x
Breaking News
More () »

East Tennessee celebrates a socially distant Easter

Empty churches and unusual Easter celebrations sparked new traditions and celebrations.

Across East Tennessee, even though churches were empty and usual Easter traditions couldn't happen, families still found ways to get creative to celebrate the holiday from a safe distance.

Everything from home Easter egg hunts to Easter Bunny neighborhood parades filled the special Sunday and even created new traditions.

Church bells rang in unison at 10 a.m. Easter morning, all part of a nationwide initiative. It was for unity in a time when we're all far apart.

Sanctuaries, like Fountain City United Methodist Church, sat empty— a shell of the normal Easter festivities. The empty pews were a lot like the empty tomb.

Credit: WBIR

Rain rippled through vacant parking lots. Doors were shuttered. Even with the cloud cover, the sun still showed its face, but in a different way. Through people, families and new traditions.

A neighborhood Easter parade in Kingston, complete with an Easter Bunny in a Jeep, brought smiles to everyone in the Eblen Estates subdivision.

RELATED: LIST: Easter events your family can enjoy from the safety of your car during coronavirus pandemic

New traditions like Midway Elementary's online Easter egg hunt. Pictures were posted to virtually collect garden goodies.

Different Peter Cotton Tails hopped along the bunny trail— whether they were rabbits or not.

Credit: Deborah McMillan

A virtual choir at Wallace Knox Church brought the good news while building YouTube views.

While public messages of remembrance adorned the entryway of Church Street United Methodist. A banner read "He is Risen!" 

Dewdrops rested on Easter lilies to remind others— even through the storm and rain, the sun will come out again.

RELATED: Knoxville priests bless people from the sky on Holy Saturday

Before You Leave, Check This Out