Heidelberg Central: Local traders put Happy Easter signs on Burgundy St in January

Traders in Melbourne’s northeast are getting into the Easter spirit three months early, decking out a shopping strip with 20 signs.

A group of traders in Melbourne’s northeast have blamed Covid-19 for its decision to get into the Easter spirit three months early.

The Heidelberg Central Traders Association decided to put up about 20 of its Happy Easter banners on Burgundy St despite being months out from the mid-April event.

The association confirmed on Twitter it put the banners up to ensure the street poles didn’t remain bare.

“Due to Covid our usual event held in March is not running so we went straight to Easter banners,” they wrote.

“Please visit and pick up some hot cross buns or chocolate eggs and check out our beautiful bunny banners.”

The banners were also spotted by other surprised local Twitter users, with @dalz_i thinking Banyule Council was behind the move.

“Are you serious? My Xmas tree is still up ffs,” she tweeted.

A spokeswoman for the traders association, who declined to be named, told Leader it normally displayed banners for its Arty Farty event after Christmas, which had been scrapped for this year.

The spokeswoman said banners for other events in its collection weren’t in the best condition, and traders “don’t like having a gap” in the displays.

“We thought it was better to have something up rather than nothing at all,” the spokeswoman said.

“It’s not our normal programming, but it’s been disrupted due to Covid.”

The spokeswoman said the Easter banners were likely to be removed in the coming days and replaced with others for a Valentine’s Day promotion in February, which the association was waiting to receive.