Easter 2021: Egg Hunts, Services And Meals In and Near Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — Easter celebrations across the country and in Arlington will look different from ever before in 2021 as traditional events such as egg hunts, religious services and restaurant deals will go on virtually as well as in person.

Here are some holiday events and services that are happening in the Arlington area:

• The Bunny Photo Experience: Monday-Saturday, 12-7 p.m., through Saturday, April 3, at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, 1100 Hayes St., Arlington.
• Easter Dinner: Sunday, April 4, 4-8 p.m., at The Liberty Tavern, 3195 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. Open for in-house dining and curbside pickup.
• Holy Saturday Easter Vigil: Saturday, April 3, 8:30 p.m., Bishop Michael Burbidge will celebrate the Easter Vigil at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More, 3901 Cathedral Lane, Arlington.
• Easter Sunday Mass: Sunday, April 4, 10 a.m. Bishop Michael Burbidge will celebrate the Easter Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, 830 23rd St. S, Arlington.
• Good Friday: Special service on with communion on Friday, April 2, 6 p.m., at Cherrydale Baptist Church, 3810 Lorcom Lane, Arlington.
• Easter Sunday: Celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 4, at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., and 11 a.m., at Cherrydale Baptist Church, 3810 Lorcom Lane, Arlington.
• Easter Sunday: Grace Community Church outdoor service on Sunday, April 4, at 9:30 a.m. or 11 a.m., at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 125 S. Old Glebe Road, Arlington. Registration is required.
• Holy Week on Zoom: Celebrate Maundy Thursday, on April 1, with a virtual dinner at 6:30 p.m, followed by a 7 p.m. service with communion — have your own bread or crackers and grape juice on hand. Celebrate Good Friday on April 2, at 12 p.m. Virtual Sunday service at 10:30 a.m. on Zoom at Arlington Temple United Methodist Church in Arlington.
• Holy Week Events: Celebrate Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday with in-person and virtual services at Clarendon United Methodist Church, 606 N. Irving St., Arlington.
• Easter Egg Hunt: Sunday, April 4, 10-11 a.m., at Clarendon United Methodist Church, 606 N. Irving St., Arlington. Register online.
• Holy Week 2021: Celebrate Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, The Great Easter Vigil, and Easter, at Restoration Anglican Church, 1815 N Quincy St., Arlington.
• Easter Dinner: Napoli Salumeria, located at 1301 S Joyce St., is offering a ready-to-cook four-course Easter menu for two, as well as a variety of Italian Easter specialities. Menu items are available for dine-in, carryout, or delivery, from Friday, April 2 until Sunday, April 4.
• Easter Meal: Lebanese Taverna, located at 1101 S Joyce St., is preparing Easter meals to order. Orders can be placed online until 6 p.m., on Friday, April 2, for pickup on Sunday, April 4. All food will be ready to reheat at your convenience.

Mostly religious services went virtual during the Easter season last year, when the coronavirus pandemic was still fairly new and most states remained under strict shutdown orders in mid-April. This year, there’s more of a combination of virtual and in-person services taking place with the pandemic having passed the one-year mark.

Many major American archdioceses, such as in Chicago, will continue to hold virtual services that will be streamed throughout Holy Week, which includes the Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday holidays leading up to Easter.

Good Friday, on April 2 this year, marks the death of Jesus Christ. Easter, two days later, celebrates the time when he was resurrected. The Sunday holiday always occurs on the Sunday after the first full moon of spring, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Religious traditions on Good Friday include periods of silence and fasting for many Christians, prominently in the Catholic faith.

Fairfax United Methodist Church in Virginia is also streaming its Holy Week services, with an in-person service offered to a limited number of attendees on Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter.

Many Protestant churches will have their traditional sunrise services with social distancing in mind. The Daytona Beach Drive-In Christian Church is having its services on Easter morning, while the Colorado Council of Churches canceled its service at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre and instead will have Bishop Kym Lucas of the Episcopal Church in Colorado lead a virtual service.

One of the most celebrated Easter traditions outside of church is the Easter egg hunt, many of which were canceled last year but will return in some form in 2021. In La Grange, Kentucky, an egg hunt is planned in conjunction with a drive-in theater and movie; and St. John’s United Methodist Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina, already held its egg hunt over two sessions, with early sign-ups required.