From Lent to Easter: Welcoming the Joy of the Resurrection

As Holy Week draws to a close, there is a quiet anticipation in our home.

Lent is a season we take seriously as a family. It is slower, more reflective, and intentionally simple. Our home even looks different during these forty days. Purple decorations replace the brighter colors of ordinary time, a small reminder that we are walking through a season of preparation.

But as we approach Easter, everything begins to shift.

The purple will soon come down.
White will take its place.
And our home will begin to reflect the joy of the Resurrection.

How Our Family Observes Lent

Lent with four young children looks a little different than it might in other seasons of life.

Our children are still small — ages seven, four, two, and eight months — so our focus is less on strict sacrifices and more on creating habits that draw our family closer to Christ.

This year, we observed Lent by increasing our family prayer time and adding morning reflection walks together. Those quiet walks have become one of my favorite parts of the season. Walking together as a family in the morning light gives us space to talk, reflect, and simply be together.

We also observed the traditional Friday abstinence from meat and made a special effort to attend Mass during the week whenever we could.

These small rhythms help anchor our family in the meaning of the season.

Holy Week with Young Children

Holy Week is always a powerful time in the Church, but with very young children it can require a little creativity.

Our family attends Mass on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday each year. Eventually, I hope we’ll reach the stage where our toddlers can sit through the Stations of the Cross and the Easter Vigil as well.

But we’re not quite there yet.

For now, my husband and I simply trade off so each of us can participate when the other needs to step out with the younger children.

It may not look perfect, but it’s the season of life we’re in — and it’s a beautiful one.

Preparing Our Home for Easter

One tradition I’ve come to love is preparing our home during the final week of Lent.

I spend those days cleaning everything from top to bottom. Closets, floors, kitchens — every corner of the house gets attention.

Even the dog gets a bath.

There is something deeply satisfying about entering Easter with a home that feels fresh, clean, and renewed. It feels symbolic in a way — as if the house itself is preparing for the new season.

During Lent our home is decorated in purple, but for Easter I bring out white.

White flowers.
White linens.
And my favorite — a small collection of white bunnies that make their appearance every Easter season.

These small details help our children see that something special is happening.

Helping Children Understand Easter

One of the challenges of raising young children in the faith is finding ways to help them understand such profound mysteries.

One simple tradition our children love is watching The King of Kings. It’s become one of their favorite movies, and it does a beautiful job telling the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Christ in a way they can understand.

Children absorb so much through stories, and it’s been a wonderful way to help them grasp the meaning of Holy Week.

The Joy of Easter

After forty days of Lent, Easter always feels like a deep breath of fresh air.

The sacrifices of Lent give way to celebration.

The quiet reflection turns to joy.

And the Church proclaims the most hopeful truth in the history of the world:

Christ is risen.

For our family, Easter is a reminder that even in the middle of busy days, sleepless nights with babies, homeschooling challenges, and the beautiful chaos of family life, hope is always present.

The Resurrection reminds us that new life is always possible.

And that hope is something worth celebrating.