El Pollo Loco for Passover?

As the Britton family, we've never celebrated Easter Sunday in Long Beach, CA. My Mom is so excited to be coloring eggs, filling baskets, and buying Easter clothes for the kids.

Happy Grammie!

Mom has had so much fun she couldn't resist buying this singing chicken that also lays eggs, "Squawk! There it is!"

Tomorrow morning we will celebrate at the Long Beach church by enjoying breakfast and an egg hunt for the kids and an afternoon ham supper here at Mom's house with the extended family.

The kids with their Easter baskets complete with dyed eggs.

The kids have had lots of questions about the eggs and the Easter Bunny and how they managed to get all mixed up with the resurrection of Jesus. It's been interesting to explain some of the history and spend time with them focusing on how we can celebrate Jesus' gift of life to us while also encouraging them to enjoy the festivities with their friends and their grandma. (We've never celebrated "Easter" as a family, but "Resurrection Sunday").

Joe Powers blessed us by dropping by tonight with beautiful Easter Lilies! Thanks Mr. Powers!

Last Thursday we threw some additional confusion into the holiday mix when we attended a Sader at the Long Beach church. Geoff and I had experienced a Sader about 15 years ago, but the kids had never been.  We had a front row seat as we participated by being at the head table and serving as the "mother," "child," and "narrator" of the event, which was led by David Cron.

Toby reads the part of the child during the Sader 

I lit the candles as I read the part of the mother.

It was an excellent opportunity to teach the kids about the history of the Sader and how the symbols used have even more indepth meaning in the fulfilled promise of the Messiah.

This was a happier Sader moment than the one in which Kevin took a HUMONGOUS bite of  horseradish and was brought to tears!

To be honest, I was not looking forward to the Sader meal as I assumed lamb would be served (one of my least favorite meats.) At home, before we left for the Sader, I was wondering aloud about how I would graciously handle eating something I don't like. My Mom (who also doesn't enjoy eating lamb) was happy to announce that we would NOT be eating lamb, but El Pollo Loco--at which point I busted out laughing!!!! I was as confused about how crazy chicken got mixed up in a traditional Jewish meal, as my kids were about how the Easter Bunny and eggs got mixed up in Jesus' resurrection!! As it turns out, the Sader at the Long Beach church is celebrated with each element in small portions only while the symbols are explained, and the event is given historical perspective with songs and narrative. The organizers have found that the easiest type of meal to have catered is chicken, beans and tortillas from the local El Pollo Loco restaurant. Who knew!

There was great audience participation as many took turns leading the song "Dayeinu" This particular enthusiastic rendition by Ian Hay and Bob Rash inspired Geoff to lean over and whisper to me, "This is the part of the Sader where I bet REAL wine greatly contributes to the festivities." 

It was a great night!
--Mary