MARYLAND, USA — While Easter weekend might look a bit different this year, some traditions are staying perfectly intact.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan assured kids all across the state that the Easter Bunny isn't going anywhere. While the pandemic is postponing many events and making many change their work schedule, the Easter Bunny was declared an "essential worker" in the state of Maryland, meaning he can continue to hop on by and deliver baskets no matter what.
To really make sure kids knew this was the real deal, Gov. Hogan signed an order on Friday and posted it to social media.
"For the kids out there who may have been concerned, I have some reassuring news: Today I officially proclaimed the Easter Bunny an essential worker in Maryland," Hogan tweeted. "He, therefore, will be able to proceed with his hopping across the state, delivering Easter baskets to Maryland children."
Hogan isn't the first leader to declare the bunny essential -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden did last week, adding the tooth fairy in the mix and saying the effort was to help parents find some normal in a very unnormal time.
"As you can imagine, at this time, of course, they're going to be potentially quite busy at home with their family and their own bunnies," Ardern said." And so, I say to the children of New Zealand, if the Easter Bunny doesn't make it to your household, then we have to understand that it's a bit difficult at the moment for the bunny to perhaps get everywhere."
Churches and other institutions of faith have had to quickly transition into virtual spaces during the pandemic, adjusting their services in what would have been one of the busiest weekends of the year.
“For us it was a whole new frontier," Marshall Griffin, pastoral resident at Redeemer Church of Arlington, said.
Griffin said his church had never streamed their service prior to the pandemic, but now it has become their only option.
Some have even made sure their own Easter bunnies are socially distanced, like these ones spotted on a D.C. yard:
