Easter menu dishes and homemade family favorites is a treat the whole family will enjoy making and eating together.
Families gather for special meals featuring traditional Easter foods, such as roast lamb, ham, hot cross buns, and spring vegetables. We love going to the local farmers’ market the week before Easter to gather fresh seasonal foods from local farmers to prepare and enjoy for Easter. Try any of these traditional Easter dinner recipe ideas.
- 20 Most Popular Easter Dinner Recipes | Food Network
- Top 25 Traditional Easter Dinner Ideas | The Spruce Eats
20. Enjoy an Easter Concert or Performance
Attending concerts, plays, or performances with spring or Easter themes is another fun thing to do in the springtime for Easter. Music and dance companies and schools in cities and towns, large and small, put on different types of shows, plays, and performances for all ages to enjoy. Look at your local resource guide for an Easter concert or performance near you.
5. Faith-Centered Easter Traditions To Start
Next, you can do several faith-based, Christ-centered, or religious Easter traditions with your family and relatives or community.
1. Attend an Easter Vigil
An Easter vigil is a religious service the evening before Easter Sunday held in many Christian dnominations. It marks the completion or end of Lent and the start of Easter celebrations. It traditionally includes several key elements: the lighting of the Paschal candle, the Exsultet (a hymn of rejoicing), a series of Old Testament readings, the celebration of baptism and/or confirmation for new members, and the Eucharist. The service moves from darkness to light, symbolizing Jesus Christ’s resurrection and victory over death.
2. Wake with “He Is Risen.”
In many households, this traditional Easter greeting is the first thing said on Easter morning. This greeting is also typically heard in churches. The head of the household or church speaks the words “He is Risen” or “Christ is Risen,” to which everyone else replies, “He is Risen, Indeed!”
3. Make Resurrection Rolls.
Make and bake resurrection rolls as a fun way to share the story of Easter and Christ’s resurrection with your children. Learn how to make this traditional Easter treat at Yummy Healthy Easy.
4. Tell Children the Story of Easter with Resurrection Eggs.
The Easter Story Egg or Resurrection Eggs can help you share the story of Easter with your children. (You can also try resurrection eggs.)
5. Go to church or Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday.
Some communities hold outdoor religious services at sunrise on Easter Sunday, symbolizing the dawn of the new life brought by the resurrection. Join a local church offering an Easter Sunrise service outdoors, or join your community at a local church on Easter Sunday.
History and Origins of Common Easter Symbols and Traditions
Have you ever wondered about the origins of the symbols commonly associated with Easter today? Or have you ever asked yourself: why is there an Easter Bunny and Eggs, what do eggs have to do with Easter, what does the Easter egg represent, how did the Easter Bunny come to be associated with Easter, or why do we have baskets on Easter? Read on; we have some information to share with you!
History of Easter Traditions and Symbols
Many theologians believe that early Christian monks allowed pre-Christians to continue honoring their traditions and symbols to encourage more of them to convert to Christianity. Others think the church did this to prevent the masses from rebelling if not allowed to continue the spring traditions that were most important to them. Or maybe the church couldn’t stop people from continuing their favorite spring traditions, which is why they survive today.
Either way, many rituals and customs associated with the Spring Equinox have become traditional elements in most Easter celebrations today. Easter traditions such as Easter baskets, colored or dyed eggs, and even the Easter Bunny have become a way to continue honoring the rituals and traditions the masses held dear and found most meaningful.
Why is there an Easter Bunny and Eggs?
Many people today wonder what Easter has to do with the Easter Bunny. Others ask why or how eggs have become associated with Easter. In answer to these questions, some theologians believe the Easter egg symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Others claim the egg represents the womb from which Christ is reborn.
Another popular theory is that eggs came to be associated with Easter because they are forbidden during Lent. In this view, boiling eggs became a great way to keep them from spoiling through Lent. So, decorating eggs and eating them for Easter would be a likely part of celebrating the completion of the fast. Boiling eggs made it possible to keep them to enjoy once Easter arrived, so people didn’t have to eat rotten eggs!
Another reason eggs may have become associated with Easter is early Pagan spring equinox celebrations. The spring equinox (also called Ostara or the vernal equinox) has been celebrated as a time of renewal and rebirth long before Christ was born or reborn. So, many scholars believe the egg became associated with Easter because of these early pre-Christian spring equinox celebrations. In these early earth-based traditions, the egg symbolized fertility and rebirth and was related to the Goddess Eostre.
Who is Eostre?
In ancient times, people celebrated the Goddess Eostre and offered her eggs and other spring symbols at the spring equinox. The hare and eggs symbolized fertility, rebirth, and the Goddess herself–the Eostre hare. As Christianity grew in Western Europe, the Catholic church adopted many ancient Earth-based pagan customs that its congregants held dear. So this could be why Easter includes symbols such as the Easter bunny and eggs.
How did the Easter Bunny Come to Be associated with Easter?
The exact path by which the Easter Bunny came to be associated with Easter is unclear, but several factors contribute to this tradition. The Easter bunny, or the Easter Rabbit or Hare, is a traditional Easter story some say originated in Germany. According to this folk legend, the Easter Bunny would visit the homes of little boys and girls the evening before Easter. This cultural folklore could be why leaving a carrot out for the Easter bunny remains an Easter tradition today.
In early earth-based traditions, the rabbit, or hare, is associated with Eostre, the goddess of fertility and rebirth. Like the egg, the bunny symbolizes fertility. In these early pagan traditions, the spring equinox and Eostre were celebrated in the spring to honor rebirth and new beginnings. Interestingly enough, ancient festivals were held in honor of Eostre on the same day Easter still falls today. “The first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.” I know it’s a mouthful, but it continues to be the date chosen as “Easter” to this very day.
Why do we have Baskets on Easter?
Easter baskets are said to originate in ancient Earth-based spring rituals and traditions. In ancient folklore, Eostre carried a basket of eggs as a symbol of fertility, and people would offer baskets of young seedlings and eggs to her as an offering. Eggs and seedlings symbolize rebirth, and baskets filled with eggs symbolize new beginnings and fertility.
Because Easter is celebrated on the same day, the pre-Christians celebrated Eostre. Some scholars believe early Christians reinvented many traditions associated with Eostre and the spring equinox to include in their Easter Traditions. So, they allowed the masses to continue celebrating their most cherished traditions. Or, they simply allowed them to continue including these ancient spring traditions, hoping they would be forgotten one day.
Related: Easter Basket Ideas for Kids
Family Easter Traditions from Around the World
Start a new fun Easter tradition this year with your kids and family. Family Easter Traditions create memories that last a lifetime. The list of Easter celebration ideas above includes examples of Easter traditions and activities enjoyed around the world on Easter Sunday.
While each culture may have unique customs and celebrations to mark this important holiday, several common spring elements and themes are shared across traditions. For more information about Easter symbols and traditions; including how the Easter Bunny came to be associated with Easter, read this article by HISTORY.
You might also enjoy this excellent list of Easter art project ideas. You may also enjoy our spring bucket list for more fun things to do on Easter and during the spring.
Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!
More Holiday Celebration Ideas and Family Traditions
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