Spring is in the air!

It’s that time again! Time for kites and bikes, rain showers, blooming flowers and sunny afternoons. Spring is in the air!

The season of change, spring is a natural time of rejuvenation, rebirth and growth. As a prelude to summer, spring is a time of refreshment and a time to enjoy God’s creation. But where did all those “spring traditions” come from? How did spring cleaning and spring break become annual destinations in our schedules? Or what about bunnies, colored eggs and spring fashions?

Well, we’ve got your questions answered! We are all about spring and are ready to celebrate.

Spring Cleaning
How did spring-cleaning EVER become a tradition? Well, each year the Jewish people celebrate Passover to remember how God freed them from slavery. Exodus 12:1-15 is a great read regarding just how the Israelites prepare for this time. For seven days after Passover, each Jewish home was to be completely free of leaven (yeast). Leaven was the symbol of sin, and in removing it from the home was symbolic of removing all sin from the heart. What better way to make sure that every speck of leaven was out of the house than by a thorough spring-cleaning?

This year as you do your spring-cleaning look for anything in your room that does not honor God: CD’s, magazines, books, etc. As you get rid of the dust and sweep out the dirt, sweep out anything else that might be a stumbling block in your life.

Spring Break
Like so much in our world, spring break originated with the ancient Greeks. As winter would lessen its chill, and thoughts turned to a new season and new life, Athens's elders took notice that a time to rejuvenate and to refresh one’s mind and spirit was needed.

The annual spring tradition was first recorded in the U.S. in 1936. The swim coach of Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, took his swim team to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to practice their sport at the Casino Pool. The Casino Pool was the first Olympic-size swimming pool built in Florida. The experience was so successful that the coach returned with his team the following year. Fort Lauderdale saw an opportunity and hosted the first College Coaches' Swim Forum in 1938. Thus, the mixture of large numbers of students and the beach had become “the thing to do.”

But no matter where your spring break takes you, whether it’s to the mountains for skiing, to the beach for some sun, or a week of sleeping in and re-organizing your closet, don’t forget to take some time and simply rest. After all, enjoy your time off!

Bunnies, Baskets, Chicks and Colored Eggs
Eggs, chicks, bunnies, and decorated baskets! What young child doesn’t love these traditions! Are Easter eggs and bunnies in the Bible? Maybe not, but where could these ideas have come from? When the early Christians began to give up certain foods for Lent, one food they stopped eating were eggs. When the feasting arrived, eggs were dyed red to remind people of the joy of Christ’s resurrection. Bunnies and chicks both symbolize new life and new beginnings. New life, the spiritual life that Jesus gives to those who believe in Him, is possible because of the miracle of Easter.

There are many traditions at Easter, but most have absolutely nothing to do with the true meaning of our celebration. This year, take some time to remember His death and His resurrection. For it is by this very act that we have new life in Him!

Spring Fashions
Have you seen the latest in spring fashions? Bright colors of yellows and greens seem all the rage this year. And who couldn’t resist a new outfit or two? Like many of us, Easter is always the perfect opportunity to sport something new (even if it is just a new pair of shoes)!

Did you know that very soon after Jesus’ resurrection, His followers began the custom of baptizing new believers the day before Easter? Those who were baptized wore new clothes to remind them of their new life in Christ. But beyond our outer clothing, Isaiah 61:10 reminds us that, “He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.” No only was the physical covering a reminder of our new life in Christ, but our spiritual covering is one that is lasting; for nothing can separate us from the love of God [Romans 8:38-39].

You tell us, what do you like most about spring?

Written by: Vicki Parsons; copyright virtuousreality.com