At this point in time, nearly everyone across the globe has been affected by the novel coronavirus in some way. From Spain, to Italy, to New York, and even to the small towns in Missouri, this virus is changing everyone's daily lives and this includes Easter. Typically this time of year, many families would be getting visits from the Easter Bunny. They would be dying eggs, doing easter egg hunts, opening their easter baskets, getting in their pastels, visiting church for Easter service, and visiting with friends and family. The list goes on and on for Easter festivities. This year however, people had to celebrate in a different way.
Due to the social distancing efforts, many people were forced to spend Easter alone or with the people in their household. Easter is traditionally a holiday of gathering, but since this year that was impossible, how did they celebrate?
In Poland, a priest set up his own mass by surrounding himself with pictures of the people who would have been at church that day. Nobody could attend his mass, so he set up his church like it was a normal Sunday.
In Virginia, adrive in church event was hosted and hundreds of people attended. An outdoor stage was set up and people participated from their vehicles. People were seen hanging out of their sunroofs and windows to participate in church.
The Pope read his message on Easter Sunday to an empty audience.There was no public participation, but the Pope went on in St. Peter’s Basilica.
A priest in Brazil blessed Easter baskets in an unconventional fashion. He wore a mask and walked car to car to bless the Easter baskets.
Families hosted their Easter brunch online via facetime, skype, or zoom. Individual families cooked their meals then hopped on to the meeting and visited with family members.
Instead of going to public Easter egg hunts, families hosted their own in their yards. By doing this, people were still able to participate in the normal festivities. This year, however, things were a little less competitive.
Some people used their Easter Sunday to give back. They made masks and other necessary items for healthcare providers during this difficult time. Even more notable are the essential workers who did not get a normal Easter because they were working to save lives during the pandemic.
Many people watched church through facebook live and television. Society found that there were several ways to participate in Easter Sunday,even during a global disaster.Families were still able to get their Easter pictures using a timer on a camera or cell phone. Although nobody was going to be seen in public, people still got dressed in their Easter best.
Across the globe, people found creative ways to celebrate during a trying time. These methods have never been used before, but they make-do during the COVID-19 outbreak.
