7 Ways to Celebrate Easter During Quarantine

For many, Easter is a time to celebrate faith and family while enjoying the trappings of spring. During the COVID-19 outbreak and social distancing measures, this Easter might be a little different for most families. Ochsner Health has compiled 7 suggested activities to make it a little easier to still enjoy Easter with your loved ones.

1. Share Your Family Recipes – Like any great family gathering, the food usually takes center stage. Is it your dad’s famous honey-baked ham? Your grandma’s key lime pie? Don’t miss out on all your favorite staples! Compile a list of everyone’s dishes and send them out via text or email to the whole family. Have everyone try out creating the dishes in their own kitchens and enjoy a virtual meal with your whole family.
2. Host a Virtual Easter Egg Hunt – Invite the littlest members of your family to participate in a virtual egg hunt. This one takes a little bit of planning on the front-end. Make sure each family that is participating has some treats at home. As the host of the hunt, hide eggs around your house or yard in places that would be easy to see on FaceTime or Zoom. Turn the camera around so that the kids on the call can see your house or yard as you walk around. When they say they see an egg, pick it up and award the child who spotted it a point. At the end, count each child’s points and have their parents give them the treats that correspond to each virtual egg they found.
3. Attend an Online Church Service – Many churches have begun streaming their services for their congregations to enjoy virtually. If your family tradition is attending church to celebrate Easter, have the family tune into your church’s online service from their own homes. After the service, set up a Zoom call to discuss the message of Easter with your loved ones.
4. Reach Out to Your Elderly Relatives and Neighbors – The holidays can be a hard time to be away from family. During the coronavirus outbreak, the elderly population is highly at-risk and therefore has to practice social distancing from even those closest to them to prevent the spread. Make sure they feel loved on Easter (and every day) by connecting with them via text, call, FaceTime or Zoom.
5. Create Your Own Dye for Easter Eggs – No need to run out to a grocery store for a fancy dye kit. You can make your own dye at home with what you already have in your pantry. All you need are eggs, vinegar and food coloring to make beautiful Easter eggs with your family.
6. Support Small Businesses for Easter Basket Goodies – While the easiest way to provide an Easter basket for your kids is usually to pick up a pre-made one from the store, this year it is especially important to support small, local businesses. Get creative with your basket stuffings such as locally made candies, clothes from a small boutique or knick-knacks from a gift shop. Reach out to your favorite local boutique to see if they are accepting orders via phone for pick up or delivery.
7. Have a Meet and Greet with the Easter Bunny – Does one of your family members own a bunny costume? They definitely get the cool relative award, if so. Forgo the usual pictures at the mall and set up a video chat to let the kids talk to the Easter Bunny instead.

Remember – we are all doing our part to social distance and flatten the curve. With a little creativity and planning, your Easter holiday will be one to remember!

For the latest updates on Ochsner’s response to COVID-19 visit Ochsner.org/coronavirus

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About Ochsner Health

Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Ochsner Health is a not-for-profit committed to giving back to the communities it serves through preventative screenings, health and wellness resources and partnerships with innovative organizations that share our vision. Ochsner Health healed more than 876,000 people from across the globe in 2019, providing the latest medical breakthroughs and therapies, including digital medicine for chronic conditions and telehealth specialty services. Ochsner Health is a national leader, named the top hospital in Louisiana and a top children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report. As Louisiana’s leading healthcare educator, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. Ochsner Health is innovating healthcare by investing in new technologies and research to make world-class care more accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner's team of more than 26,000 employees and 4,500 providers are working to reinvent the future of health and wellness in the region. To learn more about Ochsner Health, please visit www.ochsner.org. To transform your health, please visit www.ochsner.org/healthyyou.