From Easter Egg hunts to a Passover Seder dinner, Athens hosts a multitude of activities for the celebratory weekend.
Although many students may plan to leave town to celebrate holidays this weekend, some do plan to stay on campus.
But this doesn’t mean religious students need to miss out — many organizations in the Athens area are planning special events to recognize holiday such as Passover and Easter.
The Annual Power 105.5 WXTQ FM Egg Hunt will begin at 6 a.m. Friday. Giant colorful eggs will be hidden all throughout the county, numbered corresponding to prizes donated by sponsors. Clues to where the eggs are hidden will be given out through the radio station’s broadcast. Participants can redeem eggs at the Market On State building.
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“The Power 105 Egg Hunt has been a springtime tradition for many years,” News Director Thom Williams, said. “One of the twists is that people don’t know what they have won until they redeem their eggs.”
The biggest prize, called the Golden Egg, is a pair of 14-karat gold earrings from Cornwell Jewelers, 77 N. Court St.
On Sunday, Central Avenue Church Uptown, a Methodist church located at 29 E. Carpenter St., has a service at 10 a.m.
Christ the King University Parish will host the Blessing of the Easter Baskets at noon. This event encourages guests of all ages to bring their Easter baskets for Father Mark Moore to bless.
“I went to the service last year, because I live too far away to go home for the weekend,” said Madison Yee, a sophomore studying film. “Surprisingly there were a decent amount of students there.”
Hillel at Ohio University, 21 Mill St., an organization that serves individuals with Jewish culture through social service and communal experiences, has teamed up with Culinary Services for the third year in a row. Nelson Court will offer unique kosher-friendly foods during Passover.
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Hillel is also hosting a Passover Seder on Friday at 6:30 p.m. for a fee of $25 per person. The Seder will feature dishes like brisket and matzo ball soup. Rabbi Danielle Leshaw will lead the service.
“A Passover Seder is a festive, fun, and delicious traditional Jewish gathering and ritual meal.” Lauren Goldberg, assistant director of Hillel, said. “It brings together people for celebration and reflection.”
But for some students staying on campus, relaxation, not religion is the main priority.
“(My friends and I are) going camping,” said Andrew Fox, a sophomore studying plant biology. “Getting out into Athens nature.”
For freshman Amelia Guesman, the weekend will be a time to prepare for the rest of the semester.
“I’ll be hanging around Athens, catching up on homework and getting ready for Greek Week,” she said.
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