Happy Easter to our readers.
Tomorrow’s celebration is the first major one since the country reopened its borders on April 1. But, do not expect plenty of large family gatherings.
Easter is an important event for Christians, but thankfully, it is not as commercialised as Christmas.
Because of that, it means that traditionally, it is not a “grand event”, and there would hardly be any open houses.
So, although the country’s borders are open, and most restrictions lifted, several people I spoke to said it will be a quiet one at home with close relatives.
“I am going over to my in-laws for lunch. It will be just the six of us,” said engineer Michael Laka.
“We did meet some relatives during Chinese New Year, so we decided to slowly get back to pre-Covid-19 days.
“The plan is to have a big bash at Christmas – provided no new variant pops up.
“It is crazy. It seems like there is a new one every few months, and no one is certain how infectious it can be.
“For now, we will attend mass online, then spend the day with the in-laws.”
Sales executive, Alan Paul, said Easter is a religious festival, so there is no need for big parties.
“It is a time to remember when our saviour died and rose to wash away our sins,” said Paul.
“Having a nice quiet time with the family is the way to go as the country is still healing from the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Christina Lim agreed. The businesswoman said she planned a simple lunch for her family.
“The month of Lent was a month of sacrifice and reflection. I fasted for most of Lent, and gave up meat. My husband gave up alcohol,” said Lim.
“So many have suffered during the pandemic. It is only right to keep things simple.”
For the past decade, my family has spent Easter in Subang Jaya, instead of our hometown of Seremban.
It will be the same this year, but on an even quieter scale.
Usually, we would ask some relatives over for lunch. This year, we have not invited anyone.
So, it will be just the five of us at home. We will have a simple lunch and go out for dinner, instead of cooking up a feast for a change.
TWO-MONTH LOW IN NEW CASES
For the first time since Feb 4 (7,234), we had less than 8,000 Covid-19 cases in a day when we recorded 7,739 new infections on April 11.
There were 65,168 new cases in the past week, making it 4,372,697.
That was the lowest seven-day total since Jan 29-Feb 4 (39,084).
We had 138 fatalities in the last seven days, the lowest since the week of Feb 5-11 (88). That brought the total to 35,397.
On the recovery front, 110,294 patients received a clean bill of health, meaning 4,224,125 people had beaten the coronavirus.
Worldwide, there are 503,856,958 cases, and 6,220,423 fatalities.
PERFECT PARTNER
A friend saw this on Twitter and shared it with me. I think she has the right idea.
IS IT 2020?
When Covid-19 hit two years ago, Zoom calls became the in-thing. It became so that you probably had one a day, or at least three, in a week.
Over time, it slowed down. But in the past week, I have had more Zoom meetings than in the last couple of months.
To be honest, I still prefer virtual meetings, but only if all parties have good internet connections.
I was lucky that all those I was in a meeting with, had no issues with connectivity.
46 RIDDLES FOR A SCAVENGER HUNT
Here are 46 riddles for an indoor and outdoor scavenger hunt that you can do this Easter, or at the next family get-together.
HOT CROSS BUN LOAF
Hot cross buns are one of Easter’s delicious treats. So, why not try making a hot cross bun loaf instead.
READY TO GO HOME
In honour of Easter, here is a Hank Williams classic.
Until next week, stay safe.
