How We are Celebrating Holy Week

 This week, we have veiled all the holy images and statues, as a sign of mourning and sensory deprivation.  Turtle is a little disturbed by this practice, and sometimes has to lift the veil covering pictures in her room when she doesn't like not seeing them any more.  For me, however, I love the visual reminder in every room of the house of the somberness of this beautiful week.
We've made some "holy pretzels," as the girls call them.

We said the following prayer as we sprinkled them with holy water:

We beg you, O Lord, to bless these pretzels which are to remind us that Lent is a sacred season of penance and prayer.  For this very reason,  the early Christians started the custom of making these breads in the form of arms crossed in prayer.  Thus they kept the holy purpose of Lent alive in their hearts from day to day, and increased in their souls the love of Christ, even unto death, if necessary.
Grant us, we pray, that we too may be reminded by the sight of these pretzels to observe the holy season of Lent with true devotion and great spiritual fruit.  We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tonight we had a simple Seder meal.

I made Matzoh bread and Haroseth and we had them with salad, herbed rice and steak (we didn't have any lamb!).   We read the story of the Last Supper in the gospel of Mark and tried to keep any other prayers to a minimum with the three small girls.  (Turtle was very interested in everything, but Rosebud and Sunshine were most antsy and only interested in drinking more and more of the "wine" aka grape juice.)
I was finally able to use this beautiful Last Supper tablecloth that my mom and dad gave me 3 years ago.

For celebration of the Triduum these next few days, I  put together Lacy's really sweet and easy Resurrection set.  (Someday though, when I'm rich, I want this beautiful one!)

Also we plan on making Hot Cross Buns like we have in the past.   We are going to do this Holy Week Craft Wreath that Jessica found and got for us.  Then, we'll be decorating eggs on Saturday, and making Cinnamon buns for the family brunch we are going to on Easter Sunday -- maybe we'll try these cute Lamb Cinnamon Buns. (H.T.Lacy)

For Easter morning,  I have sewn gold and white sashes to decorate our Sticker Crosses.

I made a Paschal Candle for our family as well, with red sequins, pearls and straight pins.  I used cloves as the nails inserted in the candle (like Lacy suggested here).

I was thinking about making the 2011 in the four corners of the cross, but now I'm thinking that I won't so that we can use this a few years in a row.  Hopefully during Easter week the girls will make their own paschal candle using the method Lacy used with her class in the above link.

Happy Triduum!  I hope its a prayerful and holy one!

***************************************************

 I'm a little late, but this post was linked at the Holy Week with Kids Link-up at Catholic Icing.