For many families, Easter traditions look a little different every year. Between busy schedules, travel, and changing seasons of life, what stays the same—and what really matters?
Easter doesn’t land on the same date every year, but somehow it always arrives right when we need it most. Just as winter starts to loosen its grip, signs of new life begin popping up everywhere—longer days, warmer sunshine, budding trees, and of course the familiar signs of the season: pastel baskets, chocolate bunnies, and lilies on church altars.
For our family, no matter where we find ourselves—at home in Michigan or traveling somewhere warmer—the heart of the celebration has always remained the same: remembering the incredible gift of Jesus’ death and resurrection and the hope it brings into our everyday lives.
We’re the Teodecki’s—a family of five with three adult children: our oldest, Tess, and twins Bryce and Faith.
Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of spending many of our Holy Weeks traveling as a family. When our kids were little, our parents were snowbirds in Jupiter, Florida. It gave us the chance to escape the Michigan winter and celebrate the holiday with family. We’d make the two-day drive with car seats and strollers in tow, then spend the week coloring eggs, attending Easter egg hunts, and going to church at our parents’ church—where they delighted in showing off their grandkids.
Other years, we stayed home in Michigan. We attended Holy Week services—Maundy Thursday and Good Friday—and celebrated Easter Sunday together. Our kids have shared that the Good Friday service had the most impact on their understanding of Jesus’ death on the cross. After Easter services, we often headed out for dinner along Lake St. Clair to continue the celebration.
Over the last several years, we have spent Easter in the panhandle of Florida with family and friends. By then, our kids were in high school, and there was a large group of their school friends whose families rented condos in the same complex. We spent time on the beach together and enjoyed time away from home.
One of my favorite Easter memories from those years was taking eight high schoolers to Palm Sunday services at the Flora-Bama. The Flora-Bama is a beach bar where the state lines of Florida and Alabama run right through it. It is the most unlikely place to worship, but every week, they host Flora-Bama Church.
Standing among beachgoers, music drifting through open air, we were reminded of something simple but profound: the church isn’t defined by four walls. It’s the people who gather together.
Our Easter plans change from year to year, but one thing has remained consistent—Jesus’ death and resurrection are always part of our family traditions. Whether we’re in Michigan or Florida, we always set apart time to celebrate Jesus’ ultimate gift to us.
Sometimes that has meant listening to a Good Friday service in the car while driving home—one of those small “Covid-era” adaptations that turned out to be surprisingly meaningful! What I love most now is seeing our children begin to create their own traditions. Even as they build their own lives, they continue to prioritize Holy Week wherever they are. Because in the end, Easter isn’t really about where we celebrate; it’s about remembering the hope at the center of it all.
Perhaps that’s part of the beauty of Easter traditions. They evolve with our lives while still pointing us back to the same story. As Easter approaches this year, it might be worth pausing to think about the traditions that shape your own family’s celebration. Whether they’re simple or elaborate, close to home or far away, those moments have a way of reminding us what matters most.
