Each year, my family and I celebrate the Easter holiday in a traditionally Catholic way. My itinerary for the time with my family usually consists of a blessing of the Easter basket with my grandmother and mother; two meals fully prepared (and cleaned up) at my childhood home; and Mass. This year, I surprised my mom with tickets to the Cher concert in Philadelphia, so instead of hunting for eggs, we hunted for fabulous restaurants and prepared for a whimsical weekend.

We began the weekend on Friday as my brother came to the city to stay and dine with us. We went to Devon’s Seafood Grill in Rittenhouse Square, delightful since we were fasting (due to Good Friday, no meat). We then went over to a bar Katie Skrzek, vice president and digital director, recommended called A Bar. We retired for the evening by playing a game of Scrabble and enjoying some wine in the room.

The following day my best friend/college roommate and her mother met up with us to begin our Cher day. We had some time to kill so we went to check out the Philadelphia Magic Gardens. What a lovely place to explore! The sun had started to come out on what was a cloudy morning, and we were able to really see the light illuminate each object and inch of the outdoor mosaic work. We then had dinner at The Dandelion, which offered a traditional British pub and tea room atmosphere coupled with delicious food.

We arrived at the main event of the weekend, Cher. My heart was pounding as we approached the stadium. My best friend and I bonded over a love for Cher since college, and our moms both adored her music as well. We even recreated a picture we had taken at a costume party years ago at the concert to commemorate the event and celebrate a decade of friendship. Cher performed many of her classic hits, such as “I Got You Babe” and “If I Could Turn Back Time” and some of the modern dance anthems, like “Believe” and ”Strong Enough.” She had at least 12 costume changes and wowed the crowd with her performance.

The following day we all met up for brunch at the tasty Farmacia restaurant and said our goodbyes. My mom and I proceeded to attend Easter Sunday Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul, which offered a beautiful choir and setting to incorporate a bit of faith and tradition to the weekend.

The most important aspect of any holiday is the people you get to spend it with and the time you have with them. I feel so blessed to have such amazing family and friends to spend time with. No matter how your holiday traditions may change or the differences in location, celebrating together is what matters most. Mixing it up from time to time can be fun! To all my fellow travelers, I hope you have a wonderful spring and are enjoying the season wherever you are.

— Stephanie Makowski, account executive