The holidays are typically a time spent with family and friends but the recent stay-at-home order makes that a little challenging this Easter. Personally, I’d like to try to uphold as many of our family traditions as I possibly can. I’ll have to get a little creative on some (like Easter Mass) but for the most part, I plan on celebrating Easter like any other year, visiting with friends and family, cooking for/with the family, dying eggs and having an Easter egg hunt. Here are some ideas on how to uphold family traditions in the wake of a state wide quarantine.
Host a Virtual Easter Party
Just because we can’t see our family in person, doesn’t mean we can’t see them at all. Tap into the wonder of the internet and set up a virtual meeting to hangout with your loved ones. You can decorate a small space in your house with festive decor and put on your best Easter threads. The silver lining is, you don’t even have to put on “real” pants. Feel free to throw on a nice shirt with some pajama pants and you’re good to go (just make sure the camera is only capturing the waist up). There are plenty of platforms to choose from. We have been utilizing Zoom. Zoom basic is free to use but it does have some limitations such as a maximum of 40 minutes for group meetings, however, 40 minutes should be enough to send Easter wishes to the people you care about. Learn more about Zoom here.
Bring on the Baking
There’s definitely something about Easter that makes me want to cook up a good brunch and bake some fun treats! Since we don’t have to run around this year, I fully intend on doing some fun baking projects with the kids. There are many routes you can take here. There’s a vast list of baked goods/treats appropriate for Easter. We typically like to make the traditional hot cross buns but this year we’re also going to make Easter Egg Dipper Treats. You can score a two for one with this project as it also counts as decorating eggs! You can find the recipe for Easter Egg Dipper Treats here.
Cascarones Anyone?
One of my families’ favorite Easter traditions is the cascarones hunt/fight. We scatter the cascarones (colorful egg shells filled with confetti) around the yard and send the family out to gather them. Once you pick up an egg you get to smash it over the head of one of your family members! It makes for a colorful experience as confetti or sprinkles abound in the hair of your loved ones and on the ground which held the battle. It’s also a great way to teach the kids about how other cultures celebrate Easter. I highly recommend holding this event outside as it does get a little messy. You can make your own cascarones or purchase them from some local stores. You can learn how to make Cascarones here.
Angela lives in SE Portland with her husband, four kids and their dog. She views parenting as one of the most challenging yet rewarding parts of her life. Her kids range in age from six to fourteen and each one shines in their own unique way. She enjoys spending time with family and friends as well as staying active! She likes attending local events and exploring the culinary scene in Portland. She’s a self proclaimed foodie who admittedly needs help mastering proteins but claims to make a mean chocolate chip cookie. Some of her favorite activities include spending time in nature, playing soccer, reading, camping, hiking and just hanging with the fam! She sees each day as an opportunity to start fresh and learn something new.
