10 Stay-cation Ideas For The Holy Week

Holy Week is a commemoration and remembrance of the last week of Jesus’ life on this earth. It is a Christian’s time to also reflect – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s also a time to take a break from work or school and be with our families. 

The week starts on Palm Sunday with the commemoration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It continues on Maundy Thursday with a retelling of the story of the Last Supper, and Jesus’ betrayal by a disciple. On Good Friday the church gathers to remember Jesus’ death on the cross. And on Easter, we proclaim the Resurrection, and celebrate the assurance that not even death could separate us from God’s grace. Here are stay-cation ideas you can devour your time to this Holy week.

Holy Week, Stay-cation ideas

Lenten season, when spent at home or in provinces, could be boring. But you could always make way to spend your time in a relaxing, fruitful, and peaceful way.

Netflix/iFlix

If you don’t want to go through the traffic and summer heat this Holy Week, you can spend your time at home, watching series and movies. You can make family bonding special with online shows you can watch on various sites such as Netflix and iFlix. If you’re not into American and Western shows, Sky Freeview also offers three classic local films for older audiences and drama lovers. You can watch Dekada 70, Sarah Ang Munting Prinsesa, and Tanging Yaman plus historical documentaries Knightfall and The Jesus Strand: A search for DNA. To check Sky’s other movies you can watch this Holy Week, click here. 

Meditate to detox the mind

Meditation and detoxification help to ease depression, improve mental functioning, and reduce stress and anxiety. This Holy Week vacation, take time to have a ‘me’ time and clear your mind and body with toxins from work and school. There are articles and write-ups online about the step-by-step process of relaxing through meditation and detoxification. To check the Five-Minute Meditation Detox guide, click here.

Sleep

What other good thing to consume your time into this vacation than to sleep, sleep, and sleep. Sleeping relaxes the body and the mind. After you do your meditation and detoxification, take time to sleep and rest. Don’t feel guilty about wasting time, you need that. It’s a limited time for you to rest on work and school so better spend it for your own good.

Personal Reflections

Self-reflection helps to build emotional self-awareness. you gain a better understanding of your emotions, strengths, weaknesses and driving factors by taking time to think and ask yourself personal questions. Knowing yourself enables you to adapt to changing situations and tough circumstances. You can do this by reading personality development books and articles in the comfort of your home. In that way, you can be a better version of yourself right after the Holy Week.

Reconnect with people

Holy Week vacation is also the perfect time to reconnect with people you’ve longed to meet and talk to again after spending most of your time in your office and school. Organize a reunion with your friends or former schoolmates, talk about what’s happening to your lives, and share something with them. By sharing something with them, you are also being able to assess how you have been doing and you are actually knowing yourself more.

Watch a concert and relive Christ’s agony

Bonifacio Global City in cooperation with Christian community Church Simplified is hosting an interactive Stations Of The Cross along Bonifacio High Street. The concert, called ‘Walkway,’ is a creative way to reintroduce Christ’s passion, death and resurrection to a whole generation of people fast losing interest in matters of religion and faith. Organizers have added a musical element to the event and this year, alternative rock band Mutemath and electronica act Kye Kye will play for fans on March 31 and April 5, respectively. Best part, tickets will be handed out for free. You can visit the Church Simplified Facebook page for more details.

Be a tourist in your own town

If you’re working or studying away from home and the Lenten season is your only time to go home, try exploring your own town. Visita Iglesia. Visit churches within your time with your relatives. Visita Iglesia is an old Roman Catholic tradition of visiting churches during Holy Week. Take this time to went to new places around your time you’ve never been into while you were away.

Move away your phones and gadgets, catch up with your family

Stay-cation is boring without gadgets and internet. Yes? I say no. Since you’re staying at home with your family who may not be staying at home with you most of the time or vice versa, try to move away from your phones and gadgets. Turn off the wifi router. It’s a good time to plan and organize cheap and exciting activities for the family. Since it’s summer, you can fill a mini pool with water and swim in the comfort of your backyards. Spend time with them and you’ll see, you can actually spend hours without your gadget and still be in your proper mind.

Cook

Lenten season is a season for fasting and abstinence. But, no one’s stopping you to cook good food and eat during Lent. Vacations are also opportunities to do the things you cannot do while you’re at work or school. Cooking is one of your best options. Experiment with your recipes and watch tutorials to better your skills.

Take time to contemplate and repent

Consider the very purpose of the vacation. Contemplate and repent of your activities and actions. While you take off your phones and gadgets, turn on your pleasant mind and think of the sacrifices Jesus Christ have made for us all.