Growing up, the highlight of Easter for me was our rural town’s Easter egg hunt. The fire department put on a big Easter egg hunt in a large field, complete with a fire truck and a dress up Easter bunny. I’m sure you could take pictures with the bunny, but let’s be real I’m not sure our moms were always taking out the 35mm camera for just that.
We would race amongst the local kids searching for tiny chocolate eggs covered with colored tin foil, large dyed hard boiled eggs and the elusive egg that would earn you a chocolate bunny. I never got it, but do remember eating dye covered eggs after the hunt.
Our family also attended a sunrise church service at 6:00am at our church, followed by a delicious breakfast. My parents would also put on an Easter egg hunt at home (complete with a homemade trail mix of peanuts, raisins, and m&ms).
Now that I’m a mother, it seems like Easter has turned into another holiday overshadowed by consumerism. Why do our children need a basket filled with new toys? Chocolates? and goodies? I’m not quite sure what the message is that we’re, as a society, trying to send to our children. I think it is tied in with our need for consumerism.
“What did you get for Easter?” a neighbor girl Jeff’s age asked him. “Nothing!” replied Jeff nonchalantly. I was taken aback when she asked because I realized he was getting to the age (4.5) where not only were these questions going to be asked by his peers, he might actually care what his response is. He didn’t seem to mind, and I was grateful. I reminded him of the Easter Card his grandmother had sent him that was on our refrigerator and he excitedly ran that over to show her.
Kids don’t need gifts at Easter.
If we continue this trend to gift them things with each passing Holiday, we are tying them into a cycle of consumerism that they may never be able to break free from. They will feel that they deserve gifts with each passing holiday, and come to expect it. But what about when they’re adults? Will they expect these sorts of gifts from their peers? their friends? their spouses? Will the continually expect things from you, the parent that got them into this?
And although I didn’t gift my children any physical presents, we had a wonderful time exploring and celebrating the Easter Holiday. We made crosses for Palm Sunday out of real palms, dyed eggs, went to an Easter Sunrise service and held a fun Easter egg hunt in our yard. We celebrated Easter and enjoyed it, too.
Just a quick rant. Anyone else feel this way about all these commercialized Holidays that have us feeling like we need more stuff? Anyway, we were happy to be together and celebrate Jesus being raised from the dead with a little church and the spirit of things with a little Easter egg hunt and spending the day together at home. Happy Easter from us to you!
me and my loves on Easter <3
