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Celebrating Easter virtually during a global pandemic

Cheyanne Neuffer
cneuffer@tahoedailytribune.com

While the coronavirus has temporarily put a pause on our regular lives, it has also forced us to adapt.

How can we keep the Easter spirit alive during such an uncertain time?

Usually, this time of year many of us come together to spend time with family, friends and neighbors, but now we need to celebrate away from each other at home.



Luckily, in this modern age we have video chat platforms like Zoom, Skype and Facetime that are now useful tools to keep connected with extended family and friends.

Celebrate all things Easter together, at home this year with decorations.



While the Easter decorations might just be for your family to enjoy this year, it still honors the spring holiday and gets the family in a festive spirit.

Going to the store for Easter decorations isn’t the best idea, but there are several DIY projects that use items that you can find around the house.

Get decorative whether it be painting an old mason jar with pastel colors and polka dots for a festive Easter vase, filling a glass candle-holder with Easter Jelly Beans or finding an old piece of wood as a canvas for an Easter masterpiece.

Pinterest has several easy, at home crafts to make from Easter wreaths to egg garlands.

Take egg decorating to the next level this year.

Don’t have vinegar on hand? Try natural red and yellow onion dyed easter eggs.

Use sparkly paint to add some flare to the eggs.

For the little ones, organize a virtual egg dying or paint dying party. Set up all the materials with a live video with their friends or set up a virtual Easter cookie decorating party.

Enjoy getting creative with Easter Brunch dishes, treats or pick up some from the pros.

Virtually celebrate your infamous Easter Brunch or Easter dinner with friends and family.

Cook with friends through a live stream.

Bake Easter themed cupcakes, cookies and breads.

Tune in with your friends via some social platform to see who can craft the best (looking) Mimosa or Bloody Mary.

Or if you are tired of baking lately, get some treats at local bakeries that are still baking takeout pies, cakes, cookies and other specialty treats.

Along with other festive treats, Sugar Pine Bakery in South Lake Tahoe is offering Easter Cookie Decorating Kits. The kits are $15 and include eight large easter-themed cookies, four icing bags and Easter sprinkles. Sugar Pine is offering pick-up or free delivery around South Lake Tahoe.

For more information visit http://www.sugarpinetahoe.com or their Instagram page for updated information at @sugarpinebakerytahoe.

Crazy Good Bakery at the Y in South Lake is giving all locals 25% off all Easter pie and dessert orders.

Their walk-up window will be open Saturday, April 11 until 2 p.m. for last minute Easter treats.

For more information visit http://www.crazygoodbakery.com or their Instagram page for updated information at @crazygoodbakeryandcafe.

Adapt family traditions with some technology and a little bit of planning.

The Easter bunny still comes during quarantine, right? Well, don’t forget your Easter baskets.

There are several ways to make easter baskets from at home materials.

You can make baskets out of paper, cardboard, or even edible baskets.

Either way, make it a fun experience and maybe the Easter bunny will fill it with banana bread muffins, candy or even a bottle of wine (for the older Easter lovers) — or possibly a roll of toilet paper.

While it is not quite the same as the little ones getting to run around on an open field in a race hunting for eggs, parents can make an indoor egg hunt or even backyard hunt.

For an indoor hunt, block off one designated room and don’t forget to note the places in case you forgot where you hid the real hard-boiled eggs.

Break out technology for a Virtual Egg Hunt.

Unfortunately, it is not the time to see extended family, but you can visit virtually. Have family members hide eggs around their house.

With kids on the other end, navigate the camera around the house and when the kids call out a spot, have the family look there (parents prepare to have a prize at home for when the little ones find the eggs on the screen).

Grandma has the hints.

Set up your device with relatives on the other end.

After hiding the eggs around the house, either show or text your relatives the clues to where the eggs are in the house. This hunt brings in family members and has the kids running up to the screen asking the family for hints.

For older egg hunters (maybe the ones trying to find the eggs with the dollar bills in them), try getting creative with a trivia game hunt.

Organize a neighborhood Easter egg scavenger hunt, social distancing style.

Coordinate the egg scavenger hunt with neighbors via text, Nextdoor app or email. Each neighbor prints off a regular paper sized egg design.

Color the egg picture and place around the outside of your house where kids can see them from the sidewalk. Make sure all the participating neighbors print and post their eggs before Easter (by a certain date) so each kid has plenty of time to find the eggs. Each kid counts and takes a picture of the eggs they find. On Easter day, everyone tallies their counts and sends to the designated Easter Egg Hunt Leader who will receive all the texts.

Another option is to create a dropbox, drive etc. for kids to post the eggs they find with neighbors.

The kid who uploads or sends in the most eggs, gets a prize. This could be an online gift card, candy or whatever the parents want to contribute. The kids get to go outside, safely while encouraging the whole neighborhood to participate together to celebrate Easter.

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