Easter 2021: Egg Hunts, Services And Meals In And Near Smyrna

SMYRNA, GA — Easter celebrations across the country and in Marietta will look different from ever before in 2021 as traditional events such as egg hunts and religious services will go on virtually as well as in person.

City of Smyrna's Easter Egg Hunt

The city's annual Easter egg hunt for children ages 1-10 was scheduled for March 28, but was postponed due to inclement weather. The city has yet to announce a reschedule date, but this story will be updated when information becomes available.

Life Church Smyrna Assembly of God, 4100 King Springs Road SE

• Easter Sunday drive-in services:
  • April 4 at 7 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
  • Services take place in the upper parking lot and will run for about 45 minutes. If you want to sit outside your car, please bring a chair.
  • If inclement weather occurs, all services will be moved into the sanctuary with social distancing protocols enforced.
  • For more information, visit the website.

Vinings Church, 4479 Atlanta Road SE

• Easter Sunday service:
  • April 4 at 11 a.m.
  • Both in person and virtual services are offered. To watch online, download the Vinings Church app or visit the website. To register for in-person services, sign up online.

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.