Easter will soon be here, Canberra!
Unfortunately, coronavirus or COVID-19 as it's also known, has already made it first to our territory. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Canberra, along with the rest of our nation, will see some drastic measures taking place over the next few months to help contain the spread of the virus.
With hundreds of Australians (including Canberrans) already clearing supermarket shelves of toilet paper, hand sanitisers, tissues, pasta and other essential supplies, it seems as though we're preparing ourselves to enter a state of lockdown, as has already happened in cities like Wuhan, China and more recently, the entire country of Italy.
How then do you celebrate a holiday like Easter during a pandemic? Should those of us who celebrate Easter be even celebrating it? Yes, of course, we should! Even though there will be major changes to our lives over the next few months, I think it's still important to commemorate and celebrate special days and festivals in the year with our families. And it's also a great way to keep our children occupied with thoughts other than the virus during a pandemic.
Of course, Easter very probably won't be celebrated in the same way as it was last year and as it has been in previous years. Big community events such as Easter egg hunts and Easter extravaganzas may, unfortunately, get cancelled over coronavirus fears. But you can still celebrate Easter. And there's one place where you can during a pandemic and possible lockdown: your own home. Here's how you can.
1. Decorate your home for Easter.When it comes to decorating our homes for the season, Christmas is by far the most wonderful time of the year. Easter doesn't even come close. And that's only because decorating our homes for Easter isn't a widespread tradition here in Australia, unlike in many other countries. But the tradition is finally catching on! Retail stores such as Kmart, Big W, Target, Bed Bath N Table, and dusk sell a wide range of Easter decorations, including the Easter tree. Decorating a tree with eggs has been a tradition in Germany for centuries. My son always loves decorating our Easter tree.
So if you don't already have Easter decorations, make sure you stock up on a few Easter decorations for the home when you next hit the shops.
2. Stock up on hot cross buns. Or better yet, bake your own. Unlike toilet paper, there isn't a national shortage of hot cross buns-yet. But just in case there will be, make sure you also stock up on some hot cross buns next time you go shopping. They can keep in the freezer for six months at least.
Delicious hot cross buns from Danny's Bakery in Narrabundah. (Source:https://www.facebook.com/DannysBakery/photos/a.636307753074064/2851508174887333/?type=3&theater)
However, if there are no hot cross buns left, then why not bake your own? I did one Easter, and though they didn't exactly look like your traditional hot cross buns, they did, however, taste and smell like hot cross buns. You can find some good recipes online. The kids will love helping you make, bake and eat them.
3. Get into Easter crafting.Keep the kids busy and entertained. They'll love making Easter-themed crafts to decorate the home. You'll find plenty of egg-cellent ideas on the web. Check out Pinterest as well as
Easy Peasy and Fun,
Kidspot, and
DLTK's Easter crafts for kids.
You can also find Easter craft ideas at Big W and Riot Art & Craft stores.
Source:https://www.facebook.com/riotartandcraft/photos/a.157926624275101/2029163903818021/?type=3&theater
There are lots of Easter-themed books that are perfect for reading with your children. You'll find lots of books about the Easter Bunny, of course, but there are also books about the Easter Bilby (an Aussie version), and books about that guy, Jesus, too! Any book about sheep and rabbits will also fit in with Easter. You can find Easter-themed books at your local library, bookstore, Big W, Kmart and Aldi.
For a more Christian focus on Easter, head on over to the Christian bookstore
Koorong in Fyshwick for some great resources.
Finally,
5. Have an Easter egg hunt in your home or backyard.
Easter really isn't Easter without the Easter egg hunt! You may be anxious about attending a big Easter egg hunt event in Canberra or the event itself may get cancelled, but that shouldn't stop you from having your own Easter egg hunt in your backyard or house with the kids.
Easter really is a most wonderful time of the year, and there really is no reason to not celebrate it at home with your children during the current pandemic. So make sure you stock up on your decorations, Easter eggs and hot cross buns before Easter comes around. Because let's face it, it's not a lot of fun celebrating Easter with just rolls and rolls of toilet paper in the house!
