Easter Week Calendar

I just realized with a start that Palm Sunday is almost here!  Last year we were celebrating in a Muslim country which honored Christmas and Valentines, but the stores had nothing for Easter.  Our family sent treats, but it was too late to ask for other traditional items before I realized I would not be able to buy them.  

Holy Week Calendar

In order to make a big deal of Holy Week, we did two things.  First, starting with Palm Sunday, every day we read the section of Mark that corresponded with the day of the week.  Then I wrote the day of the week on a piece of paper, and we drew a matching picture.

Holy Week Calendar based on Mark

Palm Sunday: Mark 11:1-11

Monday:  Mark 11:12-19

Tuesday:  Mark 11: 20- Mark 13:36

Wednesday:  Mark 14: 1-10

Thursday:  Mark 14:12- 66

Friday: Mark 15

(Saturday:  Nothing recorded, but a great day to use as preparation for the Big Celebration)

Sunday:  Mark 16

A Hymn

A second activity that we did every day is to sing through "Low in the Grave He Lay" by Robert Lowry.  This is the best version I was able to find on Youtube.  Although it does the hymn justice, it is more fun to sing the chorus after every verse, and enjoy the fact that we serve a risen Savior more than once.

This hymn works well as an action song.  We lay on the floor while we sing the verse then jump up and dance around as the phrase "Up from the Grave He Arose!" resounds in the first line of the chorus.

This year we are going to spend part if not all of the holiday week in a hotel, so our celebration will again need to be simple.  I am looking forward to it though.  

Do you have an Easter Tradition that helps your family focus on what it is all about?