This year’s Easter Sunday falls on April 21, and this holiday weekend for the family will be made more fun courtesy of various brunches and egg hunts happening in various locations in the city. So bring a basket because this is the time to put all those Easter eggs together!

Please note that readers should confirm with each organizer if events are canceled or scheduled as planned.

Easter Specials at Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center, Apr 16-21
Kempi Deli, Via Roma and Signature’s Restaurant are holding special events and packages for the family this Easter. Kempi Deli has new and “eggciting” packages, perfect for Easter gifts. Stop by Saturday’s special Easter brunch at Signature’s Restaurant for open-kitchen meat favorites, free-flow drinks offers, dessert stations and live DJ. And on Easter Sunday, spend the morning at Via Roma’s Little Italy Family Buffet where kids can take part in the traditional Easter egg hunt and enjoy the kids’ playground area. Live music, Italian Easter dishes, and a great dessert station will be available all throughout the event.

All ages. Prices vary. 7am-10pm. Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center.

Decorate Easter Eggs at Domain, Apr 20
Are your little ones getting excited about Easter? Take them for a special treat at Domain and have them paint edible Easter eggs, courtesy of Domain’s pastry chef. All you need is your child and some imagination!

All ages. RMB 248. For more information or to register, visit this page. 10.30am-3pm. Domain.

Weekend Easter Brunch at Kerry’s Kitchen, Apr 20-21
Celebrate the Easter weekend with Kerry’s Kitchen, which will curate a range of culinary classics, fun family activities, and games such as egg painting, egg hunting and more. The buffet will feature favorites such as Oven-Roasted Lamb, Sweet-Hot Plum-Glazed Ham, and Hot Cross Buns.

All ages. RMB 418 per person, RMB 209 per child. Noon-3.30pm. Kerry’s Kitchen. (8565 2088)

Egg-Citing Easter Party at Kerry Hotel Beijing, Apr 21
Spend a productive family day taking part in fun activities such as egg painting, egg hunting, face painting, cupcake making, family games, family photoshoots and more at Kerry Hotel Beijing. Other entertainment such as arcade machines, dance performances, and JiaBao’s appearance will keep your little ones happily occupied. Food and drinks are also on sale. Make it a day to remember and add on access to Adventure Zone where your child can continue to play on the giant slides, obstacle courses, ball pit and more.

All ages. RMB 388. 9.30am-5pm. Kerry Hotel Beijing. (6561 8833)

Mosto Easter Brunch, Apr 21
Celebrate Easter Sunday at Mosto with a classic brunch spread full of your Easter goodies. Think of blueberry pancakes with crispy bacon and ricotta cheese, juicy Wagyu beef cheeseburger with house fries and Eggs Benedict topped with heavenly béarnaise sauce! Mosto has also got festivities for the kids too, with an Easter egg decorating to all of the little ones so they can do some creative fun while adults feast on Easter brunch.

All ages. Prices vary. 11am-3pm. Mosto.

Easter Brunch Special at Latina, Apr 21
Easter is about coming together with family and friends, treating yourself to good food and drinks! Celebrate your holidays with Latina and enjoy great food in a welcoming setting, live music with a unique Brazilian twist, all you can eat and all you can drink options. Brunch guests will also enjoy complimentary fun-filled children’s activities, including Easter egg hunts, face painting, clowns and egg painting. Easter brunch includes a special buffet, from appetizers to desserts; the menu features the first hints of spring.

All ages. RMB 266. 11am-3.30pm. Latina. (RSVP: 8531 5287)

Bunnies Abound at Chapter This Easter, Apr 21
This lovely Easter affair for family and friends at Chapter will wow not only the little ones with special egg gifts and creative Rabbit art but also the adults with a seasonal and traditional buffet heaped with savory and sweet delights with free flow of wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee, and tea. Stand out Easter favorites will fill the buffet to overflowing.

