Yvonne Glasgow
Easter is a time for family and faith, but this year things are a bit different. For the most part, Easter as we know it has been canceled because physical distancing is keeping us apart. That doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate, though!
Just because you might not be able to invite family over this Easter doesn’t mean you can’t share the holiday with loved ones who don’t live under the same roof. There are also plenty of fun things to do at home when you can’t get to church or the local Easter egg hunt (which is probably canceled, anyway).
There are some adjustments you can make to the usual traditions to make them fit our current circumstances. Instead of canceling your Easter plans, try these tips.
Watch Your Church Service Online
As the number of coronavirus cases increase, many churches have started offering online services, rather than risking the lives of their parishioners. Find out if and when your church will be airing Easter services online. You can email or check its social media pages.
If your church isn’t holding services online, and you don’t want to miss that part of the holiday tradition, see if other churches in your denomination will be airing a service. Christian World Media has a page where you can find upcoming live-streamed church services all over the U.S.
Schedule an Extended Family Video Chat
With the technology we have at our fingertips, you can stay in touch with your family, and even see each other almost face-to-face, without being in the same house. Make a plan with the people who would usually be with you on Easter Sunday to get on Zoom or another video-chat service.
Plan to eat dinner at the same time. To make it even more special, consider making similar food, so you all feel like you’re really eating together. Create a menu, share recipes, and make sure everyone knows the right prep and cooking times.
Revive the Tradition of Handwritten Letters
You might not be able to see your family in person, but you can still show them how much they mean to you. Mail a handwritten letter along with an Easter card. Both adults and children can enjoy creating holiday cards.
Sending an Easter basket would likely require a trip to the post office, which puts you at risk. All you need to mail a card or letter, though, is an envelope and a stamp! You probably already have those lying around the house.
Record Cooking Tutorials for Family Members
Before you hop online with the rest of your family on Easter, get everyone on the same page with meal planning by sharing recipes with one another. If you’re tech-savvy and have some recipes other family members need help with, consider throwing together some video tutorials.
Not only will this make dinner smoother for everyone, but it’ll also be great for future generations to refer back to (like passing down grandma’s cookbook).
Have Your Groceries Delivered
Don’t risk being sick on Easter—order your groceries online and have them delivered to your door. There are plenty of grocery delivery services, like Instacart. You might need to find one that’s available in your area. Stores like Walmart sometimes have their own food delivery services.
If your family usually goes out to eat on Easter, you might be able to order in from your favorite restaurant. Many are delivering food, even though their dining rooms are closed. However, even restaurants that are usually open on Easter might be changing their hours this year, so check ahead.
Decorate Easter Eggs
All of the changes we’ve had to adjust to are difficult to deal with. So, try to keep at least some aspects of your Easter traditions as normal as possible. For example, don’t skip decorating your house for Easter, even if you live alone. The holiday decor will help lift your spirits while you’re stuck at home.
If you have kids, definitely maintain the tradition of coloring and decorating Easter eggs. It’s fun and will keep everyone’s mind off the state of the world, even if it’s just for a short while.
Have an Easter Egg Hunt
There are a few ways you can embrace the joy of an Easter egg hunt, even though you can’t go to the community-wide event. The first is to hang an Easter egg in a tree in your front yard or put one in your front window so kids can see them as they walk through the neighborhood.
Many towns have been doing these sort of scavenger hunts while we’re all staying six feet apart from each other. It’s an excellent idea, whether you have kids or not.
If you do have kids, don’t let them miss out on the joy of finding Easter eggs and discovering the surprises inside. You can still share the hunt with family members, too, by live-streaming or using video chat. If you don’t have a yard, you can always do an indoor egg hunt.
Schedule an Easter Bunny Photo Shoot
While not all kids enjoy a visit with the giant Easter bunny at the mall, Easter photos are a tradition for many families. Even during physical distancing, you can still find creative ways to get Easter pics of your kids to send to family.
Here are some suggestions:
- Have your child pose with his favorite stuffed bunny toy.
- If you have a pet bunny, have the kids pose with it, or put some bunny ears on the dog or cat (if they’ll tolerate it).
- Take pictures of the kids with some of the flowers blooming in the yard.
- Let your kids pose with some of the Easter eggs they colored and decorated.
If your kids have never been a fan of the whole guy-in-a-bunny-suit thing, anyway, you might find taking pictures at home becomes the new tradition!
Although things are very different for all of us this year, it doesn’t mean you have to cancel Easter! With streaming services, video-conferencing tools, and the new traditions you can create at home, you can still make Easter fresh and fun.
