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The COVID-19 pandemic may have stopped many activities around the world, but it cannot stop Easter from arriving. And Christians around the world will still welcome and celebrate Easter Sunday 2020, even if they are staying at home. People around the world have the firm belief that the world will eventually win over this health crisis.

What is Easter Sunday?

Easter Sunday celebrates Christ’s resurrection on the third day after He was taken down from the cross. The remembrance of the resurrection is the Christian’s way of renewing the hope they have each day that everyone will win against sin.

Easter is the culmination of the fasting period, which we call Lent. Lent is a time for remembrance and repentance. The Lenten season lasts for 40 days, from Ash Wednesday until Good Friday, the day that Jesus was nailed to the cross.

Holy Week starts from Palm Sunday, commemorating the day arrived in Jerusalem, with people waving palm leaves to welcome Him. The “Last Supper” is remembered on Maundy Thursday, while Christians remember His crucifixion on Good Friday.

Easter Sunday was the day when Jesus made the prophecy come true – that He will die and rise again, and in so doing, people who believe in the prophecy will receive the gift of eternal life in a particular place called Heaven.

Easter Sunday History in Brief

In the Christian calendar, Easter is the main festival of the year. It’s a commemoration of Christ’s Resurrection three days after He was crucified. However, for cultural historians, the Easter celebration is a combination of Christian, Hebrew, and pagan traditions.

According to the 8th-century writings of St. Bede, Easter came from Eostre, the goddess of spring of the Anglo-Saxons. The early Christians who were trying to spread their faith used a more modern term, Easter, to relate it to the older celebration and make people feel comfortable about accepting Christianity.

Likewise, the festival of Easter is related to the Jewish Passover, a Hebrew tradition. Under Moses, the Jewish Passover is the commemoration of the deliverance of Israel from the bondage they suffered in Egypt for 300 years. Christ was crucified during the Passover. He rose from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion. The Christians who were raised in the Jewish tradition added Easter as a feature of the Passover or Pascha.

Controversies occurred because of the different traditions and rites held in spring, and the date to celebrate Easter, particularly with the churches in the East and the West. The latter wanted Easter to be commemorated on a Sunday, regardless of when the date falls. The churches in the East want the holiday to be held on a weekday.

Emperor Constantine resolved the issue in 325 AD by declaring that Easter will be during the Sunday after the first full moon that occurs after the vernal or spring equinox. However, the date is not fixed. But since spring falls between March and April and the Passover festival in the same period, the celebration of Easter among the Eastern and Western churches occurs almost at the same time.

Easter Sunday Celebration While Staying at Home

2020 is not an ordinary year, and the threat of COVID-19 affects all aspects of daily living. The coronavirus almost put the world into a standstill, as trade and commerce and other activities were temporarily put on hold. Group gathering and other social events were curtailed as preventing the spread of the disease mean keeping some distance from other people.

With social or physical distancing as today’s norm, Christian activities, such as celebrating Easter, will be a close family affair this year. Churches that are typically filled with people hearing the Easter Sunday mass will be empty, and fun activities such as Easter lunches and dinners are not going to happen.

But you can still make Easter celebration this year a special one, in the safety of your home.

If your parents or grandparents live nearby, include them in your celebration by preparing an Easter basket for them and delivering them at their doorsteps. Cook some of the things they like and add a few other things, such as some essential items and love notes from your children.

Plan a brunch, lunch, or dinner over video for Easter Sunday. Use any video conferencing app so you and your family members or your friends can enjoy your meal together. With video conferencing, you can chat and have fun with people you love while practicing home quarantine.

While you are not able to go to church to attend mass, most churches have their services online. You can check the schedule of Easter services of your local church through their website. You can even hear the special Easter morning mass from the Vatican if you wish.

Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Christ, and you can teach your children a valuable life lesson amid the coronavirus scare: that Christ will provide the light within and after this darkness; that He will let us overcome this temporary trial.

Easter Egg Hunting Ideas While at Home Quarantine

Don’t let home quarantine dampen the traditional Easter egg hunt. The time is right to be more creative to ensure that you and your family can still have fun activities while staying at home.

Instead of just the children looking for Easter eggs and other goodies, let the entire family join in the hunt. Add more eggs, so children and adults (including you) can look for them. Let the kid in you come forth, as it’s been years since you and the adults in your home have hunted for Easter eggs.

Instead of just decorated eggs, you can hide other goods and little notes saying how much you love and appreciate your husband, wife, your parents, and your children.

Find online services that will allow you and your children to send Easter messages to other children and families. Look for a service in your area that offers a meet-and-greet with the Easter bunny.

The egg hunt does not need to use real eggs. You can have your children draw eggs and paint them. Use these to decorate your doors and windows. You can ask your neighbors to do the same. Follow the guidelines of physical and social distancing while you and your children walk around your neighborhood to count as many eggs as you can. Be sure to wear facemasks if you are told to do so and wash your hands with soap and water or spray them with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol before you enter your home.

If you belong to a religious community, you can prepare Easter care baskets with decorated eggs, cookies, and other goodies, with cards made by your children, which you can then deliver to church members who have children around your neighborhood. Be sure to follow safety precautions.

Partner with Us to Stay Connected Despite the Home Quarantine

Although there is a mandate to practice social distancing, and many companies have to resort to partial operations, it is going to be business as usual. We at eTranslation Services assure you that we are committed to helping you connect with your business colleagues worldwide. We are open to work on your translation projects, as our network of professional translators lives in-country. You can also send Easter messages in any language to friends, family, business partners, and frontliners, to greet them, make sure they are safe and thank them during this health crisis. You can get in touch with us through email at [email protected] or give us a call at (800) 882-6058.

Easter celebrates Christ’s resurrection. Easter this year is different, but let us use this worldwide health crisis to strengthen our faith and our belief that we will rise above this pandemic; that God is watching over us and will protect us. Pray, stay at home, and follow safety precautions. Happy Easter, everyone!

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