So as I tried to to listen to the sermon about Palm Sunday, all I could think about was what I hadn’t done. To put it another way, there are no original ideas, only ideas that are adopted, adapted, stretched, combined with other ideas, and the like. It definitely inspired conversations with my children and had me tearing up in several spots as I read it to them. I feel like some older children’s Bible story books include stories that aren’t age-appropriate, while many of the modern children’s books mean well, but end up using semi-creepy, vague illustrations and overly poetic language. The Greek word for that is leros, the root of our word delirious, which means that the disciples essentially thought the women were out of their freakin’ minds.

This year Thorntons wanted to show us their range of chocolate Easter eggs and gifts which all look scrumptious but we got a sneaky chance to try one out in the run up to Easter.Yet Easter is a blazing reminder that I cannot do anything for God; I do not bring any righteousness of my own. In the past, the word easter could mean “to turn toward the east” or “rising” and didn’t necessarily have any implied religious meaning. Second, a number of folks have asked me where the idea for Easter is Coming came from, including most recently a colleague who is teaching a course on media, culture, and the gospel.

In 2024, Eastern Orthodox Easter will occur on Sunday, May 5 (the Julian calendar date converted to the Gregorian calendar). Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples during Passover, so it makes sense that the Feast of the Resurrection is connected with the Jewish holiday.The word “ Paschal,” which is used in the ecclesiastical (Christian church) calendar, comes from “Pascha,” a transliteration of the Aramaic word meaning “Passover. In a time when children's Easter excitement often focuses on only egg hunts and candy, this book offers a different--and true--reason for joy and expectancy.

The author of Easter is Coming does a fabulous joy of taking young listeners from original sin to the Resurrected Christ at the empty tomb. Maybe just because of the timing but it seemed even more powerful… like echoing truth, reinforcing the message.Our Easter craft kits and activity books will keep them amused, and they can even create some cute decorations for the home such as paper chains and felt animals. I wish dearly that you would publish again the "Formula For Determining The Date Of Easter For Any Year In The Gregorian Calendar" that appeard only in the 1977 edition of the Old Farmer's Almanac. The book begins with Creation, shares the birth of Jesus and continues through to His death and the celebration of His resurrection. So on Tuesday, when we had a rough cut of the video, we asked Karoline Lewis – who I think has a great voice for this kind of thing – to join us.

From all the Editors here at The Old Farmer’s Almanac, we wish you a Happy Easter and a joyous spring season! If interested – and if you have the time – you could probably freeze the video at the midpoint and transcribe it, but unfortunately that’s all I can offer. Note: It was the Germans who invented the “Easter Bunny” who visited “good” children’s homes, much like they invented Santa Claus. So it is normally presented in a sweet, very short version that ends with the joy of the Resurrected Christ and an empty tomb.

Going back to the Hebrew Bible and the story of the first Passover, Moses tells the Israelites to slaughter a Passover lamb and paint its blood on their door. Essentially it means that creativity is not an isolated or individual process but rather comes about when ideas bump and collide with each other. I am always on the lookout for books and other resources to aid me in my mission of teaching my children the implications of Easter and what it is we are truly celebrating on that holiday. While only twenty-four pages, Fortner does an excellent job emphasizing the meaning of Easter and why Jesus came.