On Ash Wednesday, my family and I place toothpicks* (the number of toothpicks is determined by the number of children in our family multiplied by 40) in a grapevine wreath, purchased from Joann Fabrics, in order to make Christ’s Crown of Thorns. The Crown of Thorns is placed in the center of our dining room table. During dinner, the children tell us of a good deed or of something they have offered up for Christ and then they pull a thorn (toothpick) out of the crown and place it in a glass dish that is located on the table. On Easter morning, the children find the crown decorated with beads or Easter eggs (We have done both over the past seven years.) and the glass bowl full of Easter eggs. Our children really enjoy seeing how they can transform Christ’s Crown of Thorns into a true crown.
* The toothpicks can be painted brown.
