How to Explain Easter to Children: Here Are Our Tips 

Some advice on how to explain Easter to children, starting with stories suitable for them and Easter symbols they can recognise and appreciate.

Explaining Easter to children is a delicate and precious moment. It may seem impossible to make the youngest ones understand complex and solemn concepts, such as the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, why He came into the world and became man to save us from original sin and give us new hope. Even the concepts of sin and salvation are complex for us adults, let alone for them!

In reality, explaining Easter to children can be a moment of great growth for both them and us. Children are special; they understand things in their own way, but if we manage to explain Easter using words and Easter symbols within their reach, they will be able to follow along and learn a spiritual lesson that will stay with them forever. Above all, it is important to help them understand that Easter is not just about eating a chocolate egg and having a picnic outdoors if the weather is nice. It is about the salvation of the human soul, the immense gift of forgiveness and Paradise from a merciful God the Father.

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Easter and Lent

Selection of religious products that are mostly used during Easter and Lent celebrations.

However, by starting with symbols and elements dear to childhood, such as Easter bunnies, or spending time together decorating Easter eggs, we can find ways to guide them through this new and wonderful experience. There are also books containing stories that explain Easter to children—our store offers a wide selection suitable for all ages. These can make excellent Easter gifts for children, increasing their anticipation for this important celebration.

Additionally, the many Easter traditions in Italy can help us. By participating in processions and events close to their world, it will be easier for children to engage with the celebration. One Easter tradition that you can easily recreate at home and that can help you tell children the story of Easter is the Easter Nativity Scene. Born as a variation of the Christmas Nativity Scene to help those who could not read understand the episodes narrated in the Gospels and the life of Jesus, the Easter Nativity Scene instead depicts scenes from His Passion: the Last Supper, His meditation in the Garden of Gethsemane, Pilate’s judgement, all the way to the Crucifixion, Death, and Resurrection.

Let’s look at some ways to explain Easter to children.

Decorating Easter Eggs

The best way to introduce young children to Easter is by involving them in stories and activities linked to Easter symbols. Animals, above all, have always been loved by the youngest ones. They will find it interesting to learn that many animals they know and love have long been associated with this solemn occasion—doves, lambs, and bunnies, for example.

The Easter egg, aside from being delicious, is also connected to an ancient symbolism that takes on new meaning during this celebration. Since ancient times, the egg has been a symbol of rebirth and new life. For Christians, the egg becomes a symbol of Christ rising from the dead. Children know that an egg holds new life inside, and we can explain to them that, in the same way, Jesus promises eternal life, full of happiness and love, to those who believe in Him.

Giving Easter eggs as gifts is an ancient tradition, as is painting them. A coloured egg is a lucky gift for the person receiving it. An old legend about the Resurrection of Jesus tells that when Mary Magdalene and the other women returned from the tomb and told the apostles that they had found it empty and that Jesus had risen, Saint Peter replied: “I will believe what you say only if the eggs in that basket turn red!” And miraculously, the eggs really did change colour.

Easter Bunnies

The Easter Bunny is a sweet and irresistible character for young children, but it also carries a deeper symbolism. Always an emblem of fertility, abundance, and love—like the hare—the Easter Bunny is a more secular symbol, yet equally powerful. Since the 15th century, it has been adopted in a Catholic context precisely because of its ancient meaning of life renewal with the arrival of spring.

Planting Wheat Sprouts for Easter

Around twenty days before Holy Wednesday, it is customary to prepare the Sepulchres—small plates with wheat sprouts to be taken to church or the cemetery at Easter. This very ancient but still widespread tradition originates from a passage in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus says: “Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed; but if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24).

This Gospel passage was combined with older rituals celebrating the transition from winter to spring, the rebirth of nature, leading to the beautiful practice of the “Holy Wheat,” which is germinated in the dark and then brought into the light, symbolising Christ emerging from the tomb and resurrecting from death to ascend to the splendour of Heaven.

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Paschal candles and candle stands

In this department you will find large candles and stands to be used during Easter and Lent time.

The wheat seeds are placed inside damp cotton or cloth in a small dish or pot. The cotton is then covered with a little soil and stored in a dark, unventilated place. Within a couple of days, the wheat seeds will begin to sprout, and soon they will turn into green seedlings. Water them every other day with a spray bottle to keep the soil moist.