by Ashley Dean, News Staff

Not going home for Easter this weekend? That doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate. The rain is (let’s hope) done for the week and this weekend’s forecast is sunny and warm, so get out and enjoy it. Here are some ideas to get you started – mostly Easter-themed, but some not.

Decorate Easter Eggs/Beers
This probably sounds childish and cheesy, but maybe you just haven’t done it recently. It’s actually fairly entertaining. The dying kits have evolved and we’ve grown up, and both of those things mean cooler-looking eggs. Some kits offer dyes that dry glossy or come with colored sands and glitter to add. And since you’re probably about 10 years older than you were last time you decorated Easter eggs, you can come up with more interesting and diverse designs than you used to. If that all still sounds too immature, then substitute the eggs for beers. Of course it’d be difficult – if not impossible – to dye a beer can, so go with lead-free paint instead. (The lead-free part is important. In fact, just don’t paint near the mouth of the can.)

Easter Egg/Beer Hunt
Now that you’ve got a bunch of pretty eggs sitting around, why not hide them and have an Easter egg hunt? Or, if you went with beer, then have an Easter beer hunt. In fact, the beer hunt would probably be a lot more fun. If you didn’t decorate beers and eggs, buy some plastic Easter eggs – they have the advantage of being able to hold candy. If you want to get really elaborate, put numbers or objects in the plastic eggs that correspond to different prizes or acts. For example, if you got egg number nine, you get to ride shotgun on the next car trip. Maybe that’s not the greatest prize ever, but you get the idea.

Easter Brunch
This seems obvious, but don’t discount it. Tons of places around the city are serving Easter brunch in unique ways. Here are a few good ones: Easter Jazz Brunch at The Beehive (featuring live jazz); The Boston Odyssey Easter Brunch Cruise; All You Can East Easter Brunch at 33 Restaurant and Lounge; Easter Brunch Buffet at the Ritz-Carlton (this one features views of Boston Common and cookie decorating); Easter Brunch at the Top of the Hub (amazing view). And if you’re strapped for cash or this wretched rain makes an unexpected return, get some use out of that kitchen you pay for and make brunch yourself.

Yankees vs. Red Sox
This has absolutely nothing to do with Easter, except maybe in that some people treat baseball as a religion, but no matter. It’s the Yankees. It’s the Red Sox. It’s Opening Day, which is practically a holiday in itself in Boston. The longstanding rivalry between the two teams figures to intensify this season after the Yankees won their 27th World Series title in October. The Fenway area will be packed with baseball enthusiasts all day, celebrating the unofficial start of spring. The weather should (fingers crossed) comply for ideal conditions at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark, so get out and catch some rays, and maybe a foul ball.