Have an Easter to remember in the most unusual of circumstances

For families who enjoy making a big deal out of Easter celebrations and traditions, this year’s self-isolation presents a unique set of challenges. But with forethought it’s still possible to give the kids a great – and meaningful – time.

Obviously having an Easter egg or two (or three…) is mandatory and in South Africa the authorities have recognised the importance of the world’s favourite bunny. Major retailers such as Pick n Pay, Clicks and Shoprite have all confirmed that the big-eared bloke has made yummy chocolate deliveries to their stores despite the current difficulties.

For adults with less of a sweet tooth, traditional hot cross buns are also widely available.

Isolation or not, the Easter egg hunt is on

But, thereafter, capturing the spirit of Easter and having some Easter fun with the little ones becomes trickier. Easter egg hunts, for obvious reasons, cannot be held in parks or public places in the company of other kids, with Granny smiling kindly in the background.

If you’re fortunate enough to live in a home with a garden, you’ll have options. For people in small houses, flats, townhouse complexes and estates, it’s time to get very creative as you’ll have limited places to hide your chocolate treats.

In the build-up to Easter Sunday, the traditional time to give Easter eggs and do egg hunts, get the kids to draw or paint pictures of eggs. For those parents wanting to emphasise Easter’s Christian traditions, let the youngsters write out a few appropriate texts from a kiddies’ Bible, or similar.

Early on Sunday morning, hide the eggs wherever you can, and the drawings and scriptures in cunning spots such as behind doors, under chairs, on walls and in cupboards. Set a timeframe for the search, with the winner getting a special prize.

Get the adults and neighbours involved too

Then reverse the process. Let the kids hide the drawings and eggs, and the adults then have half-an-hour to find them. Warning: You’ll need an extra stash of eggs as the kids are not going to let you use theirs!

If you live in a complex and in close proximity to your neighbours, get them involved through your neighbourhood chat group and set up a virtual egg hunt. Ask all the local kids to make Easter egg pictures and place them in their windows and on their balconies and front doors.

As your youngsters look outside, they can search for what the other children have done. And vice versa. Then, compare notes on your chat group as to who has seen what. It’s also a great way to forge future relationships with neighbours you’ve perhaps never had much to do with in the past.

Turn to Christmas for some magical ideas

You’re scrambling for ideas right now, so don’t be afraid to create some additional magic by stealing Christmas ideas. The old man with the white beard won’t mind –- he knows we’re in a global crisis and it is all hands on deck.

Instead of preparing treats for Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve, spend Easter Saturday evening getting ready for the bunny’s visit. Encourage the kids to write him a welcome letter. Put out a bowl of water and some carrots.

Once the little ones have gone to bed, make sure the carrots have been nibbled and the water has been drunk. Use flour or baby powder to make bunny foot prints on the floor. Add some glitter to the footprints. He is a magical bunny after all.

Easter screen time for the whole family

Encouraging your family to spend time in front of the TV or on the iPad isn’t usually the norm. But then these aren’t normal times.

Look out for Easter-themed movies suitable for the entire household. Rise of the Guardians from Dreamworks Animation isn’t purely about Easter, but the Easter Bunny is one of a cast of characters including Jack Frost and the Tooth Fairy.

Hop, a 2011 film starring Russel Brand and Kaley Cuoco, is the story of EB, the Easter Bunny’s son who runs away to Hollywood to pursue his dream of becoming a drummer rather than work in the family egg-delivering business.

The Christian message of Easter

Easter is, of course, an important time for Christians. With churches being closed, online services have become commonplace using Zoom, Facebook, YouTube and other social platforms to create virtual places of worship.

Among the virtual Easter services you could join are Common Ground Church in the Cape Peninsula: www.commonground.co.za or NewDay Church in eastern Johannesburg: www.newday.co.za.

DStv also has a dedicated Africa Easter Channel which is being broadcast in collaboration with the renowned TBN Africa inter-denominational TV channel. It can be found on DStv Channel 343.

This content has been created as part of our freelancer relief programme. We are supporting journalists and freelance writers impacted by the economic slowdown caused by #lockdownlife.

If you are a freelancer looking for a small fee to contribute to The South African, read more here.