Easter weekend is considered one of the busiest festive periods when people from around the world celebrate one of the greatest Christian religious festivals.

It is a celebrative holiday when Christians especially Catholics mark the end of Lent and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter is also a time when families make an effort to gather together, to share a meal with others and reconnect, and a time for reflection about what is good in life.

The long Easter weekend which people in the Cook Islands look forward to is for some an opportunity to spend time in their gardens weeding, landscaping, and spring cleaning their homes.

And for many years, sports teams, families and social groups have planned well ahead for Easter, escaping to the beautiful island of Aitutaki for a getaway. Several groups from Rarotonga will start flying out today.

In Rarotonga all nightclubs, sports clubs, and most restaurants are closed on Good Friday, however on Saturday apart from the few establishments who are taking an Easter break, every other café, club and restaurant are open as usual, while on Easter Monday only some public places will open.

Here’s the guide of some events that are happening this Easter weekend in Rarotonga:

Sports clubs: Rarotonga Golf Club – Friday closed, Saturday open, Sunday closed, Monday open from 12pm; Cook Islands Game Fishing Club – Friday closed, Saturday open from 1pm, pop in and watch the fish being weighed for the BSP Easter Fishing competition there will be live band after prize giving, Monday open 1pm; Rarotonga Bowling Club – Good Friday closed, Saturday open, watch the club games that start from 2pm; Rarotonga Sailing Club RSC Bar & Brassiere – Good Friday closed, Saturday open from 8am for breakfast until the evening, watch the sailors out on the lagoon and enjoy Boogies live band in the evening, Sunday closed, Monday open 8am.

Bars and nightclubs: Vaiana’s Bar & Bistro – today 12pm to 10pm with Isa and the boys playing, Friday closed, Saturday open from 2pm with the Sunset Session House music party hosted by the Coco House Bros, Monday closed; OTR (On The Rock) – Friday open 12am to 2am, Saturday open 9pm -12am; Rehab Nightclub - open tonight as usual, Friday closed, Saturday open 10pm to 12am (Two Party buses are operating tonight and Saturday), Monday closed; Traders Jacks – today the iconic bar features three live bands: Tok, Pat, and the Trader Jacks band, Friday closed, Saturday open with the Tumupu band, Monday open with usual hours bar at 11am and restaurant at 11:30am; The Islander Hotel is open daily from 8am to midnight with live band on Sunday for lunch, the Hula Bar has the all-day happy hour specials from 4pm to midnight with DJ Wizzpa on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Laguna Restaurant & Bar is open daily from 8am to close after dinner.

Café: The Flying Turtle Café is open on Good Friday from 7:30am serving food from 9am until 2pm and dinner will start from 4pm - 8pm, Saturday and Sunday closed, Monday open 7:30am - 2pm; Charlie's Café in Titikaveka will close for the Easter long weekend, Mary Charlie and the team are taking a well-deserved Easter and will reopen on Tuesday, April 19 at 12pm; The Mai’i Café & Bar – Open only on Saturday.

The Bond Store is open today from 9am to 7pm, Good Friday closed, Saturday 9am to 7pm, Easter Monday 9am to 12pm; CITC Liquor is open today from 9am to 6pm, Good Friday closed, Saturday 9am to 6pm, Easter Monday closed.

From the Cook Islands News management and team, we wish everyone a joyful, happy, safe and peaceful Easter weekend.