For eight days following Easter Sunday, every day is Easter! The following are some ways to make sure that our joy at Easter is not just a short-lived moment but rather an experience to illuminate the whole family throughout the entire week.

Source - famillechretienne.fr (Translated from an article by Marie Lucas) 

1/ Transfigure your “Good morning!” 

When you wake up in the morning, add the words “Christ is risen, my love,” to your usual morning greeting. At first, your spouse or your children will no doubt be somewhat surprised, but then you will see them get used to it and, in the end, they will be answering, “Truly He is risen, Hallelujah!” This traditional Orthodox Easter greeting encourages us to recognize the living Christ among us, as a kind of morning prayer.

2/ Change your music repertoire! 

Throughout this whole week, let your home resound with the joy of Easter! Nothing is better suited for this than the strains of the great sacred music: the Hallelujah Chorus from Haendel’s Messiah or Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate, both sublime. But also, don’t forget everything that is recommended by the liturgy of the Resurrection: André Gouzes, Gregorian chant, Keur Moussa, …). Choose your preferences on exulted.net, add them to your playlist and let the music play! 

3/ Sing with a cheerful heart! 

Sing with and for Mary – in Latin! Children don’t know the great hymns of the Easter liturgy, so look up the magnificent Regina coeli at www.mariedenaareth.com. Print it out with the translation on the facing page and place it in your prayer area or in full view on the fridge! This is a wonderful way to remain in communion with our consecrated brothers and sisters, who replace the Angelus with this pascal prayer for the forty days following the Resurrection. And do not forget grace before meals, which will lend a cheerful Hallelujah throughout the whole week! 

4/ Decorate your home with flowers! 

An arrangement of hyacinth, tulips, daffodils and narcissus - preferably in yellow and white, being the colours of sunlight and the Resurrection – is very easy to procure. They can be kept fresh all week by cutting the stems on a slant and placing them in a vase only one-third filled with water, since bulb flowers need very little. This makes a fragrant tribute to Jesus, whom Mary Magdalene mistook for the gardener. And it is also a way to open ourselves to the power of beauty, which is perhaps, according to Cardinal Danneels, the path to finding God today.  

5/ Creating festive meals! 

In order to encourage children to experience physically the joy of Easter, try being imaginative in the kitchen! Prepare festive breakfasts and snacks throughout the week. Make their favourite dishes or desserts, avoiding spinach and broccoli in favour of French fries, hamburgers and lasagna. After all, our religion celebrates the Incarnation, right? 

6/ Listen to Christ, live through his Word! 

During the Octave of Easter, the Gospels chosen by the Church are of particular beauty. Every day, put up the written Word of God on the front door of your home. Your children (even the teenagers!) will see it every time they come in or go out; and, like the drop of water that finally shapes the stone, the Word will find its way into their hearts. 

For Monday, then, it will be: “Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 28:5); Tuesday: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” (John 20:15); Wednesday: “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!” (Luke 24:25); Thursday: “Peace be with you.” (Luke 24:36); Friday: “Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach.” (John 21:4); and Saturday: “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15).