*For Children 3 and above, For parents of Children 2 and under 

This year, mark the days and weeks of Lent with a Lent necklace!

This is a project we did with our church. You’ll have to buy your own beads, but you can see what beads you need

for each week of Lent.

In your bag, you will find one necklace and 7 bags.  These bags include:

·      Ash Wednesday and the Days Following – one black bead for Ash Wednesday and three other beads

·      1st Week of Lent – 1 purple bead for Sunday, 6 beads of the same color

·      2nd Week of Lent – 1 purple bead for Sunday, 6 beads of the same color

·      3rd Week of Lent – 1 purple bead for Sunday, 6 beads of the same color, cross bead

·      4th Week of Lent – 1 pink bead for Sunday, 6 beads of the same color

·      5th Week of Lent – 1 purple bead for Sunday, 6 beads of the same color

·      Holy Week – 1 red bead for Palm Sunday, 3 beads of the same color, 1 white bead for Maundy Thursday, 1 black bead for Good Friday, 1 brown bead for Holy Saturday

Instructions

1)    Place a new bead on the necklace each day of Lent.  (Or alternatively, put all the beads for a given week on the necklace each Sunday (and starting with Ash Wednesday). Do what works best for your child.

2)    Place special beads on the necklace, with parents explaining the significance of the day:

a.     Ash Wednesday/February 14th

b.     Sundays in Lent

c.     March 7th – marks the halfway mark in Lent – place the Cross bead and another bead on the necklace that day.

d.     Laetere Sunday/March 10th

e.     Palm Sunday/March 24th

f.      Maundy Thursday/March 28th

g.     Good Friday/March 29th

h.     Holy Saturday/March 30th

3)    Wear the necklace to church on Easter Sunday, March 31st

Meanings of Special Beads

Ash Wednesday– black bead to mark our mortality

1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Sundays in Lent – purple bead to represent the seasonal color of Lent

4th Sunday in Lent/Laetare Sunday – pink bead that represents rejoicing, anticipating the victory that will soon come on Easter

Palm/Passion Sunday – red bead representing how soon after people welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, they called for his death

Maundy Thursday – white bead representing how Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, showing his love and bringing his cleansing.

Good Friday – black bead representing Jesus’ crucifixion

Holy Saturday – brown bead representing Jesus buried in the tomb.