Breaking tradition?

[123LuckyMom]

This year, we're just our nuclear family for Easter. Everybody's sick, so we're not going to invite guests, which is what we normally would do. I don't want to make a big Easter dinner, especially since my picky 5 year old won't eat any of it, and my 2 year old couldn't care less.

If nobody has fevers we will be going to church on Easter morning. We're skipping Maundy Thursday for sure, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil unless the kids are really fever free and up to it. I do not intend to coddle cranky kids through a two hour service late at night, even if it is MY favorite! If we go to church, they'll get to do an egg hunt. If not, they'll still get Easter baskets. I think it will still feel like Easter for them.

If I decorate the table with our Easter stuff, can I serve a totally non traditional meal, like my son's favorite, chicken Kiev? I mean, I know I CAN, but I'm wondering how important you think it is to preserve family traditions like traditional holiday foods.

ETA: I am not (yet) sick, so I certainly could do our traditional foods if you think it's important.

[KpbS]

Your family's favorite meal sounds perfect! The kids have no idea of traditional Easter foods (esp. if they are picky eaters) and why not enjoy the time together? Hope you can stay well and get some rest! :hug:

[KLD313]

I think I'm going to do non- traditional Easter foods this year. I'm just not feeling it and I don't like Easter because it has bad memories for me.

I'll do baskets and egg dying and an egg hunt for the kids but I think that's enough tradition. My kids don't care about the food. I'm also not celebrating in a religious way, either.

I still need to figured out what to cook.

[123LuckyMom]

I think I'm going to do non- traditional Easter foods this year. I'm just not feeling it and I don't like Easter because it has bad memories for me.

I'll do baskets and egg dying and an egg hunt for the kids but I think that's enough tradition. My kids don't care about the food. I'm also not celebrating in a religious way, either.

I still need to figured out what to cook.

I'm sorry Easter is difficult for you. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts.

[specialp]

Go for it. I have yet to go to the store so we may end up with something more special, but as of now the plan is chicken maybella (w/o sugar) which is a staple for us anyway so I already have 4 or 5 in our freezer that I prepared when I put chicken up. We have lots of fun things planned -that's the important tradition to me - and that will not be possible if I am in the kitchen. I'm making the cupcakes today so I won't have to do anything but assemble later. I truly plan to think very little about food on Easter.

eta: Sorry about the sick crew.

[Ms B]

I vote for giving yourself a break and doing only the things that you like or want to do this year -- and maybe for a couple more. I love traditions, but practicality has to win out when we all have so much on our plates, KWIM?

We could have gone to a couple seders or given our own this year, but the thought of dealing with The Biscuit through a multi-hour meal (when he barely can sit still for 15 minutes on a normal night) and then having his regular bedtime knocked out of whack for two weeknights in a row (when DH then has work commitments the next two nights) put me off the whole process this year. We had what we like to eat for Passover on Monday and Tuesday nights and we plan to do matzo balls and latkes over the weekend to fill out my favorites. I am keeping the holiday, but The Biscuit is eating as usual to ensure that he does, in fact, eat. Otherwise, all bets are off this year . . .

[Jen841]

Do what is easy. For Christmas Am my friend gave her kids all of their favorite things...pop tarts, Mac & cheese, M&Ms... They will hopefully always remember it and keep up the tradition. She is an angel (unexpected) and I hope the boys remember their fun loving mom until they join her.

[Simon]

I'm not big on following traditions that aren't working for my family. We'll do a community egg hunt or two on Saturday, brunch on Sunday morning, and church in the afternoon. We decorated eggs about a month ago. I don't have any baskets for the kids yet, or any fillers (I keep thinking its another week away), but we'll likely do our own family egg hunt outside at the local state park. No cooking or guests here.

[vonfirmath]

We don't have any Easter Traditional meal. I'm looking for a corned beef. If we can find one we'll have corned beef and cabbage because we had it recently and everyone ate it.

[TxCat]

We don't have a tradition for Easter outside of Easter baskets. Honestly, for us it's usually a more low-key holiday anyways. Do whatever makes sense for you all - you should be able to relax and enjoy yourself, however you best accomplish that.

[123LuckyMom]

Thanks for all your input! Chicken Kiev, welcome to Easter!

[elephantmeg]

this reminds me of a conversation I had around Christmas time with a fellow nurse who is seperated and has a teenager. She says for 16 years she has made the same xmas meal and this year it was just them (usually her parents are there but they were in FL). She asked if he wanted her to do the "traditional Christmas meal" or if they wanted to change it up. He said "we have a traditional meal? What is it?" So instead of the whole meal she made lasagne!

[123LuckyMom]

this reminds me of a conversation I had around Christmas time with a fellow nurse who is seperated and has a teenager. She says for 16 years she has made the same xmas meal and this year it was just them (usually her parents are there but they were in FL). She asked if he wanted her to do the "traditional Christmas meal" or if they wanted to change it up. He said "we have a traditional meal? What is it?" So instead of the whole meal she made lasagne!

Oh, that's funny!

[lizzywednesday]

We've been making baked ham from Trader Joe's but if I wanted to follow my favorite "tradition" from my family, I would have to be a lot more religiously inclined than I am at present.

My grandparents, who are Slovak, take food to church on Holy Saturday to be blessed. Usually it's kielbasa and hard cooked eggs, sometimes an egg-based bread (similar to challa, but not challa, if that makes sense) as well.

We're offered these foods at Easter dinner on Easter Sunday.

I guess what I'm saying is we make our own traditions. If your family loves Chicken Kiev, by all means serve that for Easter dinner! There's a lot of symbolism with different foods - eggs, lamb, etc. - but if nobody will eat that but you & DH, it's more likely to create resentment than anything else, in my opinion. "Traditions" should be meaningful to your whole family and they can evolve as your family's needs change.