Just because we are cooped up at home doesn’t mean that life’s little joys need to stop as well. As April 12 marks Easter Sunday, Gulf News comes up with unique ways to celebrate the festival with plenty of fun for the kids and adults, too.
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Online feast with the Family: Yes, we are far away from our families and social distancing, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be a part of our traditional Easter feast. Thanks to technology and apps such as Zoom and Google Hangouts, we can all be a little bit closer to share those big moments in life. Set the table and bring your family members and/or friends to break bread with you virtually. Just hearing a voice or three can bring that bit of cheer needed for festive occasions. Those who are unable to join need not be forgotten. Make a phone call or send an e-card.
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Get crafty: The best part about Easter are the colourful, hand painted eggs. Those with younger children at home can make this a fun activity for the brood and have them get creative. If it’s not possible to get your hands on eggs, then turn this into an arts and crafts project with paper and paint or crayons. They can even paint up the balcony glass door creating their own little basket of eggs and bunnies.
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Bake homemade treats: Some of our best memories during the festive season is conjuring up treats in the kitchen with our mums or grandparents. Continue the tradition this Easter with kids at home. Use the help of any online grocery in the UAE to get you the ingredients for that Sunday treat. And if there are spare baskets lying around, how about making a little treat of chocolate eggs for the kids?
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Easter Egg hunt: Even if we don’t have access to the parks or a backyard garden, kids can get a kick out of the traditional Easter egg hunt even if it’s in an apartment. The treasure hunt will delight the younger ones and use up some of their pent-up energy. If eggs are an issue, then make little bags of candy and hide them across your home and leave little clues or riddles for the kids to solve. There are virtual Easter egg hunts taking place as well through Eventbrite. Go on, have a gander.
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Bunny movie anyone?: Round up the troops and hunker down for some family movie time, preferably with an Easter theme or a bunny rabbit. There are some great options on Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+. And even if Peter Rabbit or Hop aren’t available, there are many family movies online perfect for the occasion.
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Catch Andrea Bocelli live in concert: As Italy battles its own devastation and death during this global pandemic, the Italian tenor will beam a bit of joy into homes by performing a solo concert at Milan’s historic Duomo cathedral on Easter Sunday. There won’t be an audience, just the tenor and his magical voice bringing hope to everyone in these times. Bocelli will be accompanied by the cathedral’s organist, Emanuele Vianelli, who will play one of the world’s largest pipe organs. Fans around the world can watch him live on his official YouTube channel from at 9pm UAE time (6pm UK, 10am PST). Soak in the melody and keep those tissues handy.
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Hear an Easter story: Those with children home can find some lovely titles on online literature sites such as Audible, which has opened up its treasure trove of books during this time of social distancing. They are some great titles on there for little ones, with a personal favourite being a ‘Timeless Tales of Beatrix Potter: Peter Rabbit and Friends’, perfect for the occasion, don’t you think? There are also some precious Winnie-the-Pooh tales that are crying out to be heard.
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Live-stream an Easter service: Local churches across the UAE will be live-streaming Easter services throughout the day, including services on Good Friday. Places of worship such as the St Joseph’s Cathedral, Abu Dhabi, the Evangelical Community Church of Abu Dhabi, Dubai’s St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the Mar Thoma Church, Dubai, will be live-streaming services, as will be others around the world. Even the Vatican will host a live stream of Pope Francis at St. Peter Basilica through its YouTube channel.
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Listen to a choir online: While nothing can replace the magic of church choir, the closest you can come during a pandemic is to bring it home through music streaming sites such as Spotify and the help of virtual assistants such as Alexa or Google Home. Easter tunes can lift the sprit even while feeling the blues. If nothing else works, find a playlist on YouTube and hit enter.
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Dress up for the occasion: You may decorate the home and have the chocolate bunnies ready to feast on, but nothing truly makes a festive occasion than dressing up for the part. Don’t forget to take out your Sunday best and sit down to feast with the family. You deserve it.
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