Easter, like many other holidays, has become more and more commercial over the years. Gone are the days where time was spent with family enjoying each others company over a big meal. There are, however, many ways to enjoy an eco-friendly Easter. With a little bit of research and some creativity, there are many options to choose from!

Colouring eggs

An age old tradition that kids love! Before you go out and buy a traditional decorating kit, try and use natural dyes. You’d be surprised by your colour options and impressed with the end results. To create the dye, boil the ingredient in water for about 15 minutes. Remember, the longer you boil it, the darker the dye will appear. As for the eggs, boil them in water with a spoonful of vinegar and then let them cool.

Your ingredients could be any of the following:

• Grape juice (for violet or purple)
• Red cabbage or canned blueberries (for blue)
• Spinach (for green)
• Carrot tops, yellow onion skins or paprika (for orange)
• Coffee (for brown)
• Red beets or cranberries (for pink)
• Red onion skins or Pomegranate juice (for red)
• Orange or lemon peels, ground tumeric or cumin (for yellow)

Purchasing eggs

And what about the eggs themselves? You want to ensure that they came from hens that were raised without any unnecessary antibiotics. Eggs from pasture-raised chickens are healthier than those that are factory-farmed particularly when they have access to the outdoors each day, and those that eat organic feed.

Baskets

Why go to a dollar store to buy a plastic basket that might not even survive the day?
Make your own – it’s far more fun! Dig out those leftover rolls of wallpaper that have been hiding in your basement since the 80’s, cut them into strips and then weave the strips together. They will be sturdy enough to last until next year, and the kids will enjoy the arts and crafts!

To line the inside of the basket, try collecting items from outside – dried leaves, old grass clippings, or other compostable items. If your lawn is still covered with snow, shred some old newspaper that was destined for the recycling bin or cut up strips of colourful fabric from a worn out pillow case or sheet.

Treats for the basket

Finally, when it comes to the goodies you place in your baskets, the choices are endless! Who said only chocolate could be included? What about organic dried fruit, mini muffins made from organic ingredients or reduced-sugar organic cookies?

If you do want to include traditional treats, try and purchase fair-trade and/or organic chocolates if possible. If you decide to include gifts or toys in the basket instead, try to buy second hand, local or natural products (i.e. wood). Or better yet, cater to the aspiring gardener and put together a seed starter kit with some child-friendly garden tools and a few packs of seeds. It’s a great way to teach them how to plant and care for their own garden, and gets them out in the backyard enjoying nature!

Celebrate spring

Children love to be outdoors, no matter what time of year. Embrace this, dress for the weather and head on out for hike on your local trails! Be sure to keep your eyes open and point out things that are starting to bloom, and watch for birds and other animals that have come out of winter hibernation.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, head out to a local farm to see what spring brings, including some baby animals! Or if you want to stay closer to home, weather permitting, pack up a picnic and head to a local park to enjoy the spring air.

Having family over?

• Buy local flowers to decorate
• Prune some branches off of early blooming shrubs in your yard, and put them in a vase
• Have an early dinner then go for a walk to enjoy spring and all of the things that are starting to bloom
• Turn down the heat in your house before company arrives. The extra bodies will make the up the difference in the drop of the thermostat!
• Encourage guests to carpool, reducing emissions and ensuring you have a designated driver if the need arises

Easter dinner

Start your menu planning early! Try and minimize the number of meat dishes you serve and focus on seasonal vegetables like parsnips or fancier dishes like cabbage rolls. Try and choose organic vegetables where possible or those that haven’t been shipped for thousand of kilometres from overseas.

While entertaining, avoid using disposable plates and paper napkins – it’s a great excuse to bring out the fine china and cloth napkins! If you do choose to go disposable, check your local health food store for biodegradable dish options.

By incorporating some of these ideas into your Easter celebrations, you could have a huge impact on minimizing your eco-footprint this year. Hope some of these suggestions help, and enjoy your time spent with family!

written by Katrina Dudar - Guest Blogger]

Bio for Katrina Dudar:
As an avid environmentalist, Katrina is honoured to be contributing to
this wonderful space as a guest! Currently working at an environmental
education charity for children, Katrina spends her days trying to find
fun and innovative ways to inspire children to care about our planet and
to do small things everyday to make a positive difference. Some might
think this sounds challenging, but when you take the time to think about
just how impressionable young children are, her job instantly becomes
easier! As a mom to a youngster who has had his fair share of health
issues, she is happily forced to invest a significant amount of time
staying informed about emerging environmental issues and searching for
ways to minimize her own footprint while encouraging others around her
to do the same.

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