Planning a Southern Easter Celebration

Easter is both a celebration of Christ and a way to embrace the coming spring while it’s in full bloom. The holiday brings lots of fun traditions to complete with your family and delicious food to eat, all while the gorgeous flowers flourish outside. Some of us might be heading to church first thing, while others may be hiding Easter eggs for the kids. However you celebrate, try these tips for creating a uniquely Southern Easter.

1. Embrace Community:
   For many of us, church is the essential place to see community members and celebrate our faith when Easter rolls around. The Church allows us to observe Jesus’s resurrection while also greeting our friends and neighbors. For some, embracing community might mean inviting loved ones for Easter dinner or even having a fun party with colored eggs and bunny-themed invitations. Either way, Easter is a great excuse to spend time with those you care about. To truly ring in the spring, make sure to get together with those in your community this coming Easter.
   
   
2. Put Pastels Everywhere:
   There’s no question that Southerners love color. Easter is a special springtime celebration, so why not celebrate with spring colors? Light pinks, blues, greens, and purples reflect the blooming plants outside and make up the perfect color palette for a spring celebration. There are many ways to incorporate color into your Easter ritual, whether with an outfit choice, decorations, colorful Easter baskets, or dying eggs with your kids. Let the beautiful Southern spring take hold with color all throughout your Easter.
   
   
3. Don’t Forget About Family:
   While connecting with friends and neighbors is great, family is at the heart of Southern Easter celebrations. Kids can rejoice in the delight of hunting for Easter eggs or chowing down on a chocolate bunny, while the whole family can appreciate heading to church and eating a huge glazed ham! Whatever your family traditions, there are many ways to incorporate some great family bonding into this fun and cheerful holiday. It’s an excuse to get generations of family from aunts and uncles, grandparents, and cousins all under one roof, hanging out and enjoying a delicious dinner.
   
   
4. Cook up a comfort meal
   Speaking of dinner, there’s yet another thing to love about Easter–the food! Whether you’re feeding two people or twenty, Easter is a chance to spend the day whipping up a tasty meal for you and your loved ones. Why not make it extra Southern by cooking something with Southern roots? Along with the ham, try collared greens, grits, pot pie, peach cobbler for dessert–even biscuits and gravy for a comforting Easter breakfast before heading out to church! Sharing all that tasty food with your loved ones is a great way to celebrate life and show gratitude for everything coming for the rest of the year. Plus, cooking is a good way to squeeze in a little extra time together in the kitchen.

Easter only comes once a year, so you might as well enjoy it! Celebrate Easter this year by adding a little bit of Southern fun to your holiday. Make some memories that you and your family can look back on for the rest of the year and years to come.