Easter invitation templates

Send them two to three weeks before Easter Sunday. Families often travel or plan church services around the holiday, and school holidays can fall nearby, so earlier notice helps. Ask for replies about a week ahead, so you know how many adults and children to cook for and how many eggs to hide.

Give the date, the time the hunt starts, the place and a reply-by date, then the details parents need: the age range, whether to bring a basket, and what happens in the rain. Say whether parents stay and if there is food. Ask about allergies if the eggs hold chocolate or sweets.

Western churches celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21 March, so it falls between late March and late April. Orthodox churches use the Julian calendar for the same calculation, so their Easter is often a week or more later.

Ask the host first. Good choices are a dish for the table, such as a salad, hot cross buns or a dessert, spring flowers, or chocolate eggs for the children. If you bring flowers, bring them in a vase so the host does not need to find one mid-brunch.