Lenten traditions

ashes to remind us that we are dust.... 

(even a little bit on the nose does the trick to be that reminder) 

candles to light the way until Easter 

and toothpicks to put in our "crown of thorns" to practice confession together during Lent which will then be transformed into a crown of glory on Easter morning... It's my favorite Lenten tradition! 

and our tradition of burying our Hallelujah ribbons until Easter 

But why do we “bury” our Alleluia? Because of the penitential character of the season of Lent, singing or saying the word "alleluia" has historically been suspended during Lent's forty days. This period of individual and congregational reflection on the quality of our baptismal faith and life suggests that the joyful nature of alleluia is more appropriately reserved for our Easter celebrations when it is given full and jubilant voice. 
The omission of alleluia during Lent goes back at least to the fifth century in the western church. The custom of actually bidding it farewell, however, developed in the Middle Ages. The hymn "Alleluia, song of gladness"  contains a translation of an 11th century Latin text that compares an alleluia-less Lent to the exile of the Israelites in Babylon. The text then anticipates the joy of Easter when glad alleluias will return in all their heavenly splendor.
Alleluia is appropriately bid farewell on the Sunday preceding Ash Wednesday (the Transfiguration of Our Lord, also called the last Sunday after the Epiphany). This is the last Sunday when alleluia will be used until the Vigil of Easter.
Lent is an opportunity for us to “Return to the Lord our God.” Lent is an opportunity to use the forty days to reorient our hearts and minds and lives to God. We remove our Alleluia’s to center us around removing the clutter from our faith lives. Many people give up things for Lent, but Lent us also an opportunity for us to take on spiritual practices that help us return to God.
The season of Lent calls us into moments of washing in our baptism and recalling the promises made, to return to those we have not kept, and renew them. Lent provides us many opportunities to stop, to pray, and hear God’s gracious words of promise and forgiveness.
... From the removal of our alleluia’s, to the ashes places on our heads, until that Easter morning; we walk together returning ourselves to the things of life that matter most and put away the things that distract us from our relationship with God.  http://holytrinitynashville.com/files/documents/February-2013-eMessage-.pdf 

ribbons safely tucked in the bag and ready to be buried in the ground for a season of 40 days... 

digging in the dirt... 

a little heart rock over the ribbons until Easter morn... 

the time digging in the dirt and the sunshine this afternoon was enough to entice the kids to be outside to offer some spring cleaning to the fairy houses that needed some TLC today... 

a sand dollar wedged in the tree to be the roof for this little fairy house...