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Easter Tips and Traditions

03 Apr 2023 By: Diane Gottsman

Easter tips and traditions | Easter decorative composition with painted eggs, flowering branches

Easter traditions add sprinkles of sweetness to family time—there is Easter service and searching for the golden egg, baskets brimming with goodies and the perfect glazed ham. If you’re hosting an Easter gathering on Sunday, your family and friends are looking forward to great company, delicious food and fun and games for all ages. There are lots of colorful eggs to keep in the air! If you feel a little Easter bunny magic would come in handy as you prep and plan, today’s post is for you. We’re sharing Easter tips and tricks to save time while still serving up yummy food and festivities.

Easter Tips and Traditions

Seasonal Flavors

For many families, serving a glazed ham is a must for this holiday. Go classic with a traditional recipe and choose from one of four sauces: apple-maple, mustard-orange, hoisin-spice or pineapple apricot. If you own (and love) an Instant Pot, the Food Network recently shared a four ingredient recipe that is infused with flavor and easy to prepare. Check out their Whiskey and Honey Glazed Ham and be sure to give it a trial run before the big day. For vegetables, fresh and simple is best. As always, be mindful of any food allergies and adjust the menu accordingly.

Make Ahead

Also think about what you can prepare the day (or night) before, such as deviled eggs, potato salad, spinach dip, dessert or an overnight fruit salad.

An Easter Basket

Easter eggs in the grass on a sunny background. Spring natural background

In our family, all the kids get a basket, even when they have children of their own. It’s easier than ever to fill baskets with little treats and trinkets. For older girls think fun, oversized earrings and pastel-colored slides. Tuck in a pair of floral sunnies and an egg-shaped lip balm, their favorite candies and voila! Grand baskets are heavier on Easter toys and sweets, bubbles, books and a darling stuffed animal.

Bitty Bites and Veggies

An oversized charcuterie board will keep guests happy as they await the main dish. I love the bunny paws and fluffy tail on A Board Above’s Instagram post. This Shaved Carrot and Radish Salad from Good Housekeeping is sweet and tart and lovely. Lemon brightens up the flavors of spring veggies; add sesame seeds for even more flavor and texture.

Spring or Easter theme charcuterie board against a wood background. Variety of cheese, meat, fruit and vegetable appetizers. Overhead view.

Fun and Games

A classic egg hunt is always a hit with little bunnies. Minimize quarrels and keep things fair by assigning specific egg colors for the younger ones. A good rule of thumb is 15 eggs per child, and not every egg needs to be filled with candy. Toddler-safe toys, stickers or temporary tattoos, bracelets and playdoh are a few ideas. For older kids and adults, try an egg relay race, an egg decorating contest or a flashlight egg hunt.

A Spring Dessert

Easter holiday greeting card background. Cute homemade cupcakes with traditional Easter bunny, egg and springtime flowers decor. Happy easter concept. Copy space for your text

Wrap up the day’s fun with something extra sweet, such as a carrot or lemon cake. Cupcakes with fluffy marshmallow bunny ears or coconut “fur” are simple and memorable. I’m sharing a make-ahead, no-bake strawberry icebox cake that is simple and delicious.

Creamy Strawberry Icebox Cake

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 container (5.3 ounces) plain Greek yogurt
  • 9 whole graham crackers
  • 3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

Directions
1. In a chilled small glass bowl and using chilled beaters, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold in Greek yogurt.

2. Spread 1 cup cream mixture in the bottom and around sides of a 9×5-in. loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. Top with a single layer of graham crackers, breaking to fit. Arrange a single layer of strawberries over cream mixture. Repeat with remaining cream, graham crackers and strawberries, ending with a layer of whipped cream over the top.

3. Refrigerate, covered, 8 hours or overnight. If desired, garnish with additional sliced strawberries. Slice to serve.

Happy Easter,

Diane

For more information about working with Diane, America’s “Go to” social and professional (manners) skills authority, please visit The Protocol School of Texas. 

You may also like 6 Easter Entertaining Tips for a Happy, Hoppy Gathering. See what Diane is up to by following her on Instagram and Facebook. Find etiquette inspiration on her Pinterest account and keep up with her latest tweets. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips, refer to her posts on Inc. and HuffPost. 

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Diane Gottsman

Diane Gottsman is a national etiquette expert and modern manners professional, sought out industry leader, television personality, accomplished speaker, Huffington Post blogger, author, and the owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in executive leadership and etiquette training. Diane is routinely quoted in national and international media including The New York Times, The BBC, CNN, Bloomberg Business Week, Kiplinger, Huffington Post Canada, U.S. News and World Report, and Forbes. She is the resident etiquette expert for two popular morning talk shows, SA Living and Good Day Austin. She has been seen on The TODAY Show, HLN Headline News, WGN Chicago, and CBS Sunday Morning. Her clients range from university students to Fortune 500 companies and her workshops cover topics ranging from tattoos in the workplace to technology at the dinner table and the proper use of social media.