Easter Sunday is a celebration of the perfect gift that the God-made-flesh, Jesus Christ, gave to the world. That gift is the gift of salvation. Among Christians, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday is a big feast. The event encourages giving creative gifts to one another to commemorate the best gift of salvation that the human race has received from its Creator.
Many Christians still practice the tradition of giving Easter gifts. For them, Christ’s resurrection is the perfect gift from the Father, and they commemorate that through many ways, of which gift giving is just one. Christianity considers Easter the climax of the Passion of Christ. Prior to Easter, the whole of Christendom celebrates Lent, during which they remember the suffering and death of their Savior. They follow His last moments through the Way of the Cross, reflect on His last words while He was hanging on the cross, and ponder upon the best gift of salvation that they have received through His death. Lent is also a time of repentance, sacrifice, deep prayers and meditation, and renouncing of earthly pleasures (e.g., abstention from eating meat and fasting). Lent, in fact, intensifies the happiness of Easter, during which God’s special gift of new life was given to His Son.
If you are one of those Christians who practice gift giving during Easter, there are many great gift ideas for you. You can go with the traditional religious gifts: crucifix, portraits of Jesus, cross necklaces, Bible, and the like. These traditional religious items remain popular today. The crucifix is a visual reminder of Christ’s special gift to humanity. The Bible is a great gift idea to give to a Christian family so that its members can read God’s word. A religious pilgrimage to a shrine or to a religious museum is also a creative gift idea for Easter.
You can also opt for the more secular gifts ideas that have been attached to Easter. The Easter bunny and the Easter egg are the two more common ones. These two icons of Easter actually came from pagan roots but have been assimilated into secular Christianity. The bunny and the egg are symbols of fertility and new life, both of which are highlights of spring season, during which Easter coincides. Items that show these two icons can be the best gift idea for the season.
Yes, it is appropriate to give Easter bunnies (real ones); these can be the best gift to give to someone who is fond of pets. Fresh Easter eggs are also great gift ideas, too. Dye the eggs in different colors, or hand-paint them with colorful patterns, and give a tray or two to your recipients. You can also place the eggs in a basket. Or, set up an Easter egg hunt for your neighborhood.
You can also expand the bunny-and-egg theme further. As a special gift to your kids for Easter, you can give them pajamas with Easter rabbit prints. There are also great gift ideas for friends and loved ones: egg-shaped chocolates, Easter gift baskets, egg-shaped soap, rabbit-shaped cake, egg- or rabbit-shaped night lights, and many more.
Celebrate the happiness of Easter with your loved ones and friends. For many Christians, it is an appropriate time for giving gifts to one another. Just remember why you are doing it: to celebrate your joy of having received the perfect gift of salvation from God.