As Lent approaches, families around the world seek meaningful ways to observe this solemn season together. One creative and engaging way to guide your family through the forty days of Lent is by creating a Lenten Paper Chain Countdown. This hands-on project isn't just a fun craft; it's a visual and interactive tool that helps children and adults alike count down the days until Easter while reflecting on the significance of this time of preparation, prayer, and introspection.
The beauty of a Lenten Paper Chain Countdown lies in its simplicity and the powerful messages it can convey. Each link in the chain represents a day of Lent. The daily act of removing one link brings a tangible sense of progress and anticipation toward Easter Sunday, making the journey through Lent a time of spiritual growth and connection with the Body of Christ.
Lenten Paper Chain Countdown
Materials:
Construction paper:
Purple
White
Black
Red
Pink
Glue stick or glue
Ruler
Colored pencils
Instructions:
Rip strips of colored paper along the width of the paper using a ruler. Add decorative elements to the strips listed below. Interlock the strips in the order given below and glue the ends together. Hang in a prominent place in your home. As you begin each new day, remove the appropriate link.
You will need:
35 purple strips for the regular days of Lent. On the first purple link, draw a black cross on it to represent Ash Wednesday.
8 white strips for the feast days of Lent, including Sundays and Easter. (Sundays are always feast days since they celebrate the resurrection of Jesus) One of the white strips is for the Feast of St. Matthias on February 24th, one is for the Feast of St. Patrick AND Sunday on March 17th, and one is for the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19th. Put a green shamrock on the link for St. Patrick's Day and a gold cross with flowers on one to represent Easter.
1 pink strip for the 4th Sunday of Lent known as Laetare Sunday.
1 red strip for Palm Sunday. Put a green palm on it.
2 black strips for Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
The order of the strips:
4 purple (the first link has a black cross for Ash Wednesday), 1 white, 5 purple, 2 white, 6 purple, 1 white, 6 purple, 1 pink, 6 purple, 1 white with a green shamrock, 1 purple, 1 white, 4 purple, 1 red, 3 purple, 1 white, 2 black, 1 white (decorated with a gold cross and flowers for Easter).
Have a blessed Lent +