All ages. RMB 328 per person + 15% surcharge (price includes free flow of wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee, and tea). 11am-2.30pm. Chapter. (RSVP: 6584 6270)

Live Jazz Easter Sunday Brunch and Egg Hunt at Brickyard Retreat, Apr 21
A decadent live jazz brunch and egg hunt will take place in the fabulous Great Wall view gardens at The Brickyard Retreat Center. Packages are available for those who’d like to stay there the night before, waking up to an Easter Sunday sunrise in the fresh country air.

All ages. RMB 268 (adults), RMB 138 (children). 11.30am-4pm. The Brickyard Retreat Center. (info@brickyardatmutianyu.com)

Moka Bros Eggcellent Easter Egg Decorating, Apr 21
Moka Bros Solana invites everyone to celebrate Easter Sunday with an “eggcellent” Easter Egg Decorating Party! Easter pros and first-time egg decorators alike are welcome while Moka staff will be on hand to help! While you get in the Easter Egg decorating groove, sip on a smoothie as all medium-size smoothies will be buy-one-get-one-free from noon to 3pm.

All ages. Noon-5pm. Moka Bros Solana.

The SLab Collabs: Easter Egg Hunt at That’s Mandarin, Apr 21
This Easter, The SLab collaborates with Palette and That’s Mandarin to put on a treasure hunt for kids ages 8-12.
Complete crafting activities, Easter egg hunts, and games to win a basket of goodies. Families are welcome to That’s Mandarin anytime from 2-4pm to take part in the treasure hunt. There is no time limit to the hunt and each participant can begin as soon as they have registered. Tasks include problem-solving questions which are best suited for participants ages 8-12, and parents are not allowed to take part in the hunt!

Ages 8-12. RMB 99. 2-6pm. That’s Mandarin. (RSVP: Chloe Zhang 8448 9799)

If you have an upcoming family-friendly event that you want to be included in our listings, let us know by submitting event information here. Please note that readers should confirm with each organizer if events are canceled or scheduled as planned. For more events that may not be included in this list, please check our Events page. 

Photos: Courtesy of event organizers

This past Sunday, we attended the Comptoirs de France annual Easter Egg hunt event. We went last year as well so this year, when my daughter heard the word Easter in passing, she repeatedly asked if we would be returning to "see the Easter Bunny." Little did I know there would be TWO of them.

I have often wondered how one must feel to dress up in a character costume and entertain kids. My first thought is that it must be extremely hot in there—especially in this balmy spring weather we are enjoying these days in Beijing. Those furry suits are sweat boxes, I’m sure!

My next thought, though, is how dehumanizing it must feel for those whose job it is to wear them. For a few hours on Easter Sunday, two people inside of Eastern bunny costumes (one blue, one grey) were completely invisible as human beings. Kids touched their costumes constantly, without much in the way of shyness, and even occasionally got a bit too close to their personal areas. (See pic below! Oops. That’s my son.)

I saw several kids poking and pulling at their costumes as well. One slightly older child was messing with the blue bunny’s ears by reaching up and covering its costume’s eyes with them, like it was a “torment the bunny” game. Certainly, the play wasn’t malicious, and this didn’t affect the costume-wearer’s vision, considering the eye screens were in the bunny’s smile – but how annoying!

My two-year old son was fascinated by these oversized rabbits. At one point he demanded that I “touch the bunny,” so I mechanically reached out and touched the blue bunny’s hand. In that immediate instant, I knew I had crossed a serious line of decorum. A child willfully touching a “furry” is somehow permissible; an adult doing so feels borderline perverted. And what a disturbing thought to have on Easter Sunday!

As we left to join the other kids for the actual hunt, I passed the bunny I had (now regretfully) touched and decided to address his (or her?) humanity. In Chinese, I said, “That must be quite a hot costume, isn’t it?” and I heard the quintessential Chinese grunt of affirmation echo inside the cavernous bunny head. It wasn’t much of a gesture on my part, but even this minor expression of compassion made me feel more generous somehow (read: less creepy), which is happily more in tune with the holiday’s overall message.

Photos: Courtesy of Ember Swift