Favorite Easter Tradition

Easter traditions run deep in many families and churches... as a Moravian growing up, my favorite Easter tradition was cleaning graves and putting out flowers in God's Acre (A Moravian Graveyard) in Old Salem.  Though I haven't gone for years now, I love spending Saturdays in Old Salem, walking among my Moravian forefathers and foremothers.  Jessica Jones for North Carolina Public Radio had this piece on NPR, which is a great clip about this tradition this week:

The weblink is: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125554714&ft=1&f=10

Worshiping in the graveyard at sunrise may seem strange to some, but it is our reliving of the Easter story when the women disciples (Luke 24:1-12) went to the tomb early on the first day of the week (Sunday) to find the tomb empty.  "The Lord is Risen. The Lord is Risen, Indeed!" The plain, matching headstones remind us of equality in death.  Cleaning the graves reminds us of the women going to prepare the body of Christ.  Putting out fresh flowers remind us that He is not here, He is alive.  The beautiful, fresh flowers are an important part of Easter--they remind us that Hope Lives--Christ is Risen! 

(This is New Philadelphia Moravian Church's God's Acre, but Old Salem looks very similar at Easter!)