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This past Sunday, the church celebrated Laetare Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Lent. The Latin word Laetare means, “Rejoice” and this Sunday was a day of celebration of hope and joy in the midst of our Lenten penances. We’re reminded that though we’re walking in the desert, the Resurrection is around the corner. Before we know it, we’ll dive deep into the sorrowful passion of Holy Week and on Easter Sunday, we’ll celebrate the Resurrection of our King, our Lord, and our Redeemer.
For me, in the practicality of family life, it’s also a nice reminder to get my affairs in order for Easter! I start to think about filling the Easter baskets and making the menu, and because I’m the Director of Music at my parish, I buckle down in the details of preparing the music for our Holy Week Liturgies.
The origins of the Easter basket, along with the bunny and eggs, seem to be a result of many cultures and traditions mixed together into a cornucopia of Easter merriment. Some say the customs came from the Anglo-Saxons, others from the Germans. Some seem rooted in folklore and the celebration of the spring solstice, while others are clearly taken from Christian tradition. One of the most compelling of the origin stories for the Easter basket cites that early Christians would bring a basket, called a Paschal basket, of all the foods from which they abstained during lent to be blessed. Over time, Easter baskets began to feature chocolate and candies to celebrate the end of the penitential season.
Regardless of the origin of all our Easter traditions, Easter Sunday remains a time of celebration. The most glorious day to celebrate that Jesus conquered death forever so we will enjoy a new life in Him. As far as I’m concerned, we might as well pull out all the stops for that celebration – the flowers, the bunnies, the eggs, the chocolate. Easter is a time to bask in the promise of new life and the beautiful love of our most gracious Savior.
As far as baskets go, a little candy is great, but it’s a little easy to overdo the sugar on a holiday like this. We have our baskets, we do the egg hunt, and I usually make a fun easter dessert – so it’s a lot of sugar. I like to add in a few other festive items and gifts into the Easter baskets as well.
Everyone in our home receives a basket, including anyone who is visiting for the holiday. We’ve had grandparents, cousins, etc. I’ve done all kinds of gifts to make these baskets festive. For kids, I like to give books, sippy cups, small toys, and special religious items of their saints. For adults, a mug, a t-shirt, or a nice bottle of jam is always appreciated.
Here I will highlight some great Catholic companies and some good options for filling those Easter baskets!
Catholic Family Crate has a great line of card games and activities for kids, including sticker books, magnets, and pins. (My kids will be enjoying a variety of Catholic card games this Easter)
Be A Heart (Use code SACRAMOM at check out for 10% off)
Be A Heart has so many wonderful Easter Basket options for kids. “Jesus Heals” bandages, rosary kits, crinkle books, silicone teethers and bibs, puzzles and even a Jesus doll. They even take all of the guess work out for you and have Easter Bundles for different ages.
The Little Rose Shop is always a favorite for all my gifting needs! They feature everything from baby swaddles to mugs to notepads to t-shirts. Their site also has gift guides built in to help you complete your shopping list.
Sock Religious has always been a favorite go-to for Easter basket fillers. Their Saint Socks never disappoint. Head over to their Catholic Concepts t-shirt product page for some very “punny” Catholic Tees as well.
Shining Light Dolls has so many great options for kids as well. This was our go to for St. Nicholas day this year. In addition to their classic, plush and rag dolls, they also have board books, Saintly sticker scenes, mini-puzzles water reveal cards and more!
If you have little ones, Chews Life has some great options for basket filling. Silicone rosaries and rosary bracelets, teethers and pacifier clips are all perfect for those baby years! (My daughter has been hopelessly attached to her Mama Mary pacifier from Chews Life for the entirety of her 2.5 years!)
And of course, if you’re running short on time and could use that Prime Shipping, head on over to Amazon for these great Catholic books.
Look & Learn: First words for Catholic Kids
Rescued!: True Stories for Catholic Kids
Heavenly Hosts: Eucharistic Miracles for Kids
Cloud of Witnesses: A Child’s First Book of Saints
Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times
Be Yourself: A Journal for Catholic Boys
I hope this guide helps you get all your ducks in a row for Easter morning! May our Paschal baskets be a small reflection of the wonderful gift of life lived with Jesus.
SacraMom.com 
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