With the three-day weekend arriving, Aggies get ready to celebrate the Easter holiday.
Whether traveling or staying in Aggieland, there are many Easter activities at churches all over Texas. One holiday event in the area is Easter in the Park hosted by Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in College Station. This service has been a tradition in the church for 16 years, though it was canceled last year due to COVID-19, Pastor Caleb Schoeneck said.
This service will take place at Central Park beginning at 7 a.m. on Sunday, April 4, with activities including a sermon, an Easter egg hunt and a light breakfast for guests in attendance. Schoeneck said all who are looking for a place to worship on Easter Sunday are welcome to attend the COVID-19-friendly service.
“If there is anywhere that you can be during a pandemic where you are with other people, being socially distanced outside is the absolute best answer,” Schoeneck said. “We’ve got what you need if you are looking for an Easter experience that is COVID-friendly.”
Another event in the Bryan-College Station area is the annual Easter Brunch at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center on campus. This event will take place on April 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and marketing manager LeeAnn Taylor said in addition to the delicious menu, they also have opportunities for younger guests, including cookie decorating and a visit from the Easter Bunny.
“It is an event our team looks forward to as we share in the revelry of families enjoying quality time together and fun festivities over a delectable, family style meal,” Taylor said.
The brunch requires reservations through OpenTable or by calling the hotel.
With Easter Sunday approaching, the end of Lent is near for those who participated. Lent is a 40-day period of repentance where an individual chooses to give up something that is important to them or that they enjoy. This period begins on Ash Wednesday and goes through Easter Sunday.
Engineering freshman Rachel Spacek said she wanted to present herself with a challenge during Lent this year, so she decided to give up bread and bread products. She said participating in Lent gives her confidence because of the sacrifice that she is able to make over the 40-day period.
“Lent really gives me a concrete way of seeing sacrifice and how it affects myself personally,” Spacek said. “It’s really hard to compare your own emotions to what Jesus went through because I’ll never go through some of the stuff he went through, but Lent allows me to somewhat get a glimpse of the sacrifices he made at a much smaller scale.”
Looking at Lent as a way to grow, human resources freshman Mikaela Foley said she gave up sweets and TikTok. In addition to giving up something, Foley decided to do readings during the 40-day period, which she said made her feel more productive and focused on her relationship with God and others.
“Lent is less about giving up things for yourself and more about sacrificing something important to you or something that pulls you away from God in order to embrace the ultimate sacrifice he made for us on the cross,” Foley said.